Does any one (geeks included) have a story about getting a laptop stolen while traveling? Is it really something to worry that much about?

Chris, no. I haven't had a laptop stolen, but by coincidence I was just getting ready to put a post up about my plans to improve my laptop security practices to deal with the possibility of a theft or loss of my laptop while I travel.

I've been very lucky on the last three trips I've taken to Europe with my laptop, except that I did experience a hard drive failure on my last trip and lost all the photos I'd stored on the laptop. My computer guy couldn't recover them.

According to Safeware insurance, 600,000 laptops were stolen in 2004, and according to the FBI, 97% of stolen laptops are never recovered. (http://www.absolute.com/Public/main/...statistics.asp)

Odds of my laptop being stolen are fairly high, so I came up with a checklist for myself:

<b>Security Cable:</b> Purchase and use a security cable. The cable can be used to secure my laptop to an immobile object in my hotel rooms or to the trunk lid in our rental cars. I was able to find an inexpensive cable for my computer on the Lenovo website and have ordered it for my IBM Thinkpad.

<b>Complete System Backup Before Traveling:</b> Do a complete backup to my desktop from my laptop before leaving on the trip, in case the laptop crashes or is stolen on the trip.

<b>Transport Security:</b> Carry the laptop in a backpack I've purchased for that purpose and never put the laptop in checked baggage. A backpack is best because it doesn't so readily telegraph to thieves the fact it contains an expensive laptop, I won't be tempted to set it down while checking in at the airport or at other spots in transit, and it will be a little more resistant to the quick snatch and run.

Don't let the laptop out of my sight going through airport security. Wait until the last moment to put it in the bin for the scanner, and follow it through immediately and pick it up as soon as it comes out on the other side.

Make sure my battery is charged, in case airport security requires me to power on the computer to prove it's not a bomb!

Don't store the laptop in the overhead, which other people have access to. Store beneath the seat in front of me.

<b>Personal Firewall:</b> Make sure my personal firewall software on my computer is up and running, especially if I'll be using wireless access to the internet on the trip.

<b>Startup Password:</b> Set up a power on password in BIOS to prohibit any access to the computer by unauthorized users.

<b>Identification:</b> Attach a label to the outside of the computer with my name, address, and e-mail address, in case it's lost, or stolen and recovered.

<b>Download Photos to CD Nightly:</b> Having experienced a hard disk failure on my trip to Spain last year, I know the pain of losing a laptop full of irreplaceable photos. My new computer has a CD writer built in, so I can copy my photos to CD each night and store them separately from the laptop, as insurance against theft or system failure.

<b>Encryption:</b> Missing from the list is an encryption system. I am retired and don't have to worry about network security for my employer, and encryption seems a bit over the top for me

Do any Fodorites have any suggestions for the checklist?

Transport Security:

I travelled with my laptop in my backpack last August. It took up the whole backpack and it was a VERY tight fit as well. This was a problem because I had to take my laptop out quickly at security check and then put it back in quickly. It was almost an impossible task.

Next time, I would buy a backpack to especially suit my laptop, and not just grab one of my ten backpacks in the closet.

Travelling with our laptop is something that we try not to do unless it's necessary. For our son's tournaments we need to bring it to check on updated games. Then we walk around with it and it's a pain as we'd never leave it in the hotel room. Plus it's like another passenger travelling with us especially going through security checks.

Yes, I was with a work colleague checking into the Rome Marriott and her laptop was stolen at the check in counter, quite unbelievably. She put it down for about 20 seconds and poof!! it was gone. The lobby was full of people and two thieves dressed in business suits stood next to her and took it quickly and walked out. It was only by seeing it on the security camera tape replay that we could see how quickly it all could be done. (I have stayed at the Rome Marriott many times since and consider it a safe hotel, and have left my laptop in the room for days on end. I don't consider this a fault of the hotel and believe they have corrected the problem. This was in 2003.)

As she was traveling for work, our employer was understanding. If she had been carrying her work laptop around for vacation, I am not sure that would have been so much the case. Hopefully the laptop you are considering bringing is your own. While I have never had a laptop stolen from a hotel room, I also only bring a laptop with me on business travel and only stay in 4 -5 stars on business travel. If you are on budget travel, you might want to reconsider; at a minimum, leave it at the front desk, although I believe the innkeepers liability may not extend to that if it does not fit into a safe deposit box. Some hotels these days are installing room safes large enough to hold PCs.

With so many internet cafes these days, and with so many hotels offering free internet to guests, I don't see the reason to bring a laptop. If you have a Blackberry, you can get work e-mails (why you would want to on vacation is beyond me but whatever). If you need to organize your pictures, my guess is that you are taking too many of them. . . .

Chris, back to the original subject of your post, I think that theft is always something one needs to be concerned about while traveling, especially something as potentially valuable as a laptop computer. If it's stolen, you are at risk of loss of not only a valuable piece of hardware, but also the data stored on the laptop, potentially including information that could be used in identity theft or to access banking and/or credit card information.

For myself, the convenience and pleasure of traveling with my laptop outweighs the risks. However, I will do what I can, both to minimize the risk of theft or loss and also to protect the data on my computer should it be stolen.

&gt;Ever Had Your Laptop Stolen While Traveling? &lt;

No, because I don't bring it with me.

If you want to download pix, you can find photo shops and internet points that will do it for you.

If you need to go online, there are internet points.

If you want to play computer games.....

No, but a friend in the Off-shore investment business had his whipped right under his nose by two brilliant &quot;operators&quot;.
As he got into the lift with his trolley of luggage - the laptop perched right on top, a woman stuck a bible under his nose and started the religious spouting. Whilst his view was blocked and he was distracted, the other partner-in-crime took the laptop. He was in such a hurry to get away from her he only realised what had happed when he got to the check-in counter and looked for his passport, airticket etc. Also gone!!
I am not at all familiar with high- tech stuff but my son has a cellphone which allows him to do all kinds of things &amp; go on the internet as well. I think this would be the answer.

Only took my laptop once, for semi work reasons, and I was staying with a friend, so I felt safe leaving it there during the day. It was a concern while traveling in airports and on trains though. For the same reasons pointed to by ira, I wouldn't feel the need to take it with me again.

Colleague had his stolen going through the security check (oh, irony) at an airport (EWR, if memory serves). Still doesn't know how it happened.

Another had a child feed his laptop some orange juice while on the flight. Note to self: do not feed laptop orange juice (or coffee, or....)

to further ira's response, i will add that...

-if you need to give a customer a presentation, you can carry it on a floppy disk (memory stick can also be stolen) and ask the customer to use their computer. or just draw pictures on a whiteboard.
-if you are writing a book, you can carry a typewriter instead...nobody cares to steal those.

i always get a laugh out of these semi-militant suggestions that there is no &quot;acceptable&quot; reason to bring a laptop when traveling. i am almost constantly traveling and business travel blends into personal travel. i am not home very often so my home &quot;office&quot; (personal banking, tax, etc) is managed on my laptop. my digital photography hobby is done on my laptop. my music and movies are on my laptop.

i suppose if you travel infrequently, then maybe you can treat travel like it is something sacred that should not be tarnished by carrying such a mortal devise as a laptop....a reminder of your &quot;other life&quot; as a worker.

for those of us who are on the road several months out of the year, we might not wish to put aside our music, our movies, our hobbies, our personal business, or playing games (although not my thing).

it's all a matter of perspective and i guess if i didn't travel a lot i would recoil at the idea that anyone would dare watch a movie or use a pc whilst traveling. but when a hotel or strange apartment is your home, you have to do at least some of the normal, mundane things that people do in their homes.

walkinaround

While both spouse and I have been known to take our laptops when travelling, I take exception to your implication that any suggestion I make here is 'semi-militant'.

Semi, my foot. Y'all either follow my advice, or I blow you away.

Hi will,

I'm sure that you will agree that there is a difference between travling for business and traveling for pleasure.

For the former, all sorts of techno devices might be necessary.

For the latter, I find it hard to justify anything other than a camera.

I have been traveling with a laptop for almost 20 years . . well . . ok . . some of those years it was more of a &quot;lugable&quot; than a portable and have never had one stolen. Most of that was on business, but now that I am retired, I stll take one with me when I travel.

In addition to manageing personal finances while travelling, I generally upload photos to a personal website for the family ( most of whom have not travelled to the places I go )

I know all this can be done from an internet cafe, but I am reluctant to expose my financial transactions to a public computer. Besides, I enjoy spending a few quite minutes in the evenings catching up on the days events.

Actually, after all these years of carrying one around airports, taxis and trains, I am not sure I could walk straight without one.

Rich

As someone who works in an IT department, I've heard many tales of people having their laptop stolen. Some have been stupid, leaving them on the back seats of cars, perhaps draping a coat over to hide them. The car window was broken and the laptop snatched in seconds. The most blatent was someone who went to the local supermarket for a sandwich, leaving the laptop in the boot (trunk) of an estate car but not in view. This was at lunchtime when the shop and car park were busy. Some guys in a car stopped at the back of his car, broke the window and drove off with the laptop. Others were stolen from car boots at sports centres and motorway service stations, from hotel rooms or when putting the bags down for seconds, while checking into a hotel or at the airport. One poor guy had his passport in the laptop bag too, when he was on his way back from a business trip and only days before he was due to fly out on holiday - he couldn't get a replacement in time and had to cancel the holiday.

I suspect thieves watch out for likely looking business men, etc, at these sorts of places. I'd suggest not using a dedicated laptop bag, if you can help it and don't put your laptop away in the boot of your car in public view when you stop the car. If possible use a security cable any time you leave it, but be aware these are not fool-proof.

Yes, in LHR; my driver took my bags from me and put them in the boot of the car but somehow forgot my notebook and left it on the trolley OR it was taken from the trolley as he was loading the car.

This is the FIRST time (and last) I have ever left my laptop out of my sight in all my years of travelling - would'nt you know!!!

As other have said, there are thieves that patrol airports lifting notebooks from business people who are not paying attention. Be vigilent.

Never had a problem in hotels; I either lock it into my large suitcase or stuff it between the matress and base.

Backup before you go, mail your important files/presentations to yourself so you can access them remotely, copy same onto a memory stick.