Protecting your laptop - Theft protection?

Hi,

I'm new to the laptop scene. I ordered a Dell XPS L501X about a week ago and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. But in the mean time I would like to learn a few things prior to jumping straight in.

My laptop will be with me everywhere i go so I really need to protect my data from being accessible. Is it possible to lock a hard drive to a computer(or motherboard)? And is there any protection to stop the hardware operating if new hardware is added?

I.e. Laptop is stolen, hard drive is replaced with new one, laptop would not boot from any storage devices.

I've never really needed any of this security due to only owning desktops in the past.

Your response is much appreciated,

Thanks.

 

I think the easiest option would be to add a bios password, so that when you turn on your laptop, the password has to be entered in order to complete boot up. This would be the option I'd take, it's simple too. Though, be warned, if you forget the password, you are out of luck! As far as I know, you cannot restore the password... Losing the password would mean you cannot access your system.

Though if you have important data, you should regularly back it up... Just in case something happens. Don't get too paranoid though. Keeping it on you at all times should minimize the risk of it getting stolen.

 

Most notebooks now come with Intel's Anti-Theft technology. This technoogy can be activated to issue a posion pill to the notebook (whether it is connected to internet or not) to disable the platform and render the notebook useless; and in conjunction with WinMagic's SecureDoc software, it can encrypt your hard drive to protect the data from unauthoerized access even if it is removed and placed into another machine. This would be the most secure, cost-effect manner to secure your sensetive data on your new laptop. The paltform is protected as a theft deterrence, and the data is protetced with encryption.

 

LOL.
Does it explode in the thief face when you activate it?
No seriously when you lose the object you lose it.
The only way to protect the data is to encrypt the entire harddisk.
The thief can dismantle the laptop and sell the part individually even if you disable the mobo.

BIOS password is useless. Forget about it. I can remove the drive and mount it externally to get at the data.

Seriously the real answer is just simple: TAKE CARE OF YOUR BELONGINGS and encrypt the Harddisk.

 

^ This x 1,000

 

I'm always like this, but I'm thinking of the worst case scenario. I brought myself a very secure backpack to carry it in at all times and a sleeve to put the laptop into for extra shock protection.

I was reading about software that will track your laptops activity if it is stolen. Is it worth paying for? That extra security could be what gets your property back. It seems pretty hopeful.

 

If a smart guy get your laptop and wipes the harddisk you can do nothing right?
If the stupid guy couldn't login and wipes the harddisk you can do nothing right?
If the thief didn't have an internet connection you can do nothing right?
Another way is to clone the harddisk and put it at a safe place and get a cheap laptop so you won't feel sorry if it gets stolen.
Anyway the main purpose of laptop is to do your work not much of a show off toy.