Prevent Laptop Crime: Lock It or Hold It Close

Laptop computers are among the most coveted items for professional burglars and thieves, so Berkeley Lab employees are urged to use special measures to protect business and personal laptops from being stolen. The Lab’s Security and Emergency Operations office suggests the following to guard against laptop thievery:

• Don’t leave a laptop unattended in a public area. Keep it with you, or lock it up in your office or desk.
• If transporting a laptop in your car, make sure it is out of sight and locked in the trunk.
• Report laptop theft immediately to Lab security (Sam Houston, x4855) or, if away from the Laboratory on travel, to the local police authorities
• Record your laptop’s make, model number and serial number on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet or purse. If the computer is stolen, this information can help authorities track it down through an international database.
• Make the laptop a part of your culture and daily behavior, as you do a wallet or purse.