The recent survey by the Ponemon Institute, commissioned by Dell, highlights how many laptops are lost or stolen in US airports. In 36 major airports, laptops lost a total of over 10,000 per week. When the small airports are taken into account, thus the total number of lost laptops up to 637,000 per year. Laptops are most commonly lost at security checkpoints. Less than 35% of these lost laptops are ever recovered.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that 53% of travelers surveyed said their laptops contain confidential company information, 65% make no attempt to protect this information. 77% said they would have no hope of recovering a lost laptop at the airport, and 16% would not even try.
The US Federal Trade Commission recommends using tracking devices like LoJack Absolute Software, which can help track down the location of a stolen laptop.
There are many services that can help ease the inconvenience and potential risks that occur when a laptop is lost. An online backup service will ensure that you still have copies of your important files. If you have sensitive personal and financial information on your laptop, a protection service against identity theft help prevent and detect identity theft. And if your identity is stolen, a credit monitoring service to alert you about changes to your credit report. When the laptop theft and loss is so common, why not take steps in advance to avoid the worst possible consequences?