DON'T EVER LOSE YOUR LAPTOP AGAIN

A study released last year by the Ponemon Institute revealed that business travelers lost a truly shocking number of laptops at airports every week: about 12,000, by their count. (http://cmit.sparklist.com/t/125909/891226/1546/0/)

Even with fewer business travelers flying this year, you can bet that laptop losses are still far too many -- especially considering that 65 percent of survey respondents who said they were carrying confidential information didn't take any measures to protect it. That's a whole lot of sensitive information just floating around out there because somebody got careless in the airport security line.

So the next time you take your computer with you on a business trip, remember two basic principles: prevention and mitigation.

First, prevent laptop loss by giving yourself plenty of time at the airport, making sure you pack lightly so that you're not overwhelmed by your luggage, and keeping an eye on your computer as you go through security and boarding. (The two most common places people lose computers are in security checkpoints and at gates.)

To mitigate laptop loss, encrypt and back up all your important files. That way, if you do lose your computer you'll minimize the risk that confidential company information will end up in the wrong hands, and you'll be able to quickly rebuild your files and get back to work.

If you take all these precautions and still, at the end of a business trip, discover that your laptop has wandered off for parts unknown, it helps to have a theft-recovery system like Absolute Software’s Computrace LoJack for Laptops installed. If your laptop goes missing, Absolute personnel can start working with local law enforcement to find it. Your computer automatically calls in to the Monitoring Center once a day, but you can increase that to once every 15 minutes if your computer is stolen. Once your computer checks in with the Monitoring Center, they can initiate a data delete to remove sensitive information – hopefully before the thief is able to access it.

The Computrace LoJack for Laptops comes embedded in Dell Latitude™ notebooks and Dell Precision™ Mobile Workstations. It can also be purchased as a standalone product.

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

Very interesting article on the possiblities of Twitter. Not as a business tool or a way of telling your friends what you ate for breakfast. But as a fascinating communication tool.

If Abboott and Costello were alive today, "Who's On First' would sound like this...

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT . . .

ABBOTT: CMIT Solutions, your technology team, can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "W" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START"...

Small Biz Technology - Security: No Hardware, No Products, All Software and Service

Small Biz Technology had a great blog post on security for your desktop, laptop and network. Traditionally, when you think about security, you think about a firewall or router. Some hardware box plugged in to your network. However, there are other options. Ramon Ray interviews John Adams, the CTO of Chosen Security, about offering security as a service you subscribe to, instead of the typical approach.

Read the full article here: http://smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2009/04/security-no-hardware-no-produc.html