Keep your laptop safe - 23/02/2009

• Laptops are more popular than ever, especially with thieves. If you can pack yours up and stash it in your backpack or briefcase, so can anyone else with half an eye on your data, or who simply fancies a new machine.

• Securing the contents is therefore a priority. Following the password-protection and encryption advice will stand you in good stead. So, too, will ensuring nothing sensitive is stored on your laptop in the first place. This is one reason why cloud computing - applications served up via a web connection, with data saved to and accessed solely online with a secure login - has potential.

• However, it's possible to work locally on a computer without using any applications that are installed on the machine or saving documents to it. This can be done using a U3-compatible USB flash drive. U3 drives are bootable and can store applications that run directly off them, including web browsers, media players, word processors, spreadsheets and more.

• When you insert a U3 drive in a USB 2.0 port on a host machine, entering the necessary login information gives you access to a dedicated U3 menu from which you can launch programs. And once you unplug the U3 drive, none of your documents will be left on the host PC.

• On a similar note, Yoggie has developed a way of putting an entire OS and computer on a removable memory card, so you in essence carry your whole PC in your pocket. An ExpressCard/34 version was demonstrated at January's International Consumer Electronics Show, with USB and Flash card versions likely to follow.

Set up a laptop security system

• If you're a seasoned traveller, you'll be used to working with your laptop in public places. But if you're not securing that laptop, you're asking for trouble. Apart from using a physical laptop lock (which you should do already), you can set up a software security system on your laptop using free software designed to deter thieves and recover laptops if they get pinched.

• Laptop Alarm, once switched on, will set off a loud alarm if anyone unplugs your power cord, moves your mouse or tries to shut down your computer. And since no security system is complete without a security camera, try YawCam. This free app turns your laptop's webcam into a motion-sensing security camera that's capable of uploading photos of potential thieves to the FTP server of your choice.

• LaptopLock focuses on retrieval and extra security for stolen laptops. With LaptopLock you can delete files, encrypt data and log the IP address of your stolen laptop - all remotely.

Lock your laptop as you walk away

• BtProx monitors the proximity of your computer to your mobile phone or other Bluetooth device, and automatically locks the computer when that device goes out of range. Pop off for a minute and simply take that device with you - your computer will be safe.

• BtProx can also launch any application at the same time that it issues the lock command, so you could set it up in combination with Yawcam, for instance.