Protection Labels and Identifying Your Missing Laptop
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Imagine that your laptop was stolen. Can you identify it?
Depending on the make of your laptop / notebook, there are identifying serial numbers on the bottom of your machine. Write down those numbers and store them safely (not in a laptop file), with the hope of never needing them. If there is a mishap and your laptop is stolen or lost, you will need those identifiers to file a police report and possibly file an insurance claim, if the machine is covered under your business or homeowner policy.
There is also another system that may be available in your part of the planet. This is a system called by various names. It is sometimes called a security label or asset label. What it is an identifying tag which has a tracing code on it. Some police departments offer this for a modest fee and, for some companies, it is a security business.
Some of these tags have a feature that it leaves an identifying mark on the laptop, if there is an attempt to remove it. For example, if the thief tries to remove the tag from the laptop, what he/she may find is that there is a marker saying “STOLEN” in bold letters on the machine, after the label has been removed. This is marked directly onto the product. Sometimes it is the actual identifier that it marked onto the product, when the label is removed. These labels or tags differ, so you might want to check to see what is available in your area.
Most computer thieves know that the data contain within a laptop is more valuable than the actual worth of the machine itself. However, with the individual identifiers for a machine, there is a slightly greater chance of regaining the laptop. And sometimes, the asset tag or label acts as a deterrent itself. As these marking labels grow in popularity, thieves may recognize that the owner has taken additional steps to protect the machine. And perhaps the would-be thief will move on and find an easier opportunity elsewhere.
Catherine Forsythe
3 Comments
Stephen Auerbach
August 6th, 2008
at 8:52am
I wonder …
Can you plop your laptop on a copying machine a get all the numbers in one image??
Just wondering
Randy
August 6th, 2008
at 1:07pm
Another number, available on machines with network interface capability, is the MAC address. It’s not as secure as the numbers noted-it can often be changed-but would help reinforce ownership if you have it copied with the other id’s. You can find it (under Windows) with “run, cmd, ipconfig /all”.
Michael
August 9th, 2008
at 12:09pm
I would suggest downloading and installing the free app from http://www.thelaptoplock.com. This is similar to the commercial program Lojack for Laptops.
This is also good for desktops also in case they get stolen from a burglary.
As Stephen Auerbach mentioned, making a copy of the bottom of a laptop is better than writing down the information. This way you have the model and serial numbers, XP/Vista product key, and other information the manufacture has. It takes some adjusting the settings on a copier to get the best results. I t does not hurt to make some extra copies to give to the police and your insurance company.
Also scan the copy or the bottom of the laptop and e-mail the image to an online e-mail account so you have another backup in case your laptop and house gets destroyed by fire or tornado or you cannot find the paper copies when the time arises.
And don’t forget to have an online backup of your data. I recommend Carbonite http://www.carbonite.com/raf/signup.aspx…) for $49.95 per year and unlimited storage space.