How to Protect Laptop Information on an airplane and on holidays
When you look at sensitive information on your laptop in an airplane, you can jeopardize your privacy. You don't know who could be sitting by you. It could be a competitor who might find out about your strategic information. Or it could be an unscrupulous person who might misuse your personal information. Though most people are honest and harmless, it is best to take steps to protect yourself and your information.
Use a laptop privacy screen. These are thin sheets of plastic that attach to your screen. They make it virtually impossible for people to see the information on your screen from either side. You are still able to see your screen.
Dim the light on your laptop. This will make it harder for others to read and it takes attention away from your computer screen.
Take the window seat. This way you only have one person who can potentially see your screen. When you sit in the middle seat, there are two people who can see your screen. When you sit in the aisle seat, there are even more people with a clear shot of your screen.
If you're taking your laptop on an airplane, there are some steps you should take to keep your computer safe.
Make sure security applications and software updates are current - anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware.
Limit confidential information transmission, such as any credit purchases and reservations or anything with a Social Security number. Unfamiliar networks are always potentially dangerous.
Set up a remote Web mail account to enable e-mail access from any browser, such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or MSN Hotmail.
Bring an Ethernet (Cat5) cable with you on your trip, in case there is no wireless connection available and you have to hook up to that little box next to the phone that you'll find in most hotel rooms.
Use a system password on your laptop to help slow down the novice thief.
Use file passwords when available on confidential files.
Do not set your computer down and leave it out of sight (especially in the airport bathroom).
If you must leave your laptop unattended in a car, put it in the trunk where it can't be seen. But remember that extreme temperatures are not good for electronic devices.
Don't send your laptop through the airport X-ray conveyor belt until it's your turn to walk through the metal detector. That way you'll be able to pick it up promptly when it comes out the other end and prevent anyone else from walking away with it.
The recent arrests of the couple accused of stealing over 1,000 checked bags from the Phoenix airport highlighted one of the baggage theft risks that airline passengers face each time they fly. Another ongoing problem inside the airline terminal is the risks passengers face of having their laptop computer lost, stolen, or damaged.
The two areas of risks are taking the computer through security and inside the airport terminal.