Laptop, tablet, phoneMobile devices are tempting targets for thieves. There are a few precautions to make your mobile device harder to steal and easier to track and recover.

Keep Tabs On Your Stuff

  • Keep your mobile devices out of plain sight in your vehicle and lock your vehicle
  • As inconvenient as it may be at times, don’t leave your devices unattended
  • Put a sticker on devices that say “reward if found” and some contact info to encourage returns

Install Tracking Software
When getting a new laptop, phone or tablet, one of the very first things to do is to turn on its tracking features if available. If the device doesn’t have any tracking, you can download and install Prey, which is free for up to three devices. Alternatively you can purchase LoJack or a similar product.

Besides reporting back the location, some tracking software can be used to take pictures of the thief, do a “screenshot” to see what they’re doing on your device and even “remotely wipe” your device, removing any sensitive data.

Keep Good Records
Write down the model and serial number for your devices and store this info in a secure place. If your device gets stolen and you file a police report, this is some of the information you’ll need.

Backups
Of course you’ll want to make sure you have your data backed up.