The power of hiding ourselves from one another is mercifully given, for men are wild beasts, and would devour one another but for this protection.
Perhaps the best way to protect a computer from physical theft is to keep it in a locked room, bolted firmly in one place.
Most laptops have a security slot that can hold a cable, but desktop models often require a special plate that attaches with glue to the side of the computer, monitor, or desk. Security cables, like bicycle locks, can deter novices and slow down opportunistic thieves, but they can't stop a determined thief. Given enough time, ordinary nail polish remover can dissolve the adhesives used to glue the cable attachments to the computer, and laptop security locks can be broken with a few well-placed blows of a hammer. More impatient thieves may just snap the restraining cable in half with a pair of wire cutters.
Before you fall victim to theft, make sure you record your computer's model number, make, and serial number in a safe place. Then, if someone does steal it, you can enter the information into the Stolen Computer Registry (www.stolencomputers.org), a free service that maintains a database of pilfered items. As the site explains, "Buyers, resellers, insurers, law enforcement, and security professionals check suspicious computers against this list. When stolen equipment is located, the Registry supplies information and assists in recovery and return of property to the rightful owners."
For additional protection, use an etching pen to scratch your driver's license number or other identification on the inside of the computer case (where thieves won't likely find it) or on the outside (to reduce the resale value of the equipment because the thieves must remove that identification before they can unload it).
Sometimes stealing an entire computer is too obvious or difficult, but taking the components inside presents less of a challenge. After all, anyone can see when a computer suddenly disappears from a desk, but who will notice when a computer suddenly loses a hard drive (along with all the data stored on it)?
To prevent someone from opening up your computer, buy a protective cover, which is a metal case that fits over the ordinary computer case and locks it to a desk or table. Such protective metal cases not only deter thieves from stealing the computer, but also from opening it to get at anything inside.
Although many people worry about outside hackers breaking into their computers and wiping out their data, the truth is that many hacker attacks come from people who already have legitimate access, such as coworkers, consultants, or technicians. To guard against these folks, buy protective disk drive locks, which cover the front of the drive and stop anyone from inserting a floppy or CD/DVD carrying a virus or Trojan horse. Of course, you should probably check with the IT department before you start locking down your work computer, which your employer owns.
To learn more about physical security devices, such as cables, locks, and protective covers, you can browse the merchandise from CompuCage (www.compucage.com), Computer Security Products (www.computersecurity.com), FMJ/Pad.Lock (www.fmjpadlock.com), Kensington (www.kensington.com), PC Guardian (www.pcguardian.com), or Secure-It (www.secure-it.com).
Many companies now sell USB drives that act like a portable hard drive for carrying data or programs with you wherever you go. People use them for swapping data between computers at work and home, but thieves can use those same USB drives to steal and transport information.
While Windows Vista can block USB drives, other versions of Windows cannot. To prevent anyone from plugging a USB drive into your computer and copying your data, use a program such as Sanctuary Device Control (www.securewave.com), USB Port Protector (www.portprotector.com), or DeviceWall (http://devicewall.centennial-software.com). With one of these tools installed, your computer won't recognize an unauthorized USB drive and thieves won't be able to copy any data off your computer using one, even if they have physical access to your computer.
An alarm can act as a deterrent because the last thing a thief wants is anything that draws attention to his activity. Many companies make motion detection alarms that plug into a computer's ordinary expansion slot and run off their own power so they can work whether the computer is on or off. When the alarm detects abnormal motion that suggests someone is moving the computer, the alarm lets out a high-pitched wail.
Barracuda Security Devices (www.barracudasecurity.com) sells another motion detector that arms itself when it senses changes in internal ambient light, indicating that the case has been opened. If a valid PIN isn't entered, the device sounds an ear-piercing alarm and dials a pager or digital cell phone number to alert the user of the theft attempt. An optional exploding dye capsule will also spray ink all over the computer (and the thief), making the parts easy to identify (and harder to sell).
Laptop computers are even more vulnerable to theft. Laptop alarms, such as those sold by Trust (www.trust.com), consist of two parts: a sensor attached to the laptop and another one carried by the user (attached to a keychain or kept in a pocket). The moment your laptop gets separated from you by a fixed distance (such as 15 feet), an alarm goes off. If this doesn't cause the thief to drop the laptop right away, you can follow the piercing whine and, hopefully, retrieve it yourself.
If the thief does get away with your laptop, the motion detection alarm can password-protect and encrypt your hard disk, essentially preventing him from copying any data.
Another protective mechanism is a tracing or monitoring program that buries itself on your laptop's hard drive. Every time you connect to the Internet, the tracking program contacts a special server and sends the IP address of the laptop's current location. If you report your laptop stolen, the server waits for your laptop to contact it again and update its new location. Then, the tracking-software company contacts the authorities to help track down the missing computer.
For this the tracking program to work, you must make sure you configure your firewall to allow the tracking program to access the Internet. Otherwise your own firewall could defeat the tracking program and wind up helping out a thief.
For added security, the server can also command the remote tracking software to encrypt your hard disk to prevent the thief from accessing your data.
For more information about various remote tracking programs available for laptop computers, visit Advatrack (www.absolute-protect.com), CompuTrace (www.computrace.com), CyberAngel (www.sentryinc.com), or zTrace (www.ztrace.com).