Laptop counts in most precious accessories a man has. It cost you very high, but the data in it can be millions of dollars. So, losing a laptop is not just a costly inconvenience but also a notable threat to digital security.
There can be diverse situations where the laptop goes under unintended hand, and it’s a common situation happening every day. It has been calculated that around 1 laptop lost every 53 seconds and therefore caused more than 2 million laptop losses every year. It means that there is a chance of 1 laptop out of 10, a hazardous situation.
And if this sad scene happened to you and you lost your laptop, what to do next? But practically, there are two types of reasons to snatch a laptop, either just for the sake of hardware or someone who also has some knowledge about hacking and tries to hack your passwords.
If you are worried and don’t know what to do instantly, we are here to detail who to save your digital record and reduce the potential harm. Let’s begin!
Also Read: Best Gaming Laptops
Things To Do In Case You Lost Your Laptop:
1. Wipe Up All Passwords:
According to security professionals, if you lose the laptop, the first and foremost action needed is to delete all the logging passwords into your laptop. The robber is likely to access most of your online accounts.
So, go through your email account first and then other accounts like bank accounts, Paypal, and social websites and e-commerce sites, and immediately change existing passwords to be misused for any wrong purpose.
2. Contact Authorities:
After changing passwords, the next step is to call the police and file a report. But the police have no search for finding the criminal who has stolen your laptop. Still, if they have IMEI or a serial number of laptops, it will help the authorities return the recovered laptop to its real owner.
If you have registered your laptop with insurance, you definitely need a police report to claim the stolen laptop. This can save you time for future actions.
- If your laptop has been stolen from the home, instant reporting to local authorities can help find the laptop.
- If you think your office colleague has stolen the laptop, contact Human Resources or the office manager.
- If you lose your laptop in the school or college, inform your teacher, principal, or any other school officer to help you find your property.
- The laptop is stolen at public places like a car, an airport, a library, or a chip shop, then the police.
3. Clear Autofill from your Browser:
If the autofill is enabled in a web browser, then the criminal requires your account access to open that browser, so switch off the automatic Sign-in option and wipe up all the saved passwords from any device that syncs with your Google, Firefox, and Safari accounts.
Moreover, if you have a history of payments on e-commerce accounts like Amazon, Walmart, or eBay, remove all information and log accounts.
You can get all the instructions on clearing the autofill and other third-party sites from your browser. Plus, You can switch off the auto-sync features from the linked devices like phones or tablets that restrict information from being refreshed from your stolen laptop.
4. Device Tracking:
If your laptop has an inbuilt GPS tracking system like Sound, Lock, and Erase, you can easily find your device’s present location. Still, there are many software with which you can easily track the burglar’s location, lock down the device, and therefore recover it easily.
Some tracking software offers one device tracking on a single payment, while some have a yearly payment system. It depends on which software you have installed and do you want to buy a new device or pay the fee for tracking software.
5. Inform your Bank:
As soon as you know your laptop has been stolen and information about your credit and debit cards is saved on various online shopping sites, immediately contact your banks to freeze your credit and debit cards. Even though accessing online accounts is not automatically an outcome, you should still not take any chances with money and investments.
6. Inform Employers:
If your working laptop has been stolen, inform your employers instantly. What can they do? Most companies have precise protocols or software that can add additional tracking options for your lost device.
Be Careful:
The laptop is the most precious device in all aspects of money or data present in it. Keep the laptop by your side, and try to prevent just leaving the device anywhere in the office, on a car seat in parking, or in an airport.
In case your company provides working laptops to employees, keep backup security by tracking software or other protocols, and train the employee on how to handle the situation of laptop loss that anyone can face. Stay Safe!
