I am so very, very thankful that the terrorist plans for exploding passenger planes were prevented from being carried out. Thank goodness for having intelligence in the right place in the right time to save thousands of lives.
But, I am still mad that the terrorists have still disrupted lives and, as a result of new safety precautions, have put information at even more security and privacy risk than it was before the plot was foiled.
Yesterday Computerworld reported the UK has banned electronic items, including all types of computers, iPods and cell phones, on board airplanes. As the article points out, this restriction puts these objects not only at high risk of being stolen or lost, but also damaged. Yes, you’ve seen baggage handlers tossing bags 3 and 4 feet and more through the air, haven’t you? Not to mention having your laptop stowed in the belly of the aircraft under a few hundred pounds of other luggage, shifting and bumping on and against it throughout the flight.
This electronics restriction currently only applies to flights to, from and through the UK from what I can find. But, given the current world events, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that such a restriction will also be applied in other parts of the world.
The article provides four security measures for travelers with eletronics to deal with such restrictions. At a high level, they are:
- Back up data
- Use Passwords
- Use Encryption
- Have Insurance
All good ideas, but still leaving data at risk of loss, theft, inappropriate access, and they still don’t protect your computer from damage.
So, a few more ideas for you to consider…
- When traveling, use an old laptop loaded only with the software you need to use during your trip. I have such a laptop, and it works great. If you can connect through a VPN to access your software and data, then you really don’t need to have a laptop loaded with your complete software suite if you can securely access your applications and data on your corporate network.
- Do *NOT* load any sensitive data on your laptop that you use while traveling. If you need to take data with you, take ONLY what you really need, and encrypt it on a DVD or CD that you have locked away securely in a separate bag. If you really must have data on your laptop, have it strongly encrypted. For goodness sake, do not take entire databases of personal data with you…no one needs to travel with information about thousands of people on their hard drive, DVD or CD.
- If you must travel with your usual computer, invest in a good, hard-side, combination locking laptop case. The airlines have approved certain combination locks available to use (yes, I know it still doesn’t protect against the dishonest airport worker with the ability to bypass the combination). There are some decent hard cases out there that appear to be able to possibly even survive a Samonsite gorilla stomp. eBags has quite a variety of them.
- Sign up for a laptop tracking tag and service. There are many possibilities listed on the dmoz site. While this may not prevent laptop theft, it can help to get your laptop, Blackberry, iPod, cell phone, etc. back if it is located, confiscated or found.
- Attach one of those high-decibel eardrum-piercing alarms on your laptop and configure to go off if someone opens or turns on your laptop. Yeah, yeah…this one could lead to problems with airport security, depending on the airport and if they will actually open the laptops being checked. However, it would certainly make any potential thief think twice about keeping an attention-grabbing screaming laptop in his or her hot little hands while running through a crowded area.
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