Did you know that 34.3% of the population in the world has access to the internet?

As an internet user yourself, you’re probably looking for tips on protecting laptops during business trips. Whether near or far, your laptop can be accessed by thieves or hackers.

How can you keep it safe? In this article, we’ll explore the top ways to protect your laptop during a business trip. Read on to learn these hacks and tips to give you peace of mind on your next trip.

1. Be Safe

When you’re at the hotel thinking to yourself, my AirPods keep disconnecting from my Mac, this might be the least of your worries.

But if you’re heading off to explore the area and leaving your electronics in the room, make sure that you put a do not disturb sign on the door.

2. Secure Bag

You can either buy laptop padding or buy a secure laptop bag. Hackers aren’t the only concern when it comes to keeping your valuables safe, but also dropping it.

If you drop it, your laptop can crack or scratch. You can even choose more features such as a tamper-resistant zipper or slash-proof fabric.

Screen Cover

To prevent your laptop from cracks on the move, consider investing in a screen cover. When you’re working and eating, you want your computer to be protected from grease and cracks.

Electronics Bag

Besides cases for laptops, you’ll want to have an electronics bag for your chargers or other wires. This is a way to keep your items organized and away from getting lost.

3. Keep Your Laptop Off

Your laptop can heat up fast when it’s all of the time. It has fans to help cool it down, but if you have it packed away in a laptop bag, it’ll heat up quicker. Turn it off before placing it into your bag.

Keep in mind that hibernation or sleep mode isn’t the same as turning it off. Letting your computer heat up for too long can cause damage to your computer and potentially destroy it.

4. Out of Sight

Besides common cyber threats, a thief might steal your laptop in person. Make sure to keep your laptop close to you and out of sight from others.

Never keep it on the seat next to you, just in case you forget about it (even for a moment). Instead of having it out for others to view, consider hiding your laptop.

If you need to stop to pump gas, keep it hidden as well. Make sure that you keep your door locked to deter thieves.

5. Have a Lockscreen

To prevent thieves from accessing your information, make sure to always keep a lock screen on your computer. This is where every time your laptop opens you have to enter a password.

Think about all of the personal information on your computer such as banking information, taxes, contact information, etc. Come up with a strong password that won’t be easy for others to figure out. Make sure that you use a different password than the ones you use for other accounts.

6. Going Through Security

When you go through security at the airport, you’ll want to put your laptop on the belt right before you walk through. As soon as you’re done, you’ll want to grab your bag with your laptop right away.

7. Insurance for Laptops

Consider buying insurance for laptops. Some retailers such as Staples and Dell will have coverage options for it.

Explore the different coverage options and see if they cover theft and loss. Also, if they’ll cover accidents or damage. Check the stipulations as far as what’s covered and what’s not.

8. Laptop Lock

Considering buying a laptop lock for your laptop while you’re traveling. You can also buy an alarm as well.

These are great ways to keep thieves away from your laptop. Ensure that the alarm is always on and the lock is secure.

Coming up With a Secure Password

To come up with a strong password you’ll want it to be at least 12 characters. Don’t use words, places, or names. Mix up the punctuation and spelling.

Don’t just use letters, but use symbols and numbers as well. Avoid using an easy to figure out password such as 12345678.

The only problem with long and random passwords is remembering them. One method to try out is taking a sentence and turning it into a password. Ensure that you use symbols, different capitalization, etc.

9. Encrypt Hard Drive

If your thief has enough time, they can get past the password screensaver and get into your laptop. It’s important that you protect your hard drive from thieves.

Ensure that you encrypt the hard drive of your laptop. To take it a step further, you can add disk encryption as well.

10. Backup Data

To ensure that you won’t lose important information, it’s vital you back up all of your data. You can do this through a cloud backup, or locally.

11. VPN

Use what’s known as a VPN (a virtual private network). This will make it hard for people on the same network to see what you’re doing. Ensure that you choose one that has a good privacy policy.

12. Tie It to the Table

If you’re out in a public place you can use a Kensington cable to keep it attached to the table. It’s similar to a bicycle lock that attaches a bicycle to a railing.

This cable deters the potential casual theft of a laptop in public spaces such as airports and cafes.

The Top Tips on Protecting Laptops While Traveling

Now that you’ve explored the top tips for protecting laptops while traveling, you should be well on your way to having your laptop secure.

Would you like to learn more? Check out our other articles today for everything from travel to business.