July 10, 2008
As we embark on summer holiday, many of us will be taking our laptops with us. A recent study reveals that air travel poses substantial risks to your precious machine. The Ponemon Institute, an organization dedicated to responsible privacy management practices, reports that 12,000 laptops are lost every week in U.S. airports alone—adding up to a staggering 600,000 laptops per year. The study made some other disturbing discoveries:
Let's all learn from the mistakes of others and take the common sense steps that the study shows so few other people are taking. Most importantly, try to find a psychological trick to remember to pick up your laptop as you leave the security point. One individual says she thinks of a baby sitting on the top of her lap as the very symbol of security, and she keeps that image in mind as she goes through the X-ray machine. Find something that works for you.