A Guide on What You Need to Know on Buying a Laptop Lock

If you're operating your own business, making a book report on your dorm room, or writing the next great novel at a local coffee shop, then your laptop is at risk of being stolen. You can always buy remote-wiping software that you can use to erase all your data the next time the thief connects to the Internet. However, the best way to stop the thief right there and then is to use a lock to physically secure your laptop to a fixed object, say your table or desk.

It may sound a bit extreme to literally chain your laptop to a desk, but the cost of losing your device, as well as the files and data on it is definitely worth the effort. Here are five questions to consider if you're planning on buying one.

Where are You Going to Use It?

If your laptop rarely goes out your home and the house itself has all the proper security, then getting a laptop lock is probably not necessary. However, if you're storing your device in a place where a lot of people have access to it, then getting a laptop lock is definitely beneficial.

Any place where various people occupy can be dangerous, but businesses and schools pose certain risks. Kensington, which is a leading manufacturer of computer locks and security locks, 40 percent of laptops gets stolen in private offices. Another hotspot for notebook theft are college dorms, since most doors there are open and different people come in and out.

What Kind of Data is on It?

If you don't have any important personal or business data on your computer, then you may not have to consider getting a laptop lock. But if your computer usually stores data in the cloud such as a Chromebook, or if it's only used by a 5-year old, most likely the machine doesn't have too much valuable data or information that the perpetrator can use against you.

Whether you're using the laptop for personal or corporate use, the cost of having a laptop for work stolen is much greater that just the value of the hardware itself. Most hackers go for corporate laptops since it usually contains intellectual property such as company reports and consumer data. Cloud security company Bitglass' 2014 report shows that 68 percent of all health care data breaches come from stolen or lost devices, and not network intruders.

And because of the growing number of companies adopting BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, an employee or contractor's personal laptop could be the source of data breach. For data-security reasons, companies should provide their employees and contractors with laptop locks that they can use at the office desks. Some companies provide lockers or pedestals where employees can store their laptops after hours, but that doesn't protect laptops during the workday, and it requires workers to waste time reconnecting their notebooks to power outlets and docks every time they take the machines out of the cabinets.

Do You Have a Good Anchor Point?

What's the point of getting a good laptop lock if you don't have a strong anchor point such as a desk or a cubicle wall to connect it to. There are lots of professional desks that have grommets you can thread a lock cable through. If your furniture doesn't have a hole that's the appropriate size and location, you can purchase a $15 to $20 attachable anchor that glues onto a table or snaps between the seams of an office partition.

It's recommended to attach the laptop lock to something large and stable. Though it's always possible that a very determined thief could cut through the cable with a wire cutter or yank the lock forcefully that it breaks a piece of laptop off with it, most criminals are looking to grab something quickly, without wasting a lot of time or making too much noise breaking locks.

What Kind of Lock Slot Does Your Laptop Have?

Most laptops have some kind of security slot built into their chassis. Locks can connect to this opening, which makes it hard for a thief to pull them out. There are three kinds of slots, and you need to buy a lock that matches.

Most companies that use the Kensington Security Slot, which is so common that manufacturers sometimes refer to it as a "lock slot," without mentioning the Kensington name anymore. Some laptops such as the Lenovo's Ideapad 310S/510S, ThinkPad X1 Tablet, and the Flex 3 use the company's new Mini Security Slot to save space.

However, a few Dell laptops, including the Latitude 14 7000, Precision M3800 and entire XPS line, use a different slot technology, which comes from Noble Locks, a company that specializes in physical security products for computers. Apple doesn't put lock slots on its MacBooks, but several enterprising accessory manufacturers have developed locks that attach to the Apple laptops' rubber feet or clamp tight onto the lid for those who want to add extra security.

If you don't have a Dell laptop but it has a lock slot, then most likely it's a Kensington Security Slot. However, if you have a very thin laptop, specifically a Lenovo, it's possible that you have the new Mini Security Slot. Locks that work with the mini slots are backward-compatible with the regular slots, but regular slots can't fit into the Mini Security Slots. To be on the safe side, check your instruction manual or the support info on the manufacturer's website.

Which Lock Do You Need?

If you have a laptop that's one of the majority that has a built-in Kensington Security Slot, you can choose from several different lock brands. The company makes dozens of different models that are compatible with the company's slots, which range from simple key and combination locks to units that have master keys and codes. Several other companies also create locks that fit the standard Kensington slots, including Targus and Belkin. Although there has been no known Kensington Mini Security Slot-compatible locks from third parties.

Bottom line here is, whether your device is a brand new $1,500 Ultrabook, a sub-$300 Chromebook, or even an older model, you need to protect it at all times. Not only because it is your investment, it contains important personal or business information that you definitely don't want to lose to a stranger. If your laptop is in your office, at school, or at a coffee shop, it's best to physically secure it especially if you're going to leave it even for a just a few minutes. Laptop locks provide an inexpensive, convenient, and effective way to protect both your hardware and your most valuable data from thieves.