Preventing Laptop Thefts at Schools

K-12 Schools are the #1 place that laptops are reported stolen. We continue to see schools as the location of thefts when LoJack for Laptops customers file missing reports, though the incidence of theft overall is much higher than we see. For example, a recent story of out the UK shows that a single school has seen 66 laptop thefts in the past month.

If you're a parent, you should be concerned about this theft. Whether the laptop is one you have purchased or it has been purchased by your school district, you'll want to take steps to protect it. Losing a laptop can not only mean loss of personal files but also impacts a student's ability to take part in the ongoing curriculum.

Talk to your kids about laptop safety at school:

• Never leave a laptop anywhere unattended
• Never leave a laptop in an unlocked classroom
• Never leave a laptop in a locker or gym change room (it should be on-hand or in a secure storage area)
• Use a cable lock at all times
• When carrying laptops home, make sure they are secured and not visible to the general public to deter theft or robbery
• Use a strong password (if the child is old enough to remember it)
• Never leave a laptop in a bag unattended
• Never leave a laptop in a bag under a chair or out of sight, it can easily be snatched

If you have concerns about the security of your laptop at school, talk to school administrators. Ask about policies on locking classroom doors, having entry-proof doors, keeping windows locked, having alarms, the availability and security of computer storage rooms or areas and what other steps are in place to secure laptops used at school.

General laptop care & laptop security tips:

• Put names on the laptop cases with a hard-to-remove label as well as “invisible” ink markers
• Laptops are fragile and should be treated with care
• Do not use laptops near food or beverages
• If school-owned, laptops should not be defaced with stickers or other modifications
• Use laptops in public areas of the home (tip for parents to monitor internet use, time spent on device)
• Educate regularly on topics such as responsible online behavior, particularly with it comes to social networking and cyberbullying
• Discourage connecting to unsecured or unfamiliar wireless networks
• Do not leave laptops in cars
• Do not leave laptops unattended in any public location (library, cafe, etc) or out of your physical contact if kept in a backpack
• Parents should have the ability to make the rules and consequences of laptop use at home
• Minimize the storage of personal information
• Back-up school work

For Teachers & School Administrators

For tips for teachers and school administrators on this topic, read our InTelligence feature on Keeping School Tablets Safe, which includes tips on keeping devices (laptops & tablets) safe in the classroom. Contact us to learn how we can help keep your school laptops protected with LoJack for Laptops. Our team has seen that even the word of our software being installed has helped to deter additional laptop theft attempts!