There are a lot of things that a business can do to from a digital standpoint to boost its IT security, and we’ve written repeatedly about some of these methods. But physical security of computer resources, and particularly laptops, is also critical in maintaining a strong defense against cyber criminals.
According to Cybersecurity for Businesses, a document issued by the San Diego Police Department, there are numerous physical security measures your business should have in place, including:
- Prevent unauthorized persons, including cleaning crews, from access to any of your computers.
- Install strong doors and locks to the computer room to prevent equipment theft and tampering.
- Restrict access to computer facilities to authorized personnel.
Portable computing devices are even more prone to physical theft than desktops and servers, and therefore need extra attention:
- Have employees lock up their laptops when they are left unattended in their offices. Laptops should never be left unguarded.
- Don’t leave a laptop visible inside vehicles or unattended in public places.
- Keep a record of all laptop model and serial numbers so if one is recovered you can prove it is yours. Also keep the sales receipt and register the laptop with the manufacturer.
- Place stickers on the laptops with a phone number to call if one is lost and found by an honest person. But don’t put the business name on it. That could be used by criminals to guess passwords or assess the sensitivity of the data stored on the laptop.
We will be discussing IT security and other topics relevant to cyber liability coverage at all five of our 2016 Cyber Boot Camps. Please plan to join us in Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, or Atlanta for a Cyber Boot Camp!
There are also numerous past articles about IT security on the News section of our web site.