This month the United States Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida began notifying thousands of people use its pharmacy services. Last month, on August 18, a laptop computer which contains personally identifiable information disappeared.

The last date that the computer can be accounted for is Aug. 18. In an internal review and investigation, the command made contact with 100 percent of its Pharmacy staff members in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of the computer.  The computer has a damaged screen and is thought to have been disposed of.

The computer’s database contains a registry of 38,000 pharmacy service customers’ names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth on all patients that used the pharmacy in the last year. “While there is no evidence to suggest personal data has been compromised, it is the Department of the Navy’s policy to apprise individuals whose Personally Identifiable Information (PII) may be at risk,” says Captain Maryalice Morro, commanding officer.

Today, information is often an organization’s most important asset. As laptops are overtaking desktop PCs as the major source of computing and media storage, laptops frequently store an organization’s most valuable information. That is why protection of mobile devices is so important.

As our recent article Data Loss is the Other Guy’s Problem pointed out, hospital are at high risk for data loss.  Yet, they remain slow to adapt and slow to realize that services like Alertsec with hard disk encryption as a fully managed service. are so affordable as easy to manage.

It seems like the medical community is better at providing advice than it is at listening to advice!

Some days you just feel like you are shouting from the treetops and nobody is listening.  The theft of laptops and computers in general is real – everybody gets that.  But so many people choose silly security methods to try and prevent physical theft all the while spending more money that it would cost for simple digital security.

The mitemite unnecessary objects lab sells newspaper laptop sleeves designed to make your laptop fade into the background in public.  I kid you not.  You can choose from La Vanguarda, Le Pais, Herlad Tribune, La Gretezza Dello Sport or the Frankfurten Allgemeine editions.

We all know that reading the news online isn’t exactly helping the newspaper business so I guess you could try and rationalize this as helping out the newspaper biz.  So to fool the world into thinking you still actually read the newspaper, pick up this laptop case.  It looks like a newspaper, but within your laptop is concealed and “safe.”  Of course that zipper on the top might clue people into what’s really going on.

Managed Encryption is Affordable

You can purchase this “secure” case for the shocking price of £ 87.00 or about $144 USD.  That’s right you can get a plastic sleeve to secure your computer or for just a few dollars more you could get an entire year of managed encryption services.

Let’s compare:

• 144 USD = plastic newspaper case to prevent theft
• 156 USD = Alertsec Xpress with Check Point Full Disk Encryption software, upgrades and updates. The software is guaranteed by market leading Check Point, and ensures that the information stored on your PC remains private and secure. 24/7 helpdesk with Alertsec Xpress Authentication Method.  The Alertsec Xpress delivery and administration module on Alertsec website.

You can buy computer locks, you can buy computer cases, you can buy all sorts of approaches to thwart theft – but why not first invest in protecting your digital security – all your information, all your passwords – everything you have on the PC.   Encrypt! Encrypt! Encrypt! Then you can have some fun with gadgetry.

Creativity over Laptop Security

But I should not discriminate – if you really like the laptop case than you should also consider the anti-burglar doormat that is a definite hoot – it works in pretty much the same way as that of a standard sticky pad that aims to trap insects and other pests like mice.   Certainly Victoria Richardson who had her laptop stolen form her home and the criminal use her Facebook account should have considered this “effective” security strategy.

Of course, there is always the option of removing one’s pair of shoes and getting away. Those who decide getting this ought to make sure that they remember not to step onto it when one returns home.  Or better yet, folks who decide to use this could just mail be their laptop and save time waiting for the theft of their valuable data!