• Restrict the use of laptops to those employees who need them to perform their jobs.
• Assess whether sensitive information really needs to be stored on a laptop. If not, delete it with a "wiping" program that overwrites data on the laptop. Deleting files using standard keyboard commands isn't sufficient because data may remain on the laptop's hard drive.Wiping programs are available at most office supply stores.
• Require employees to store laptops in a secure place. Even when laptops are in use, consider using cords and locks to secure laptops to employees' desks.
• Consider allowing laptop users only to access sensitive information, but not to store the information on their laptops. Under this approach, the information is stored on a secure central computer and the laptops function as terminals that display information from the central computer, but do not store it. The information could be further protected by requiring the use of a token, "smart card," thumb print, or other biometric—as well as a password—to access the central computer.
• If a laptop contains sensitive data, encrypt it and configure it so users can't download any software or change the security settings without approval from your IT specialists. Consider adding an "auto-destroy" function so that data on a computer that is reported stolen will be destroyed when the thief uses it to try to get on the Internet.
• Train employees to be mindful of security when they're on the road. They should never leave a laptop visible in a car, at a hotel luggage stand, or packed in checked luggage unless directed to by airport security. If someone must leave a laptop in a car, it should be locked in a trunk. Everyone who goes through airport security should keep an eye on their laptop as it goes on the belt.

Firewalls

• Use a firewall to protect your computer from hacker attacks while it is connected to the Internet. A firewall is software or hardware designed to block hackers from accessing your computer. A properly configured firewall makes it tougher for hackers to locate your computer and get into your programs and files.
• Determine whether you should install a "border" firewall where your network connects to the Internet.A border firewall separates your network from the Internet and may prevent an attacker from gaining access to a computer on the network where you store sensitive information. Set "access controls"—settings that determine who gets through the firewall and what they will be allowed to see—to allow only trusted employees with a legitimate business need to access the network. Since the protection a firewall provides is only as effective as its access controls, review them periodically.
• If some computers on your network store sensitive information while others do not, consider using additional firewalls to protect the computers with sensitive information.