It’s crucial to use an updated, current, industrial-grade firewall on your computer. Windows, for example, has one built in, but products from Symantec, McAfee, and others can also extend the functionality.

A firewall can be used to do a number of advanced things but the main idea is simple: it’s a shield. It’s a wall. It exists to prevent outside intruders (“fire”) from coming in. You might be amazed at how frequently remote attempts are made to hack into your PC over the Internet.

Even if your PC is behind a network firewall device (such as a corporate or home router), be careful, because laptop users are notorious for picking up and leaving that safe environment and forgetting that their computers are wide open when connected to the local Starbucks’ WiFi network.

Be sure to turn on and properly configure your operating system’s built-in firewall, so that it only allows inbound connections for services you need, and blocks all others. Or, get a commercial product to extend the security and functionality.

Number 12 on the list, of course, is laptop theft. Be wary, very wary, of keeping your laptop in plain sight, especially if you’ve left it in your car.

Just a friendly holiday reminder from all of us here at MyLaptopGPS. Have a lovely holiday!

A laptop containing data of 250 children, all applicants for the new BBC series Gastronauts, was stolen from a car in an Ikea parking lot in early August. Objective Productions, the third-party production company working for the BBC, possessed the laptop at the time of the theft, and both the BBC and Objective Productions are taking care to ensure that the children’s sensitive data is not currently at risk.

In an article published in Computer World UK, Objective Productions comments, “The theft was from a car in an Ikea car park,” and refuses to comment any further.

Contrarily, the BBC, who is taking the incident very seriously, released a statement to the parents of the Gastronaut applicants saying, “There is absolutely no evidence this data has been misused [...] Since this happened, CBBC suspended new commissions and carried out a comprehensive review of Objectives’ practices and we are now satisfied security of data is strong enough for production to resume.”

Security Analyst for McAfee Greg Day highlights that while minute information like holiday time may seem insignificant, “to a criminal this can offer a great opportunity to target this person and their home.”

Though the BBC assures that the data on the stolen laptop has not been accessed, still there is considerable risk–especially to the children who can neither prevent nor protect themselves from criminal activity without adult help. Laptop theft security helps ensure that these kids, or anyone at all, don’t have to look over their shoulders on holiday.