Guide to choosing and using a Kensington Security lock on your net book, notebook, laptop, flat panel display, computer towers, etc...
Episode #1-07 released on October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween and welcome listeners to a brand new episode of Technology Questions Answered, Episode 7 and its all about Protecting Your Electronic Devices - choosing and correctly using a Kensington Lock.
This is your host, Steve Smith, Founder of Zed Axis Productions, and Digital Technologies Consultant. So let's talk about protecting your electronic devices today. Electronics are getting smaller and smaller, and that poses a bigger and bigger threat to your investment. This threat is theft. Now its impossible to completely eliminate the threat of theft, but there are many ways of preventing it. Most businesses and homes have several devices equipped with a Kensington lock security slot, and that's today's topic.
Laptops, Net books, flat panel displays, and other similar devices, since the year 2000, have been fitted with a Kensington security slot, with the exception of at least two Mac book laptops, notably the MacBook Air, and Mac Mini, which Apple made without these slots. What's this mean for you, you may ask? It means, that you can go to any public place, that has permanent fastened furniture, and lock your net book, notebook, or laptop and help prevent the theft of your devices.
In the business workplace, you can lock all your flat panel screens and projectors securely in offices and presentation rooms. You can also lock laptops, and computer screens to workplaces and prevent theft of the machine and the data within the device. You can also lock such locks into certain computer towers, as well. And if there is no native slots in the computer tower, you simply need to make such a slot yourselves.
To use a Kensington lock is relatively simple. You only require a permanently mounted bar or beam nearby to loop the lock around, simply pass the lock around the area you have chosen, and pass the lock through the loop, and securing the locking portion of the Kensington lock into the device you wish to protect.
So how to choose the best Kensington Lock for your needs. My personal suggestions is go as thick as you can on the cable. The harder it is to cut, the less likely you will have it stolen. I doubt someone will be in a coffee shop with a two handed cable cutter, but it can happen. Also, when it comes to the lock itself, do not buy one with a round key, but opt for the flat key system, or combination lock. My preference is the flat key design. Flat key designs are much harder to unlock in a short period of time, and someone can also get lucky on the first try with a combination lock style lock.
There are also versions of the Kensington lock that employ sound emitting technologies, sensors. Use these in public places. Coffee shops, libraries and computer cafes are noticeably quiet. The thief would be spotted immediately when the alarm goes off.
The best suggestion I can make for using your portable devices in public, is always leave with it. Never leave a device unattended. The longer it is available for theft, the more likely it will be stolen.
Other possible methods of prevention. Leave your web cam on your laptop running, emailing photos to your email, or to another persons computer. Activate the GPS chip within your laptop, or the tracking software located in the bios, available in many newer laptops, such as my Dell XPS M1330, and later. You can also have friends and co-workers watching your hardware to, just another reason to go out with friends and co-workers outside the workplace.
Next week, I will be explaining the process of building your very own computer with tips on hardware, software, tools you need, and a list of free software you can install on your new computer. I will also explain how to avoid buying overly expensive hardware, and still buy new hardware.
If you have any questions, comments or stories on any topic we talk about here on this podcast, or previous episodes, you may find all the necessary contact information or list of sources, software, hardware suggestions, and a link to our new message board on our web-site at www.zedaxis.net, as well as a list of important pod casts that you should also listen to. You can also send email regarding our podcast at tqa@zedaxis.net.
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This has been a podcast, hosted by Steve Smith, Digital Technologies Consultant for Zed Axis Productions, Reminding you to Stay Safe and Online. This has been Technology Questions Answered.
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This show was recorded: October 31st, 2010 and is now available on iTunes and our web-site at http://www.zedaxis.net/.
Host : Steve Smith | Music : Steve Smith | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Productions