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Everyone knows that taking a few extra cautionary steps can avoid theft. So, it only makes sense that if your laptop is easier to hack than the guy sitting next to you, yours is more in danger.

There are a couple steps that you can take to help prevent theft of your laptop, help is on the way. This is a condensed version of a chapter in Laptops for Dummies.

1)      Mark your laptop

This helps with the recovery of a stolen (or lost) laptop. Either engrave your information onto your laptop or use a tamper-resistant asset tag. The best proof that something is yours is your name right there on it. Laptop help in this area could end up with recovery of your stolen laptop.

2)  Don’t use an obvious laptop carrying case

Using a laptop case with an emblazoned Dell logo (or IBM logo, or what ever you have) isn’t just a proud buyer appreciation/marketing gimmick. The custom laptop case tells the casual thief that something valuable lurks inside. A non-descript, soft laptop case doesn’t draw undo attention to your computer. Backpacks also make good places to store laptops.

3) Register the laptop and its software

Be sure to send in your laptop’s registration card, as well as the registration for any software that you use. If someone steals the laptop, alert the manufacturer and software vendors. Hopefully, they care enough so that if someone using your stolen laptop ever tries to get the system fixed or upgraded, your registration information helps you locate the stolen laptop. Help safeguard your possessions and make sure you register the laptop.

4) Keep your laptop’s information

Be sure to keep a copy of the laptop’s serial number and other vital statistics with you, specifically in a place other than the laptop’s carrying case. That way, you know which number to report to the police, as well as the manufacturer. Laptop help and support can come from the manufacturer too, so it is important to keep this information at home!

5) Be mindful of your environment

When you’re out and about with your laptop, stay aware of where your computer is and who may have access to it. Watch your laptop! Help can come from simple advice. For example, when dining out, put the laptop in its case beneath the table. If you need to leave the table, either take the laptop with you or ask your friends to keep an eye on it for you.

6) Universal Security Slot (or USS)

Your laptop probably comes with a hole or slot into which you can connect a security cable. That hole has an official name - the Universal Security Slot (or USS).

The USS is designed to be part of the laptop’s case. A thief can’t remove from the laptop any cable or security device that you thread through the USS; he or she can only cut (or unlock) the cable itself to free the laptop. Getting laptop help about security could help keep your laptop with you rather than in the hands of a stranger.

Obviously, the USS works best when you have the laptop in a stationery place. Like a bicycle lock, you have to park the laptop by something big and stable, then thread the cable through that big thing and the USS for the lock to work.

The best place to find a security cable for your laptop is in a computer or office supply store.

Some cables come with alarms. You can find alarms that sound when someone cuts the cable, plus alarms that sound when anyone moves the laptop.