Theft on campus accounts for tens of thousands of dollars worth of personal and university property loss every year. Along with the financial burden comes the loss of valuable personal and academic information.
To protect your laptop:
Most laptop theft occurs when devices are left unattended. To prevent laptop theft:
- Never leave your laptop unattended.
- Do not ask strangers to watch your laptop for you.
- Do not leave laptops in a vehicle.
- Use the laptop registration program offered by Carleton Safety.
To protect your portable storage devices:
The portability of data in the digital age is both convenient and risky. Data can easily be moved on portable storage devices (e.g. USB drives or portable hard drives); however, these media types are often not protected appropriately. If the portable storage device is lost or left unattended, the data on the device is at risk.
Information Technology Services (ITS) strongly encourages that data be stored and shared by using the network drives. ITS does not prohibit the use of USB drives on workstations; however, if you must use USB drives:
- Store your USB drive in a safe place.
- Delete all data off a USB drive before disposing of it.
- Use only one USB drive to avoid misplacing the drive.
- If you must store sensitive data on a drive, use a secure USB drive.
If you do experience a theft of your laptop or any other item, please contact the Department of University Safety as soon as possible.