Imagining the unimaginable... Your Laptop/iPhone/iPad's been stolen!

It's awful to even have to think about it, but it DOES happen. What if it happens to you? Think about it before it happens and you can at least be ok.

There are three main things to consider:

1. Your device - A small percentage of these items get recovered, but it's a very small percentage and the odds are against you. You might use software on your Mac to locate it while a thief is using it. There are commercial applications that will do their best to help you in this regard - check out GadgetTrak and LoJack if you want to go this route, but be careful to take additional precautions like enabling a firmware password and creating a "honeypot" account to get a thief to log in and encourage use so you have a chance to track the machine. But honestly, don't plan on getting it back. Instead, make sure you have insurance to get your device replaced with as little fuss as possible.

2. Unauthorized access to your data - While you can, imagine the liability you face if your data is "in the wild." You should consider this well in advance so you can either use Apple's File Vault, an alternative, or limited encrypted archives to cover your sensitive data. Do not delay in setting up Find My iPhone, especially now that it's free! This service will allow you to track the location of your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and remotely wipe the data on it.

3. Recovery of your data - You've given up finding your device, your data is protected from thieves, now all you need is copies of your files to put on your new device. You have a backup, right? This is probably the most important point. You should have a reliable backup, stored somewhere away from your device. In addition, you may want to use a syncing application like DropBox or SugarSync to keep your most recent files backed up not only to the cloud but to an alternate machine.

If you address these three worries before the unthinkable happens you'll be as minimally affected as possible and you may soon be telling people about your experience from the keyboard of your brand new replacement laptop!

Solutions Consulting - 310-838-5224 or benlevy@rockinbeat.com