I lost my laptop!
I lost my laptop!
By Allan Tan | May 27, 2009
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No, not really! But it is the number 1 worry that crosses my mind whenever I take out my laptop from its case and put it on an open tray before it passes through X-rays at US airports. Mind you, I don't worry as much when I do the same thing at Asia's airports. Maybe it has to do with the ssssllllooooowwwwww process by which people line up to get pass the metal detectors at most US airports.
Anyway, a recent posting on govinfosecurity says that the US Interior Department can't locate 20% of its PCs (mostly laptops), 'potentially exposing sensitive and personally identifiable information' according to a new department inspector-general report.
And I thought some Hong Kong government departments were lax with regards to safeguarding citizen's data. Hey, the DOI people are losing laptops, not memory sticks! The same report claims that most departmental-issued computers are not encrypted.
Michael Colombo, Western regional manager of Interior's IG office, noted in a memo: "Compounded by the department's lack of computer accountability, its absence of encryption requirements leaves the department vulnerable to sensitive and personally identifiable information being lost, stolen or misused."
I understand the recent spate of embarrasing moments regarding the lost of sensitive data by the Hong Kong Police and the Hospital Authority is forcing the Hong Kong Government to react more swiftly. At the recently concluded Info-Security Summit in Hong Kong, Stephen Mak, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, Hong Kong SAR, stressed the importance of information security in the public sector. Although he cites the Hong Kong Government's efforts in putting forth policy on security and data privacy, he warns that sustainability of a security strategy is on ongoing challange.
But having a policy and enforcing it are two different matters. Much as you can have the safest car in the world but if you drive while intoxicated, you are inviting trouble.
Chris Pirillo offers ten practical tips for keeping your laptop safe when traveling. You dont have to travel overseas to heed these tips. Even taking home a laptop is inviting disaster.
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Recent security enhancements at the Hong Kong International Airport has added some minor delays to the speed with which travelers pass from customs to immigration. But passing through the HKIA customs/immigration counters is by far faster than any airport in the US - and volume of traffic doesn't matter.
Jose Allan G Tan
I have not been to the airport in Asia, but I personally also get worried about losing my laptop in any kind of crowded situation like the airport. How can the Hong Kong airport be slower than US airports?! casino online
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I agree with every single
I agree with every single word written in this entry. Giving your laptop through X-rays in the airports is the scary thing for sure. Keeping in mind that I am storing some highly important data there, it would be too dangerous for me to lose it. I must say that I have never seen statistics like 20% of all laptops are not located. These numbers are really shocking. The only thing that I have lost in the airport control was a laptop battery. I hope that I will never lose the whole laptop. However thanks for the interesting and disturbing entry, it was really useful to read it. Keep writing nice ones in the future too.