Remote Access Connections
You may be able to access files that you need in another location than your laptop while on the road. For example, if you have remote desktops on your home network that are attached to a network access service server. This way, you might be able to achieve better data redundancy and may even be more appealing. However, don’t open up your firewall to gain access. Instead, use a VPN service. Whether your wireless router supports VPN connections or not, an IPSec VPN or OpenVPN client are better options. To access VPN, you will need to use strong passphrases and a client-side cert. If you connect to a home network that receives its IP address via an external DHCP server, DynDNS can allow you to do some really cool things. This topic is more complicated than you might think. Do your research to find out more.
“Going Virtual for Real Work”
Security professionals and IT pros are more likely to be interested in this topic, but it is important that you understand the basics of virtualization, especially for laptops. You will need at least 8 gigabytes of memory to fully benefit from this option. However, it is worth the effort. VMPlayer is what I use to run multiple virtual systems on my laptop when I’m involved in penetration testing and forensic discovery. You have the option to dual-boot or run your laptop with an alternate, non-persistent image of OS. However, I prefer to keep my Windows system running and use Kali Linux (which was once BackTrack) for my testing. You can also pit different virtual machines against each other to do validation testing or training. You can even nest virtual systems if you’re really crazy (e.g. running ESXI with VMPlayer and VMotion to test copies of production system).
You can’t forget about the basics. In line with Laptop Repairs South Brisbane you need to set up automatic updates for your operating system. Keep your applications current (especially Adobe applications), scan downloaded files for malicious code and validate them using hash value. Only install the software that you really need. We’re now well into the realm of system management and have gone beyond laptop security.
There are many other steps you can take, as well as other things you could do. However, this list will cover most of the basic and more complex situations. These steps are not foolproof or guaranteed to work 100% of the time. If the person who has access to your computer is skilled, there are ways around almost all of these controls. However, the goal is to provide layers of security to deter, dissuade and even misdirect potential thieves – hopefully long enough to allow you to recover your stolen or lost property. These steps will make it difficult for less-gifted thieves, if not, to reap the benefits of your stolen system.
The final result will be unique to you, based on your personal preferences and needs. This is only the beginning.