Inspired by recent events, I’ve decided to post what I would do if my laptop was suddenly stolen. Hopefully it’ll help others.
1. Call the police and file a report.
2. Call Lojack for Laptops ($50/year) and report the laptop as stolen and request a remote wipe; 3 out of 4 laptops are eventually recovered.
3. Call Safeware and file a claim. I pay $140/year for my MacBook Pro.
4. Go to the Apple Store and buy a new laptop, then restore my last backup. If the theft occurred in my apartment (and both backup drives were stolen) I can restore from my offsite backup.
5. Wait for my laptop to eventually be returned, or be reimbursed.
I also password protect my MBP via the Security setting in System Preferences. Whenever my laptop wakes from sleep, I have to enter my password. It’s a pain, but it’s worth it to know I’m the only person with access to my laptop.
My laptop is my livelihood, without it I can’t make money, and if it were ever compromised I could be held liable by my clients. Spending $215/year for the piece of mind of knowing that I’m fully covered from most scenarios is a no-brainer.
