What to do if your laptop is stolen

Your laptop is full of personal data that could cost you dearly in the wrong hands. So, if your computer is stolen, what can you do to protect the data on your laptop and recover the loss of your hardware? 

This blog looks at what to do if your laptop is stolen and how to safeguard your data in the future.

My laptop has been stolen; what should I do? 

Don’t panic; there are things you can do to limit the damage. You may have lost your laptop for good, but there’s still a chance you can lock down your data before the thief gets to it. 

1. Report the theft 

If your laptop is stolen, you should report the theft to the police. You can do this via your local police website or the non-emergency phone line (101 in the UK). Note your crime number because you’ll need this for your insurance claim.

If it’s a work laptop, let your employer know what’s happened as soon as possible so they can arrange a replacement. If you own the laptop, then it’s up to you to contact the insurance company and file a claim. 

2. Lock your laptop 

It may be possible to lock your laptop remotely if the ‘Find My Device’ tracker was enabled before it went missing (we’ll return to this later). Locking down your computer prevents the thief from being able to use it until you sign back in.

3. Disable auto-fill and delete saved passwords

Auto-fill is a brilliant tool, but if your laptop is stolen, the last thing you want is to make it easy for someone else to log into your accounts. In this case, acting quickly to get ahead of the thief will pay off.  You can turn off autofill remotely for specific browsers by adjusting settings tied to your online account.

4. Change your passwords 

If you use a password manager, log in via its website and deauthorise your account on the stolen device. Then, change the master password for your password manager. If you don’t have a password manager, you’ll need to change all your passwords individually – start with your bank account.  

Keep a close eye on your bank statement for suspicious activity for a few months.

5. Clear your browsing history 

Like the auto-fill feature, your browsing history leaves a trail of clues behind for the thief to follow. You can delete your browsing history remotely by signing into your Chrome or Firefox browser on another device. 

Protecting your new laptop 

Dealing with the theft of a laptop is easier when you’re prepared for it, so when you get your new laptop, put some basic security measures in place. 

• Start by adding your new laptop to your home insurance or taking out tech insurance with a specialist provider. 
• Enable the tracking feature on your laptop so you can locate it on a map and lock it if it goes missing. Use the tracker that comes with your operating system (Find My/ Find My Device) or download a third-party tool. 
• Back up your system regularly to an external hard drive so you always have a copy of everything on your laptop should it go missing. 
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) so that even if someone has your physical laptop, they don’t have the other verification methods to get into it!   

The key takeaway 

If your laptop is stolen, take immediate steps to protect your data. Report the theft, then use the built-in tracking tool (Find My/ Find My Device) to lock your device remotely. This is only possible if you enabled it before your laptop went missing, so when you finally get around to replacing it, make sure you turn on tracking.