Absolute Software says its research – which took in responses from 62 000 adults from Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US – shows that a third of all British laptop thefts happen at home and, with summer approaching, it is now warning that the risk of home theft can be higher, as homes are left unattended.
The online study, carried out in association with YouGov, found that there is a considerably higher percentage of laptops stolen from homes in Britain (32% of most recent laptop thefts), compared with France (22%), the US (18%), Germany (17%) and Canada (also with 17%).
Dave Everitt, Absolute Software's general manager, said that the research will surprise some laptop owners, who often think about security issues only when they are on the move. "However, with nearly a third of all laptop thefts in Britain occurring at a residential property, owners need to be extra cautious, particularly when leaving for their holidays this summer", he said.
According to Everitt, there are a range of security measures that laptop owners can take, from simply locking their laptop in a secure location to installing software that enables personal files to be remotely deleted.
This technology, he explained, allows uses to track and even recover the stolen laptop. With the amount of sensitive information now being stored on laptops, the risk of subsequent identity theft is high, and personal security should not be compromised.
"No one wants to return from holiday to find they've been victim to theft. Holidaymakers should prepare themselves, so if the worst does happen they have a chance to delete any sensitive data, get their items back and in some cases, catch the thief", he said.