In our busy, electronic world, people seem to forget that insurance is a good way to save money. We spend a lot of time looking for the best deals on notebook computers, installing the best software, and making a lot of good products. But how often do we think that our laptop or notebook will be stolen or that we might lose data? Do you ever think about an insurance company when you use your computer or laptop?
In 2004, more than 600,000 laptops were stolen in the United States alone.
Are you paying attention? Now it seems like you should look into getting insurance for your laptop. There is the standard financial insurance for your notebook, which is like an itemised entry in your home insurance. Great for stationary desktop computers, but not so good for your laptop or notebook. We have them because we can take them with us. There are many insurance companies that offer insurance for electronic goods, and a quote from a company you find on the Internet would be a good place to start.
The latest insurance for your laptop or notebook is software that can find your computer if it gets stolen. You might get the cost of the computer back, but what about all the hours you spent on projects that are only on your laptop because you never had enough time to save them to a disc? A quick search on the Internet will show you that there are many different kinds of theft-recovery software.
Several insurance companies have something like a "track it back" sticker that a good Samaritan can use to call the insurance company and get in touch with you. The idea is that you should never put your phone number or address on your computer, because they could be combined with other personal information on your laptop to do all kinds of bad things.
Software like what a company like Orbicule might offer is another way to protect against data loss or misuse. This is a really smart way to protect your notebook. When a thief uses your stolen laptop to connect to the internet, it sends regular screenshots to your insurance company. The idea is that the thief will eventually enter some personal information into an email, which will be sent along with the screenshot. This will reveal the thief's address. If that doesn't work, another type of software will try to simulate a software failure, which will make the computer useless in the end.
In conclusion, I think you should definitely look at your home insurance to see what kind of coverage you already have. Second, it would be a good idea to call your online insurance broker to get a quote. If you do carry sensitive information, taking a look at some of the anti-theft software may also be a good way to protect your laptop.
