Many people will, unfortunately, lose their laptop or notebook over the years. While many will naturally replace their computer with a quick trip to Misco to take advantage of some great deals, many will forget to do one all-important thing: change their passwords online.
This is because thousands of people, without thinking, will store passwords on their laptop without thinking. While many believe that internet protection from the likes of McAfee is the best way to keep hold of financial and identity details, many do not realise that getting hold of the computer itself will mitigate this protection completely, as it is solely outward-facing.
Most people have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Play.com and a range of other online shopping sites and social media outlets. These control a vast amount of personal details that can be harnessed by criminals – especially if the laptop itself is not password-protected.
So, what do you do? The first thing you should do is get online and change absolutely everything you can. All logins, including email accounts in particular, must be altered. Go so far as to rewrite security questions – after all, if they get your birthday or other important pieces of information, they could go in through the back door.