Orlando, FL – For many companies, safeguarding laptop computers while employees are traveling may not typically be top-of-mind, but with business travel on the rebound, protection of data contained on these laptops is of vital importance to corporate security. Fifty-five percent of business travelers regularly carry a laptop on business trips a, which should lead companies to ask two key questions: What if the laptop is stolen? And how can we help prevent theft?

A stolen laptop can result in an enormous amount of problems for employers, employees and customers, including: substantial replacement costs; intellectual property loss; breach of sensitive data; and potential for identity theft.

- The average value of a lost laptop is estimated to be $49,246 b. This value, which varies by industry, is based on replacement cost, detection, forensics, data breach, lost intellectual property costs, lost productivity, and legal, consulting and regulatory expenses.

- The average annual data breach cost rose to $6.75 million in 2009 c, with an average per capita cost of $204. Each compromises personal information, including: full names (63%), physical address (37%) and Social Security numbers (32%) b.

- 11.1 million adults were victims of identity fraud in the United States in 2009 (up 12% from 2008), totaling $54 billion in fraud (up 12.5% from 2008) b.

Increasing the protection of laptops while employees are traveling for business can be as simple as securing them in a convenient and private in-room safe – if the hotel offers one. Business travelers and corporate travel managers can ensure this security by choosing hotels that offer in-room safes large enough for a laptop, or including an in-room safe requirement as part of a standard contract. In-room safes can also be utilized to protect other valuables like flash or external hard drives, passports, purses, cameras, etc. The lack of an in-room safe for business travelers can potentially result in significant monetary loss and substantial brand image degradation for companies.

Safemark Systems (www.safemark.com), a leading provider of in-room safes to the hospitality market, is one strong line of defense in the protection of data, identity and corporate information. Safemark offers business travelers peace-of-mind with safes that are warranted and insured against theft. Each safe is user friendly with a digital illuminated keypad, and is available to guests for use at a minimal daily charge.

More than one million laptops are stolen worldwide every year. In the following cases of theft from businesses in the United States, the stolen property has not yet been recovered.

• In February 2010, two laptops were stolen from the corporate offices of a health plan company in Florida. The laptops contained names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and protected health information of more than 1.1 million members.
  
  
• In May 2010, a laptop containing the names, address and Social Security numbers of more than 207,000 Army reservists was stolen from a government contractor in Georgia.
  
  
• In June 2010, the laptop of a contractor for a Medicaid billing company was stolen in Illinois. The laptop contained a database with the personal information of approximately 76,000 clients – including the names and Social Security numbers of about 21,000 individuals. All affected recipients were offered a year of free identity theft safeguards.
  
  
• In June 2010, a password-protected laptop containing the names and Social Security numbers of more than 3,500 National Guard soldiers was stolen from a Guard member’s vehicle in Oregon.
  
  
• In July 2010, a laptop containing confidential information about unemployment insurance claims with wage discrepancy complaints, and some area employers, was stolen from a Connecticut Department of Labor office. The information was encrypted and protected by a series of user IDs and passwords.

“Corporate travel managers and meeting planners are necessarily playing an increasingly crucial role in corporate security,” said George Oelschig, CEO of Safemark Systems. “Today, it’s not enough for companies to protect information within the confines of their office. Protection needs to be addressed when sensitive business data goes on the road with employees.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VIEW SAFEMARK PRODUCTS FIRST-HAND, PLEASE VISIT BOOTH #962 AT THE NBTA CONVENTION.