It seems that a commonplace occurrence has become laptops and computers being stolen for the purpose of stealing personal information. The Insurance Tech Guru blog by Ara Trembley recently posted on an article in Computer World (CW) about a stolen laptop “holding personal and financial information on 10,000 U.K. National Health Services staffers.”
The CW article further explained that, “It was stolen from locked and alarmed premises in Truro, which were forcibly entered.” It doesn’t seem there is much to do other than have improved security. If the laptop was stolen out of someone’s car or while someone wasn’t looking then I would say to have guards watching the computer, but considering the circumstances of this case there is little else to do. 
Trembley mentions in his article of a possible way to thwart thieves after they’ve stolen the computer.
“I remember hearing several years ago about a technology being tested at some university laboratory that would actually allow the owner of a laptop or other device to remotely blow up the hard disk in the event the device could not be located.”
I’d agree with this methodology, but only if there is another copy of the information on the hard drive. Plus it would be a great way to frustrate the thieves.
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