Advice on protection from theft?

There are Kensington cable locks that fit into the cable lock slot on the right side of a MacBook Pro. I have one in my bag.

It is very difficult to secure personal data in a way that isn't a total hassle. My approach is to not let it get stolen. You can try the FileVault feature in OS X, which can securely lock away your private data, but read up on how to use it properly. Many Mac users do not trust it. Not for the security, we trust that, but if the vault gets corrupted files can be lost. Keep good backups.

Software like Orbicule Undercover can help you locate and recover a stolen MacBook, but they won't prevent theft and not all do anything about securing data. I think Safeware is just insurance (which is a good idea anyway).

I would stay away from that Starbucks. That one sounds dangerous.

Been there, done that, got the tshirt to prove it. Same thing, except this old man ran after the kid, caught him and took it back. I now use a cable lock and attach it to my computer bag which is normally by my feet. If anybody tries a grab and dash you will have time to grab the cable. I have not found any programs for protection of data that I have liked or have not been a super hassle to use. I would suggest protecting your MBP with a password and also using a widget shutdown timer. I have one that will shutdown my mbp after 1hour of inactivity. My hope is that if it is stolen it will eventually shut down and will need a password to restart. I have set the timer to 15 minutes when in various hotspots just to insure this precaution. Living in Mexico makes one aware of your environment. I suggest looking around, see where people can dash in and grab your valuables. I have a spot in my Starbucks where my back is to the wall and there is only one way in and out. I am now always on alert. A friend of mine on the local police force said that MBP's are a prize target and are rarely recovered. Be careful.

You raise three issues:

1) protecting your computer from theft - paying attention to your environment, never letting it leave your possession (I can't believe how many people walk away from their computer at coffee shops), a cable and/or motion detector alarm.

2) dealing with the theft - computer insurance and perhaps software such as Back2U. Insurance can be bought by companies that specialize in computer insurance or as a rider on your home owners or renter's insurance. I have a rider on my home policy that covers theft from anywhere but an unattended car, damage (including stupid human tricks), acts of god, and even replacement of software. The cost is under $100 a year extra and covers all my computers not just the two notebooks we own.

3) safe guarding data - I have to agree that this comes down to a bit of a hassle. I cover it two ways: I limit how much important personal data is stored on my notebook. All passwords and account numbers that I absolutely need are stored in 1Password from Agile and I keep that program locked under a password that is used nowhere else and very secure. I keep program files that are sensitive in an encrypted disk image and there aren't that many.

MicroSaver® Alarmed Lock




Ncase




iAlertU
YouTube Video of iAlertU in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkAtRfA1UXc



Targus DEFCON 1 Ultra


Retriever

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STOP Plate
Action video on manufacture’s website

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Record your MBP serial #

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Set up a firmware password. Doing this will prevent someone from booting from a different startup DVD/CD
(Apple) Open Firmware Password Application

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Check with your Homeowners or Renters insurance to confirm if they will cover your laptop outsite of the home.
If your homeowners, rental insurance is not sufficient, you do not have any insurance and/or your Apple & AppleCare warranties have expired you may wish to consider Safeware Insurance.


Coverage includes the following:
Accidential damages
Dropped laptops
Liquid spills
~~Stolen comp~~
~~Natural disasteres strike~~
Peripherals
Software
Personal date against theft
~~power incidents~~

See if this article is of interest:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10093-10252534-83.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-13-0-5

I use the Targus and it is very easy to use. Since I wrote my original reply I went to Starbucks with my wife and while we were sitting there we noticed a guy with a really nice HP 17 inch laptop sitting next to a girl with a white Mac Book. He got up and asked the girl if she would keep an eye on his laptop and went to the bathroom. A minute later her unpronounceable concoction of a coffee was ready and she got up to get it leaving both their laptops available to the taker. She took her time preparing her cafe with all sorts of goodies at the cream station. We timed her and she was gone almost 5 minutes. The long computer table where they were sitting was close to the door. They were so lucky that no one wanted their computers yesterday. Best advice, use a lock, and be aware of your surroundings and you do have a good idea limiting your secure data on a laptop. Also never, never I repeat never access bank or personal data from one of these hot spots. Our IT person showed us a film on how easy it is for someone to gain information from these spots. One person was arrested at a coffee house here in Mexico for using the surveillance camera of a hot spot to get the site and password from an overhead view using the security camera. He bragged about it to a fellow employee who turned him in. So beware at all times.

We all have to be more careful and aware in this economy with so many out of work. To a desperate person, a MacBook Pro looks like a $2500 pile of cash sitting on a table in public. Protect it accordingly.

Black notebook bags are dead giveaways. A backpack with a normal bookbag look on the outside, but foam padding on the inside is not as much a dead giveaway as long as it is shut close, and locked somehow on the inside.

Combination locks are helpful.
Kensington locks provide deterance, but aren't foolproof.
Services such as Lojack and Lapcop will send a signal to a service center with the internet address of your machine, so police can track it down.

Alarms are good ideas as long as you remember to set it, and remember their passwords!

As others indicate, an awareness of your surroundings is critical. If you didn't get a good night's sleep, don't run around with it in the open, or let yourself become complacent. Take your notebook with you to the bathroom, but don't let it drop, and don't let it come in contact with water or food.

a brody wrote:
Black notebook bags are dead giveaways. A backpack with a normal bookbag look on the outside, but foam padding on the inside is not as much a dead giveaway as long as it is shut close, and locked somehow on the inside.

I agree, I try to use bags that don't look like computer bags. Still, it can almost be assumed now that most student backpacks and many commuter bags of reasonable size may contain a laptop, so don't rely on security through obscurity.

Where I live there are definitely locations where laptop users congregate and locations where you will be the only one using a laptop. I try to be at the ones that are busier and where there are like-minded people, more likely to already have a laptop and more likely to look out for each other.

I would be careful about exiting such a place, though. I always look around as I come out the door on the way to the car. Although I haven't heard of it yet, I would not be surprised if muggers start hanging out near laptop hotspots at night, just like they hang around ATMs waiting for withdrawals.