For peace of mind (and that’s exactly what you are paying for here) you may want to go with a two-year subscription to some kind of security suite. These security suites will annoy you by slowing down your computer, asking you to reboot when they update, and generally being in your way. However, they are important if you or anyone using your laptop is likely to click on things that say “Click here!” and generally doesn’t know what he or she is doing with a computer. There’s a lot of computer crime out there now, and one of these suits will protect you from the simple stuff if you are the type to try to install Peer-to-Peer and lame instant messaging software on your PC, click on ads for free stuff, etc. If you or anyone using your computer is persistent enough, you can figure out how to get around the measures and infect your PC. In that case, good luck to you. The security suites cannot protect you from yourself. If you are a brave soul who skips the security suite, keep your PC on a NAT’d IP address, close down unnecessary services, regularly patch your PC, don’t download stupid things with Internet Explorer, and you will never miss it.
Face it: laptops get stolen. There are a couple of good ways to protect your laptop physically, though. The first is with a cable lock. This type of lock features a cable that loops around an immovable object (don’t attach it to a table leg when you can lift the table up and remove it) and hooks into a special security slot on your laptop. The security slot on laptops is designed so that you will cause lots of damage to the laptop before you get the cable off of it. This can be good as a deterrent, or bad if you have a stupid thief. This method of securing a laptop is best if you leave your laptop at work or if you take care of laptops at your workplace. That way you don’t have to worry as much about lax security at the office when you aren’t there.
Another method of laptop protection is a combination motion alarm and cable lock. This alarm will ensure that your laptop is not removed from your presence if you put it under a table at a restaurant or fall asleep at the airport when your flight is delayed. If it’s moved without the alarm being disabled, the alarm goes off.
Both of these security devices are cheap compared to the price of a good laptop full of “recommended components.” Many companies make cable locks, and you can expect to pay a mere US$40-$50 for either of these devices.