A few years back a security firm conducted an independent survey of computer theft. One insurance carrier alone reported 387,000 incidents of notebooks being stolen and another 16,000 PCs. This was only in the United States. This computer firm insures against such theft (a home business must for your crucial equipment) as well as damaged that is caused by accidents such as power surges, lightning, vandalism, water, and natural disasters. Of these situations, the report determined that the three most common for both home business, personal use and office environment property, were accidental damage (number one), theft (the second most prevalent) and power surges.



This firm's protection includes complete replacement or repair of the home business computer system, with no deduction if the system must be replaced. Computers in transit (such as laptops you're carrying on business trips) are covered to $10,000. The firm also provides for reimbursement on temporary rentals as well as protecting you from any computer fraud perpetrated on your online home business by staff or others. A wise home business owner would purchase such protection.

You can also protect your home business computer from theft in several ways. Not only can you help protect it from being taken in the first place but, in the event it is stolen you can protect its contents from intrusion and aid law enforcement in its retrieval and the capture of the thieves.

There are several firms offering a sort of Lojack for computers. Some of the products and services help deter theft with the use of alarms, while most are more into retrieval and protection of the data inside. With the majority of these home business equipment protection firms, all data on your PC or laptop is immediately locked down and inaccessible to anyone, rendering the computer useless to the thief except for parts. Most of these programs will let you pick and choose what you'd like someone locked out of so you don't necessarily have to wipe out your primary programs such as Office and others. They all send a signal that, once the thief starts up the stolen computer, indicates the address and / or phone location of your stolen equipment.

For those who want to keep their home business equipment safe at home there are clamps and cables such as bike lock cables that secure your equipment to whatever heavy home business furnishing, pipes or other permanent fixtures that will make it nearly impossible for a thief to remove the computer from your home business environment. What's important to keep in mind about this, too, is that your lock, clamp or cable doesn't need to be fool proof. Most burglars enter the homes and home business offices that are the most accessible. If they can't enter your home, enter your home office and remove your online business equipment in under ten minutes they'll give up and attempt their theft at a home whose entry and equipment is more easily accessible.