Hotels- Where do you leave your laptop when you leave the room?

[mmntech]

I take it with me. I travel with my iPad so it's not a big issue.

 

[JEDI]

When given physical access to a machine that is merely password protected at the OS level, the password can be circumvented within a few seconds. Windows or Unix/Linux.

how?

 

[Jumpem]

Right on the desk, open with the screen locked.

 

[Agent11]

To prevent your OS passward from being cracked make sure you have a bios passward and DO NOT have your cd or dvd rom boot before the HD.

 

[HeXen]

I leave the "do not disturb" sign out to keep housekeeper's at bay. Worked so far.

 

[tfinch2]

Yep, and its fun to do that, because people think I'm a super 1337 hax0r. But in reality it's super easy to do.

I'll get calls sometimes that someone forgot their password and they want me to format the machine, then I tell them I can just recover the password and they're like "Woah you can do that? That's awesome!" Pretty much in the same tone as when Homer says "Computers can do that?".

You can't reset password via AD or LDAP?

 

[feralkid]

Right out on the desk. Has never been an issue.

Nothing is an issue.

Until the day it becomes one.

Then we cry, "but it was never an issue before".

 

[ch33zw1z]

laptop locked to something immobile, or shutdown in my back pack.

 

[ch33zw1z]

To prevent your OS passward from being cracked make sure you have a bios passward and DO NOT have your cd or dvd rom boot before the HD.

this is what I do, Lenovo T410. You must enter a Power-on Password to boot to the disk (only device in the boot order), and then you have to enter the FDE password to boot the partition.

To make changes to the BIOS, you must enter the Supervisor password. You can't change the boot order without it, and like I said...there's only one boot device in the list.

I guess someone could put a preloaded disk into the laptop and try to boot it like that, but you still don't know the Power On Password.

 

[ch33zw1z]

You all worry to much.

Good to see someone not effected by things like reality.

 

[Ksyder]

Here in Canada, hotel rooms have locks on them, so I just leave it anywhere in the room.

Sheesh man. I don't know if you are just naive or what. Housekeeping staff will go into your room if you are not there to refresh towels and such . Believe me there are keys around. I work at a hotel and there is a master key that gets you into every room, occupied or not. Whoever needs it just grabs it at will. From time to time it comes up missing.

 

[olds]

When I travel for work, it comes with me as I'll need it.
When I travel for pleasure, I leave it on the desk.

 

[sjwaste]

Nothing is an issue.

Until the day it becomes one.

Then we cry, "but it was never an issue before".

OK, so they steal my laptop. Then what? It's a 5 year old Macbook or an iPad 1, depending on how light I wanted to travel. I don't have anything of value in terms of data, nor anything embarrassing (unless you count goofy family photos). It's running FileVault anyway. Worst case, I go get a new laptop, reinstall my software, and pull down everything from Dropbox that I still need.

I don't stay at hostels or questionable hotels, so I'm just going to continue leaving it out. It's too much of a pain to carry with me, and I don't think a laptop lock is any more secure than just leaving it out. They're not exactly hard to cut.

 

[nageov3t]

I don't get too paranoid... I usually just throw it in my suitcase under some clothes.

 

[Mermaidman]

this is what I do, Lenovo T410. You must enter a Power-on Password to boot to the disk (only device in the boot order), and then you have to enter the FDE password to boot the partition.

To make changes to the BIOS, you must enter the Supervisor password. You can't change the boot order without it, and like I said...there's only one boot device in the list.

I guess someone could put a preloaded disk into the laptop and try to boot it like that, but you still don't know the Power On Password.

(It's been a while . . . ) Can't you just reset the BIOS and all passwords are gone? I remember tinkering with motherboard jumpers to do that.

Oh, I hide my laptop in the bathtub.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Client laptops are with me or locked in vehicle trunk at all times.

Personal laptop is left on desk. A US. Flash drive contains copies of anything on lappy that I can not replace from install media/downloads.

Loss of lappy and contents is also covered by insuramce

 

[Exterous]

I just leave it on the desk. What are you guys afraid of?

You all worry to much.

I take it you two don't travel internationally or do anything important like work, banking, investing etc on your laptops? Lots of countries look at hotels as cheap and easy ways to get physical access to someone's personal/work data. Lots of stories about computers being left unattended in hotel rooms that have been accessed.

 

[MustISO]

Leave it on the desk or table with the webcam recording so you know exactly what happens in your room.

 

[Lash444]

(It's been a while . . . ) Can't you just reset the BIOS and all passwords are gone? I remember tinkering with motherboard jumpers to do that.

Oh, I hide my laptop in the bathtub.

Take the drive out of the laptop, and plug it into another computer.

 

[Braznor]

In Soviet Russia, the laptop locks you!

 

[God Mode]

I've always left it plugged in on the table. Never had a problem. I only lock ID's and cash in the safe.

 

[ch33zw1z]

(It's been a while . . . ) Can't you just reset the BIOS and all passwords are gone? I remember tinkering with motherboard jumpers to do that.

Oh, I hide my laptop in the bathtub.

Not on the laptop. Supervisor passwords cannot be recovered anyway I know of. If you forget it, a motherboard replacement is in order. Desktops on the other hand...maybe simpler.

 

[Patranus]

Housekeeping or anyone else who gains access to you room walking off with it. Aside from being out a potentially very expensive laptop if you don't use full disk encryption you personal information could potentially be compromised.

Yeah. A maid is going to be able to crack your password. LOL.

Maid walks off with my laptop I get reimbursed by the hotel. Simple as that.

 

[Ksyder]

Yeah. A maid is going to be able to crack your password. LOL.

Maid walks off with my laptop I get reimbursed by the hotel. Simple as that.

That may not be exactly true. It will be very hard to prove that a maid stole the laptop, and also if it is not stored in a safe then the hotel may not be responsible. Obviously a lawyer would be able to state this definitively and is probably different in each state.

 

[BUTCH1]

Yeah. A maid is going to be able to crack your password. LOL.

Maid walks off with my laptop I get reimbursed by the hotel. Simple as that.

Not really, people have been known to pick locks, specially if they see you hauling in a high-end lappy, just wait till you go to the pool or out for dinner. Hotel will be very sympathetic I'm sure but don't expect one to shell out 3-4K unless you can prove it was their employee that stole it. Most places have a lot of cameras around nowadays so it's possible your room entrance was caught on surveillance.