Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/06/21/uk_laptop_theft_home/

Third of all nicked laptops stolen from homes

Lock it or lose it

By Hard Reg

Posted in Personal Tech, 21st June 2010 14:44 GMT

Lock away your laptop when you go on holiday this summer, or you could find yourself among the 32 per cent of British notebook computer owners who've had their machines swiped from their homes.

According to research conducted by pollster YouGov, that's the proportion of recent laptop thefts that took place in homes.

The figure compares poorly to European neighbours France and Germany, where the numbers were 22 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively. For residents of the US and Canada, the proportions were 18 per cent and 17 per cent, YouGov said.

So much for an Englishman's home being his castle. Perhaps too many of us are leaving the drawbridge down.

Still, the numbers also show that you're more likely to lose your laptop while it's out and about with you.

YouGov's online study took in 6200 adults. It was sponsored by Absolute Software, which sells laptop tracking software, most notably LoJack. That's why it was quick to suggest that, in addition to locking up your computer, you buy and install its app too. ®