Exclusive: How safe is your laptop?

The problem of data loss and accidental disclosure is being fuelled by a rise in the number of laptops stolen in the UK, silicon.com can reveal.

In recent months organisations such as Marks & Spencer, the Nationwide building society, the Metropolitan Police and Worcestershire County Council and Serco have been among those left exposed by laptop thefts - and the problem is only getting worse.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by silicon.com has revealed the number of laptops stolen in the past year has significantly increased on the previous year, according to the records of 28 UK police forces*.

Total number of laptop thefts reported in 2006**

The top five regions by police force:

1. Metropolitan Police (6,576)
2. West Yorkshire (2,402)
3. Thames Valley (2,149)
4. Leicestershire (1,219)
5. Bedfordshire (938)

** In our enquiry we deliberately discounted laptops stolen from homes or offices to get a clearer picture of threat posed specifically by the greater mobility of laptops compared to desktop computers.

The Metropolitan Police area was the worst hit, with 6,576 laptop thefts during 2006 - up from 5,735 the previous year, an increase of almost 15 per cent. More shockingly, this figure only includes those laptops stolen while being used or carried outside of the office or home (see grey box, right, for the top five and more on our methodology).

The average year-on-year increase in the number of laptops stolen is six per cent, though some areas saw dramatic increases well in excess of that.

Devon and Cornwall saw a 45 per cent increase (from 276 stolen laptops to 401). Bedfordshire witnessed a 35 per cent increase, while Lothian and Borders, which includes Edinburgh, saw a 31 per cent increase. Leicestershire, meanwhile, saw a 21 per cent increase, and in Manchester and Merseyside the figure was around 15 per cent - still well over twice the national average.

And although these stats may not make for happy reading the news is not all bad, with some forces reporting the number of theft has fallen considerably.

Gloucester saw the greatest fall over all. The number of laptops stolen in the area dropped year-on-year from 239 in 2005 to 156 in 2006 – a fall of 34.7 per cent. Nottinghamshire police reported a fall of 24.6 per cent, and Avon and Somerset reported a fall of 20.6 per cent.

Greatest percentage increase, year-on-year, of laptop thefts

1. Devon & Cornwall (up 45%)
2. Bedfordshire (35%)
3. Lothian & Borders (31.5%)
4. Leicestershire (21%)
5. Greater Manchester (15.5%)
6. West Yorkshire (15.14%)
7. Merseyside (15%)
8. Metropolitan Police (14.60%)
9. Cambridgeshire (12.40%)
10. City of London (8.80%)

Rebecca Bird, European security product manager at Kensington, a manufacturer of laptop locks, told silicon.com many companies still aren't taking the basic precaution of providing staff with locks when they take laptops on the road.

She said: "If somebody really wants to get a person's laptop then sure they could use some bolt-cutters but a good lock will protect against opportunists," adding that many of Kensington's customers come to the company once they have already fallen victim to a laptop theft and are keen not to repeat the experience.

Greatest percentage decrease, year-on-year, of laptop thefts

1. Gloucestershire (down 34.7%)
2. Nottinghamshire (24.6%)
3. Thames Valley (24.4%)
4. Avon & Somerset* (20.6%)
5. Norfolk (19%)
6. North Yorkshire (16.9%)
7. Cheshire (16.6%)
8. Humberside (15.3%)
9. Suffolk (14%)
10. Surrey (13.5%)

*Avon and Somerset figures have been adjusted to reflect 2006 stats being available only for January to October, 2006

And although opportunists may always have stolen an unguarded laptop, Bird said she believes high profile cases - such as that at Nationwide - will have alerted more would-be thieves to the potential value of sensitive data held on laptops. "People may now be more interested in the value of the data on the laptop, rather than the value of the actual hardware itself," said Bird.

As for which day of the week is the worst for getting your laptop stolen? The clear winner is Friday.

One policeman silicon.com spoke to at Marylebone police station in London said Fridays, more than any other day, see a spate of laptop thefts. This claim was supported by the information gained from our enquiry, with the last day of the working week a clear leader, and Tuesday a perhaps unlikely second. Kensington's Bird said this may well be a result of staff taking work laptops home over the weekend to catch up on work or for personal use. And the risk of theft can increase greatly if the route home takes in the pub or public transport on a Friday night.

The below map indicates the areas with the greatest percentage change in reports of laptop thefts during 2006.

The above chart shows the percentage changes in laptop thefts when figures for 2006 are compared with those for 2005. The results displayed are: Devon & Cornwall (+45%) ; Bedfordshire (+35%) ; Lothian & Borders (+31.50%) ; Leicestershire (+21%) ; Greater Manchester (+15.15%) ; West Yorkshire (+15.14%) ; Merseyside (+15%) ; Metropolitan Police (+14.60%) ; Cambridgeshire (+12.40%) ; City of London (+8.80%) ; West Mercia (+5.67%) ; Northern Ireland (+4.47%) ; Sussex (+3.31%) ; Gloucester (-34.7%) ; Nottinghamshire (-24.6 %) ; Thames Valley (-24.4%) ; Avon and Somerset (-20.6%) ; Norfolk (-19%) ; North Yorkshire (-16.9%) ; Cheshire (-16.6%) ; Humberside (-15.3%) ; Suffolk (-14%) ; Surrey (-13.5%) ; Northumbria (-9%) ; West Midlands (-1.4%) ; Warwickshire (-0.8%).

** 28 UK police forces were able to answer our Freedom of Information Act enquiry, others declined on grounds of being unable to provide the breakdown of data we requested.