Five Ways to Protect Your Physical Desktop From Theft

If you work with confidential data, or have outfitted your desktop with state-of-the-art hardware parts, you might be thinking of how to secure the device from being stolen. Sure, you might’ve already implemented various software strategies to prevent data loss and ensure your information stays private. But you want to go the next mile and learn some ways to protect desktop from theft. Both laptop and actual desktop computers have a few options to look into.

Method 1. Physical Cable Locks

One of the most practical ways to protect desktop from theft is to use physical cables. Whether they are laptop devices functioning as desktops or actual desktop PCs with all the peripherals, the most notable cable locking system in existence is made by Kensington. In fact, Kensington locks have become so commonplace that some laptops, monitors, and desktop cases come with integrated Kensington lock points.

A Kensington lock point allows you to slot in a compatible lock, turn it, and use a key to attach the device to a steel cable. The other end of the cable can be locked onto a piece of furniture, or the cable can be looped around a sturdy object (such as radiators, pipes, or an anchored table).

If you want to protect your entire desktop, you can also use a Kensington lock kit, which comes with gluing plates that can attach to hardware that doesn’t have a lock point. The plate allows you to sneak the cable through and loop it through all the devices together. Essentially, if a thief wants to take the desktop, they have to cut the steel cable (which can take a while even with the right tools) or carry the entire setup.

Method 2. Case Lock

Even if your case is physically attached to the table, the actual value of the PC is stored inside it, namely the GPU and storage drives. Most cases can be opened or broken into relatively easily, so thieves might forgo taking the case instead of opening it for parts.

To prevent that, you can use a sturdy case without see-through panels (typically made from plastic or glass that can shatter) and pair it with a case lock. The lock screws in place of a traditional case screw, and then prevents the case from being opened without removing the lock (or inflicting severe physical damage to the case, which might destroy the hardware inside). Some case locks also have an attachment for a cable, which doubles to tether the case physically.

Method 3. Case Cage

A desktop cage or a locker allows you to store the desktop case in a relatively visible location while still keeping it secure. The locker attaches to a desk via screws and physically locks in the case. The front of the cage has a door that locks via key, and you’ll need to unlock the cage whenever you want to get to the case (such as to turn the PC on). The back of the locker has a hole for cable management, while the entire cage has smaller openings to maintain proper airflow. More advanced lockers have pull-out slide trays to allow you to access the case more easily for maintenance.

If you pair the cage with remote-power-on options (such as Wake-on-LAN or motherboard keyboard shortcuts), you won’t even need to access the case itself to turn on the PC.

Method 4. Install Alarms

You can attach an alarm system to the case which will go off if the case leaves the general vicinity of the receiver. For office settings, this can allow the management to store the receivers in a central area and get instantly notified of cases leaving the office.

An alternative is to install a self-contained alarm system. This usually comes in the form of an alarm unit attached to the case, which is connected via a cable. The cable can then tether the case to furniture by looping it around a secure object. If the cable is cut or removed, the alarm unit goes off, alerting everyone in the area. Worse yet, since the alarm is physically attached to the case, it will beep all the while someone is carrying the case off.

Method 5. Decoy

Chances are, you’ve probably replaced a laptop or two with newer models, either because the old one is obsolete or broken. But don’t toss the laptop out yet, as it can serve as a good decoy. If you put the PC in a difficult-to-reach place and secure it with any other ways to protect desktop from theft, you can leave the old laptop (stripped of data) on the desk when you’re out. A thief in a hurry might decide to snatch the decoy laptop instead of the real one.