What to Do When a Laptop Is Lost or Stolen

What to Do When a Laptop Is Lost or Stolen

A lost or stolen laptop is stressful, but the steps to handle it are straightforward. The key is to act quickly and follow a checklist rather than trying to remember everything in the moment.

Step 1: Report It Internally

Tell the person responsible for IT, or the business owner if you do not have an IT role. The sooner it is reported, the sooner the rest of the steps can happen.

Do not wait to see if the laptop turns up. Treat it as gone until it is found.

Step 2: Remote Lock or Wipe

If you use mobile device management (MDM) software such as Microsoft Intune, Jamf, or Google Workspace device management, you can lock or wipe the laptop remotely.

• Lock the device first. This stops anyone from accessing it without a passcode.
• Wipe if the device contained sensitive data and you are confident it will not be recovered.

If you do not have MDM, skip to Step 3. You cannot remotely secure a device that was not set up for it.

Step 3: Change Passwords

Assume that anyone with the laptop can access any accounts that were logged in on it. Change passwords for:

• Email accounts
• Company file storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
• Accounting software
• CRM systems
• Any cloud service the user was signed into

If the laptop had saved passwords in a browser, treat all of those accounts as compromised and change them.

Step 4: Check What Data Was on the Device

Work out what the laptop had access to:

• Were there client files stored locally?
• Was there access to financial records?
• Were there saved credentials for cloud services?

If sensitive client or financial data was on the device, you may need to notify affected parties. If the laptop was encrypted, the risk is lower. If it was not, assume the data is accessible.

Step 5: Notify Your Insurer

If the laptop is covered under your business insurance policy, contact your insurer to start a claim. You will need:

• The make, model, and serial number
• The purchase date and cost
• A description of what happened
• A crime reference number if it was stolen (report it to the police first)

Step 6: Update Your Asset Register

Mark the device as lost or stolen in your asset register. Record the date, what happened, and what actions you took. This matters for insurance, for audits, and for making sure the device is not still counted as an active asset.

Step 7: Replace and Improve

Once the immediate situation is handled, think about preventing it happening again:

• Set up MDM on all company devices if you have not already.
• Make sure all laptops require a password or PIN to unlock.
• Enable disk encryption on every device (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac).
• Keep a record of serial numbers so you can report them if needed.

Practical Takeaways

• Act immediately. Do not wait to see if the device turns up.
• Lock or wipe remotely if you have MDM.
• Change passwords for any accounts that were accessible on the device.
• Report to the police and your insurer if it was stolen.
• Update your asset register so the device is no longer listed as in use.
• Put encryption and MDM in place to reduce the impact if it happens again.