IT ISSUE · DEVICES AND PERIPHERALS
Lost or stolen business device
A missing laptop still holds something: files, a signed-in mailbox, saved sessions, an authenticator.A missing laptop or phone usually still holds something: local files, a signed-in mailbox, saved sessions, an authenticator. What can be done about it depends on the device, whether it was managed and encrypted, which accounts it reached and what those accounts can see.
Practical first steps
- Confirm which device is missing and who used it.
- Identify the accounts and applications available on it.
- Report theft to the appropriate authority where relevant.
- Do not rely only on changing one password if several services are connected.
Review every account connected to the device
Where the necessary management and access are in place, we review the user account, sign-in sessions, device records and MFA methods, then work through the practical containment steps.
Remote lock and wipe depend on the device, the platform, the licence, whether it was enrolled and whether it's currently online. A device that is switched off or off the network may simply never receive the command.
If the device held customer or staff personal information, there may be legal steps to consider as well. That's a question for your adviser, not us. It's worth asking early.