So I'm taking a year or two off to travel and write fiction and screenplays; I've selected my netbook (the incomparable HP DM 1-3025dx; the 9.5 hour battery life is real!), updated my passport, bought some backpacking gear, set up my cloud drives for backup...but I will spend some time in places where I know that I may get robbed, so here's my question: I will be travelling in many places where I will have electricity for only a few hours each day, and will have internet access about once a week. My plan is to back up all my word processing and screenplay files to a micro-sd card I will keep in my boot. Whenever I get to internet access, I back up to a cloud drive. But I would love to set up my HP netbook so that it requires a password upon boot, but also has one of the following options: 1. If you enter a different, wrong password (this is the PW I would give the hypothetical robbers), it would wipe the Documents folder. 2. If you enter the wrong password, or no password, you would have 10 seconds to enter the right one, or else it would wipe the Documents folder. 3. A remote wipe option; something that, when I trigger it, the next time the computer is only, it wipes the drive. Is there anything like this available? I know that it seems paranoid, but I think that some of my work will be worth something someday, and it will include several teleplays and screenplays that have either already been aired, and are copyrighted by networks, or are registered and copyrighted to production companies. Another option would be options 1, 2, or three just for a specific folder, as in, every time you open that folder you need to enter a password, and with the wrong one it is wiped.

Please provide the version of Windows that is installed. Nonetheless, you can password protect the netbook for startup via the BIOS. Refer to the user guide: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02666702.pdf Press F10 when you turn on the computer and the Set up menu or BIOS will start. Navigate to the security area. There you can create and implement an Administrator and\or a Power-on password. That will provide you a first level of security. Next, if you have Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate installed, drive encryption features are included. That would provide the next level of security. I am not sure whether MI-6 or the CIA could write the app for you to accomplish requests 1,2 or 3. Sounds nice, though. How will you securely transmit your data to the cloud? Will you trust the internet service provider that you find? My point is that keeping the data encrypted at all times wil protect it from all but the professionals. The computer's drive and the removable storage media should be encrytped.Transfer encrypted data. Only unlock it when you are working with files. I recommend that you upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate and carefully practice using the encryption tools included. You must be able to confidently encrypt, lock and unlock files and secure the key files or you can lose access to the files. Ultimate will the provide Bit locker to go feature for the removable storage. I hope that gives you some direction of having peace of mind during your journey. I am available for technical support while you travel.

2nd option - wipe documents after 10 seconds of entering nothing - would be very unrecommendable. During a Service Pack installation - would you like to sit in front of the laptop until the dialog appears? Or the laptop wakes up due to what ever reason unnotified. Relying on a password which you would hand out? They have you, why the should not enforce you to deliver the right password? Or - if you dont encrypt data - the disk could be easily removed from that machine and attached as secondary drive to another PC. From here file system access would be possible. Drive encryption on OS level would be ok - the problem is, if you should ever rely on recovering data from a crashed disk, which is encrypted, it will not be that funny. Remote wipe: I believe such stuff exists for certain models (Dell System Track comes into my mind), which allows you to locate the laptop and delete sensitive data remotely). This requires support on Bios level. Best greetings from Germany Olaf

If you're data is of high value I would recommend the following things for you to carry 1. Industrial Grade Neodymium Magnet ( swipe your notebook like twice ) 2. DBAN Software its free create a login script with this wipers 3. Industrial Grade Hydrochloric Acid ( recommended use if you're expose to the sun ) :)CEH.ECSA.MVP Windows Security

I thought I would present another option-have your netbook refittted with a self-encrypting hard drive from seagate. http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=dn_sec_role_laptop_desk&vgnextoid=bf78e411a5d65110VgnVCM100000f5ee0a0aRCRD Easier to manage, erases when pulled from the computer. Read the papers on various implementations; http://www.seagate.com/docs/pdf/whitepaper/esg_brief_seagate%20dell_partnership.pdf