Why laptop security is still mostly physical

Most public-space laptop security still relies on physical deterrents like cable locks.

Most guidance on protecting laptops in public spaces still focuses on physical solutions. In this article, Targus outlines common recommendations such as cable locks, visible deterrents, and manual precautions designed to reduce opportunistic theft in cafés, libraries, and shared work environments.

hile these measures can help in certain situations, they also highlight how laptop security today remains largely hardware-based and reactive. As work increasingly happens in uncontrolled public spaces, existing solutions often rely on physical restraint rather than prevention that adapts to real-world behaviour.