If your Mac is lost or stolen
Losing a laptop is stressful, but if you've set a few things up in advance, your data stays protected and you have a real chance of getting it back. Here's what to do, and what to have ready.
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Cyber Nova AI helps you prepare for Cyber Essentials. It doesn't award or certify it. Follow the steps here to get ready, then apply for certification through an accredited Cyber Essentials body when you're set.
Straight away
From another device or iCloud.com, open Find My and select your Mac. Use Mark As Lost to lock it remotely and show a message with a contact number. You can also see its last known location. If you're confident it's gone for good and holds sensitive data, choose Erase This Mac.
Why your data is safe
If you turned on FileVault, everything on the disk is encrypted, so a thief can't read your files even by removing the drive. FileVault and Find My together mean a lost Mac is a lost object, not a data breach. If you haven't turned FileVault on yet, it's the most important thing to do before you ever need it.
Then
Change the passwords for the important accounts you used on that Mac, starting with email. Report the theft to the police and get a crime reference number, which you'll need for insurance. If it was a work device, tell whoever manages your IT as soon as you can.
Set this up now, not later
Find My and FileVault only help if they were on before the Mac went missing. If you've read this and aren't sure yours are on, that's the ten minutes worth spending today.
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