Firms concerned about loosing sensitive data kept on a company laptop goes missing might want to consider a new product being offered by one computer firm.

The company, Virtuity, is now able to equip notebook computers with what it calls "self-destruct" technology, reports vnunet.com.

Using software created by the firm BackStopp, the laptop will block access and eventually delete data if the device is moved out of a designated area.

Speaking to the website Dean Bates, Virtuity's chief technology officer, said: "There are millions of laptops out there that contain valuable data.

The vast majority are not stolen for their data, but the [thief] will often come across the data and use it for criminal purposes. This solution prevents that illicit use."

However, any firm investing in such a device might also want to consider implementing a disaster recovery system to ensure that they can restore vital data that is lost when a computer is stolen or mislaid.

Earlier this month a white paper published by VM on the subject of disaster recovery said it was vital that firms have such a plan in place.

New research from Connect found that, on average, it takes businesses that use backup tapes take 11.6 hours to retrieve and restore files. Connect is now recommending that SMEs switch to www.totalrecall.co.uk