Lost Laptop, Lost Music: What We Can Learn from Nyasha David’s Misfortune

Musician Nyasha David recently experienced every artist’s nightmare—thieves broke into his home and stole a laptop containing his unreleased music.

Along with other valuable items, the stolen device held irreplaceable data that could potentially never be recovered. According to Nyasha himself, the full list of stolen devices includes:

HP Probook G7, Soundcore Rav Neo Speaker, PlayStation 4 with four controllers and four games (Tekken 7, FC25, Mortal Kombat 11, God of War), Timberland 79 Boots, black power bank, iPad 5th Gen (white, locked with Nyasha David iCloud), iPad 2nd Gen (locked with Nyasha David iCloud), and two Toshiba 500GB hard drives.

Nyasha David has pleaded with the thieves to return the items for a cash reward. He posted, “To the person who stole my stuff, I will pay if you return my laptop and hard drives. The laptop has all my unreleased music.”

As someone who once called his own phone after it was stolen to set up a meeting to pay cash for it, I’m afraid those devices are most likely gone for good.

This incident highlights a growing concern: how can we protect our digital files in case of theft?

In today’s digital age, losing a device doesn’t just mean losing hardware—it can mean losing years of work, personal memories, or sensitive information. It might not be unreleased music for you, but I would imagine there are files you just couldn’t afford to lose.

Not a single one of us is immune from getting burgled, so while we still have our devices, there are steps we can take to reduce the pain and suffering should the worst happen.

Here are key steps to ensure your data remains secure, even if your device is stolen.

Back Up Your Data Regularly

A stolen laptop or phone doesn’t have to mean losing everything. By setting up regular backups, you can restore your files on a new device without much fuss.

• Cloud Storage: Use services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud to automatically back up important files. Cloud storage ensures your data remains accessible from anywhere, even if your physical device is lost.
• External Hard Drives: Schedule regular backups to an encrypted external hard drive. This provides an offline backup that can be useful if internet access is unavailable. After backing up the files, remember to keep the copy in a different place from the original; otherwise, they could be stolen together, defeating the purpose. Unfortunately for Nyasha David, his external drives were stolen too.

Secure Your Device with Strong Passwords and Encryption

Preventing unauthorised access to your device is crucial. That way, even in the case of theft, at the very least, you won’t have to worry about your personal data leaking online.

• Use Strong Passwords: Avoid common passwords and use a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Enable Encryption: Windows users can activate BitLocker, while Mac users should use FileVault. Encryption ensures that even if your device is stolen, the data remains unreadable without the correct credentials.
• Set Up Biometric Locks: Fingerprint and facial recognition features add an extra layer of security on smartphones and some laptops.

Enable Remote Tracking and Wipe Features

Modern devices come with built-in tracking features that can help locate them in case of theft.

• Find My Device (Windows/Android) and Find My iPhone (Apple) allow users to track lost devices.
• Remote Data Wipe: If retrieval is impossible, remotely erase your device to prevent data theft.

Keep a Record of Your Device Details

Having essential device details can help authorities recover stolen gadgets. I will be honest with you, I don’t know of any success stories when asking the police to help retrieve stolen phones, but you’d do well to note down your device details.

• Serial Numbers & IMEI: Keep a record of your device’s serial number and IMEI number (for mobile devices). These can help law enforcement track and identify stolen items.
• Label Your Devices: Adding identifiable stickers or engravings can make it harder for thieves to sell the devices.

Protect Your Online Accounts

Losing a device can mean losing access to personal accounts if not properly secured. In 2025, this could end up being worse than losing hardware if the thieves—or whoever they sell the device to—use your accounts for nefarious activities.

Or at the very least, post crazy stuff that damages your reputation. You will agree with me that we’ve heard too many people claim to have been hacked after backlash to something they posted. So, don’t count on people believing that thieves posted that stuff to your socials, for example.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security when logging into accounts. You have no excuse not to be using 2FA in this age.
• Log Out of Accounts on Stolen Devices: Services like Google, Apple, and Microsoft allow users to remotely sign out of lost devices.

What to Do If Your Device is Stolen

If you find yourself in a situation like Nyasha David’s, act quickly:

• Report the Theft: Notify the police and provide details about your stolen items.
• Use Tracking Apps: Attempt to locate your device via built-in tracking features.
• Notify Service Providers: Contact your mobile service provider or internet provider to block access to your accounts.
• Change Passwords: Update passwords for key accounts linked to the stolen device.

Sucks, but It Is What It Is

Nyasha David’s pain is a reminder that while we may not always prevent theft, we can take steps to protect our data. By implementing strong security measures and regular backups, you can ensure that even if your device is stolen, your important files remain safe. Don’t wait for a theft to happen—secure your data today.