I have few thoughts about this :
1. I doubt anybody doing this to my computer would have enough time to start laughing
After that they would buy me a new computer..
So I don't think this could be called a joke.
2. Serious and deliberate sabotage and vandalism.... In that case that would be done on unsupervised equipment... And if the protection is not on the motherboard and invisible why would they try it...
And they can and will use a hammer or a brick and smash it, or plug USB directly to 220V AC, or just take the laptop and slam it on the floor
No protection from that..
I know you wanted this as an engineering challenge, but that is what engineers do : find realistic and economic solutions to the problems..
I this case I recommend baseball bat as a protection device...
P.S. I don't condone violence, just joking... BUT... they would buy me new computer....