Laptop theft protection software

[i6s1]

I had to buy a could of laptops for some of the guys here at work. They're going to be shared by a bunch of people, and I would rate the theft possibility high. I've taken a couple of precautions, like lockable aluminium cases and a lockable cabnet for them.

But I'd also like to install some of that "Stealth" software that checks occasanally with a server to see if it's been stolen.

Does anyone use this software? Any recommendations?

[Hiro]

I have never heard of it, but it sounds interesting.

How does it check with the user if it has been stolen? Does a window pop up saying, "Did you steal this computer from someone else? Yes / No"

?

Any links to the software manufacturer?

[Paymaster]

I think the idea is that you tell the server that the laptop is stolen, (when you see that it is missing) and then when the laptop checks in, the laptop finds out that it is stolen and can govern itself accordingly. Maybe it locks the harddrive, or deletes all the data, or whatever it is programmed to do.

[i6s1]

Thats right.

When it gets stolen, you phone the cops, and then the software company. The next time the computer checks in, it realizes it's stolen. So it transmits external and internal IP addresses, and/or the phone number of the line it's connected to. The company goes to the cops, the info from the computer is enough to get a search warrant for the ISP. The cops then go to the address where the computer is, and bust the thief.

The software all claims to be able to survive a repartition and a reformat.

If there is no internet connection, it will try to phone a 1-800 number.

Recovery chances are 90+%, compared to 3% for laptops overall.

[Ladogaboy]

Uhhh, how exactly would the software survive a reformat?

[PoloM1]

yeah I remember reading about this software a long time ago and I remember that it was suppose to survive a reformat, but now I wonder if it will survive if you scrub the drive.

Also I wonder what happens if you move the hard drive to another laptop or even a desktop....hmmmmmm

[Bires]

Originally posted by Ladogaboy
Uhhh, how exactly would the software survive a reformat?

ROM Chip? If the laptop had an internal modem, it wouldn't be hard to write a program small enough that it could reside on a 1MB flash module.

[i6s1]

http://www.computrace.com/public/products/computraceplus.asp


http://www.computersecurity.com/


http://www.sentryinc.com/home.html

[Jeffbx]

What kind of machines are you getting? Many laptop mfrs have a hard drive & BIOS passwords you can set. While they won't prevent thefts, it'll at least make it impossible for people to get at the data on the hard drive. Yes, a format is possible, but that would erase all the data on the drive.

I believe that either Dell or IBM offer Computrace service as part of the laptop purchase. Never used it, so I don't know how well it works. Looks pretty cool, tho.

What about just locking them? I know you said you have a lockable cabinet & cases, but how about one of those cables that you attach directly to the laptop - http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=154023 - Then they can always be locked, even when they're on the desk & people are using them.

Also, having dealt with theft at large companies before, if you think there is a credible threat that people are or have been stealing from your business, call your local police dept. When I had some laptops disappear from the shipping dock one time, the police offered to install a hidden security camera for a few months to watch for the theives (who were almost certainly employees) in case they tried it again.

[i6s1]

Originally posted by Jeffbx
What kind of machines are you getting? Many laptop mfrs have a hard drive & BIOS passwords you can set. While they won't prevent thefts, it'll at least make it impossible for people to get at the data on the hard drive. Yes, a format is possible, but that would erase all the data on the drive.

I believe that either Dell or IBM offer Computrace service as part of the laptop purchase. Never used it, so I don't know how well it works. Looks pretty cool, tho.

What about just locking them? I know you said you have a lockable cabinet & cases, but how about one of those cables that you attach directly to the laptop - http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=154023 - Then they can always be locked, even when they're on the desk & people are using them.

Also, having dealt with theft at large companies before, if you think there is a credible threat that people are or have been stealing from your business, call your local police dept. When I had some laptops disappear from the shipping dock one time, the police offered to install a hidden security camera for a few months to watch for the theives (who were almost certainly employees) in case they tried it again.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I don't care at all about the info on the machines, so passwords and stuff don't matter to me.

What they'll be used for is troubleshooting, upgrading and programing industrial machines. I work in a brewery. Say some machine is not operating correctly, an electrician can grab a laptop and fiddle with the programing/timing right on our production floor, instead of working to fix it from a remote desktop. (Most of the modern equipment has PLCs that can be accessed with a NIC or Serial port.)

Thefts are quite common here because of a general feeling that the company is huge and has deep pockets.

One of the reasons I don't feel confident about any sort of mechanical locking device is that most of the people who have access to them also have access to our Machine Shop, which has a lot of tools that would turn a lock into scrap pretty quickly. They also have to be readily accessable to the people who need to use them. If I set up too many barriers, they will eventually cease to be used because people are just in too much of a hurry.

I can't really set up security cameras here. There's rules our Union has about monitoring employees.

Oh, and they're Dell 8200's.

[Jeffbx]

Originally posted by i6s1

I can't really set up security cameras here. There's rules our Union has about monitoring employees.


:rolleyes: