There are a few things that laptop owners can do to prevent laptop theft. Probably the most important one is to keep an eye on the laptop all the time. Sometimes however that is not enough and the laptop gets stolen or lost. There is little chance of getting the laptop back once it has been stolen.
The laptop theft recovery software Prey tries to increase the chances by collecting and sending a bunch of information over the Internet. It obviously does not help if the thief is clever enough to format the laptop before using it. If the thief boots the operating system and connects the laptop to the Internet then Prey will be able to submit the data.
Prey works by checking an url regularly for existence. If the url exists it will send out the collected data to a specified email account. The date includes:
This includes the general status of the computer, a list of running programs and active connections, fully-detailed network and wifi information, a screenshot of the running desktop and — in case your laptop has an integrated webcam — a picture of the thief
About the url that has to be created. The laptop theft recovery program has been designed that way to avoid data being send out continuously by the software. Users can for example sign up at a free web hosting service such as Blogger to create the url that the software program checks (for Ghacks it could for example be http://www.ghacks.net/stolen/).
The user needs to specify login data to a s SMTP server so that the data can be transferred. The laptop theft recovery software Prey is available for the Windows, Linux and Macintosh operating system. The Linux and Mac version are currently more advanced and come with a bi-lingual interface, automatic connection to the first open Wi-Fi network.
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Smart idea, especially the snapshot with the webcam. The only problem I can see, however, is that the thief has to log in. So if you have a password on your account, chances are the details will never make their way onto the web.
Good software
Great idea though I cannot get the software to stop taking photos of me and e-mailing me them! Even though the URL I give it doesn’t exist (I confirmed it gives a 404 HTTP status response) it just keeps sending e-mails saying it’s found the thief.
That’s because the url SHOULD exist. Once you computer is stolen you delete and when Prey checks for the url and can’t find it, it assumes the computer is stolen lol. It thinks you’re the thief!
Not working if a smart thief take your laptop. The very first thing I would do is to erase the hard disk or change it. I prefer small GPS unit (hidden, without any stupid stickers saying: “Protected by…”).
By the way… In case you find your computer that person won’t be the thief. Sadly…
xdmv – perhaps the first thing *you* would do is format it. But as the article says, a lot of thieves will look through a laptop for information. You’d not believe the number of people who keep financial details on their computers – or have auto-logins to sites where they can purchase goods. Or confidential documents that could be ransomed. Ask any member of the UK government or military who’s had their laptop pinched in the last few years!
What people are forgetting is that this will need an internet connection to send the data anyway!
Yes, but part of Prey is that it automatically searches for an open connection. With all the hotspots around these days, what are the chances that it won’t find one?
Sandy, in the UK sadly it’s quite likely. There aren’t *too* many open connections and where they exist they often require you to enter an email address of click on a terms and conditions box before you can get to the internet. Prey won’t be able to do this.
Still – it is better than nothing! :)
Thank you for the sharing information.
I have access to a cell-captive insuring a vry large number laptops and need to address the risk of theft and enhance the recovery proccess
Who can i talk to to address the practical issues
Regards
Good to know about.
“There are a few things that laptop owners can do to prevent laptop theft. Probably the most important one is to keep an eye on the laptop all the time”. Talk about stating the obvious lol.