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Another Stab at Laptop Security
kogus writes "LoJack is licensing its brand name to Absolute Software, which provides Computrace -- soon to be known as the 'LoJack for Laptops' line of computer theft recovery systems. When a stolen Computrace-equipped system is connected to the Internet, it automatically and silently sends locating data to Absolute Software, which then calls out the law. In some cases, Absolute Software customers are eligible for a $1,000 guarantee payment when a stolen system is not recovered within 60 days.
Except the website doesn't demand personal information before they let you read the story. Which story were you clicking on?
Have TFA anyway, if it makes you feeel any better
LoJack for Your Computer
By Michael Jaffe
July 6, 2005
Last week, LoJack (Nasdaq: LOJN) announced the dawning of a new era in data recovery.
What? Is the groundbreaking gorilla of stolen vehicle recovery committing Peter Lynch's cardinal sin of deworsification into the unrelated field of hard-drive hacking? Not really.
LoJack is licensing its brand name to Absolute Software, which provides Computrace -- soon to be known as the "LoJack for Laptops" line of computer theft recovery systems. When a stolen Computrace-equipped system is connected to the Internet, it automatically and silently sends locating data to Absolute Software, which then calls out the law. In some cases, Absolute Software customers are eligible for a $1,000 guarantee payment when a stolen system is not recovered within 60 days.
In my opinion, LoJack investors should be pleased for at least two reasons. First, without committing any capital or assets, LoJack is collecting a licensing fee, as well as warrants to purchase 500,000 shares of Absolute Software, with a $2 per-share exercise price. Assuming that LoJack can capitalize on its option to buy shares profitably (Absolute Software shares are trading at around $2 each), LoJack investors might be looking at the elusive free lunch. As long as Absolute Software delivers on quality control and customer service, thereby maintaining its reputation, downside risk is relatively limited.
Second, and more importantly, the LoJack brand name is gaining free exposure in the laptop market, catering to a higher-middle-income individual and business population, which happens to be a major segment of LoJack's automotive target customer base. Ostensibly, LoJack's status as a recognized brand and market leader in its field stands to be confirmed and enhanced. If companies take note (and mass appeal exists), there might be more licensing revenue to come.
To be sure, in a business that depends on brand awareness and customer confidence, a deal like this carries tempered risks because a company's brand equity is tantamount to the success or failure of a product. That said, successful licensing also offers the possibility for even greater rewards.
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Fool contributor Michael Jaffe owns no shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article. Click here to see The Motley Fool's disclosure policy. The Motley Fool is investors writing for investors.
I don't read your sig, why do you read mine?
Absolute Software may be guaranteeing $1,000 after 60 days if the laptop is not found, but you'd be surprised what that actually means.
:
I used to work for a computer store. We sold scores of laptop locks; all sorts of kinds of them. The Kensington locks sold like hotcakes because they had a $1,200 "guarantee" that the lock could not be compromised. The problem, we soon found out, is that the theif has to physically cut through the lock and leave behind the pieces. As we all know, some locks can be picked with even a bic pen, and so a lot of good this "guarantee" did for some poeple. Some theives also just took the not-so-hard-to-steal item the laptops were attached too. (Lock it to a bed or desk people, please!)
No evidence to send in, no money back. I am willing to bet in this case there are similar loopholes for Absolute Software to play with.
--
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Likely this would be on firmware; wiping the drive would be pointless (and probably past the abilities of most crackheads anyways - wiping the drives means a reinstall before resell). Blocking outgoing traffic on a possibly random port with a firewall isn't as easy to do as you'd think.
Come on Slashdot. What is this, news for AOL users? This kiddie crap. Yes, most thieves will just boot the computer with Windows and try to get on the net. But this is Slashdot. We're nerds or something. And this ain't F***ing news. If I got a laptop that was stolen, hell if it was used, I would format it:
/ faqs.asp
From the website: www.absolute.com
Q. Can Computrace Personal be removed?
A. The Computrace Personal software is a low-level utility that is as tamper resistant as a disk-based utility can be. The software can only be removed by an authorized user with the correct password so please be sure the password is stored in a safe location and not on the protected computer.
Q. What happens if a computer's hard drive is removed?
A. The software resides on a computer's hard drive so if the drive is removed the computer will no longer be protected and can not be located if stolen or lost.
http://www.absolute.com/Public/computracepersonal
Wow, what great protection.
Come on!!!!! This ain't even hardware!!!
CAPS LOCK: ITS LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL FOR AWESOME
Here's a snippet from their website:
Doesn't look like it's on firmware to me...
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~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
If you're worried about the data, then you should protect that, not the hardware. Have the system thoroughly encrypted locked to biometric data. Then have it keep back ups of critical data on a secure remote server. Then if you're laptop gets stolen, no big deal, they can't get the data and you've not lost much.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
There IS a Computrace Agent BIOS edition, but that is only available on laptops that offer it as part of the BIOS, of course (IBM's i915-based laptops have it as an option, FWIW).
The idea was that if you needed to insert a line or two at some place in your program, you'd be able to do so without renumbering all lines.
quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
well yes, but that's no different from:
1. get x
2. insure x
3. report x stolen
4. claim insurance
5. profit
its called fraud.
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
FROM TFA:
Q. If the recovery is unsuccessful, what are the conditions for the money back guarantee?
A. In order to be eligible for the money back guarantee on the Computrace Personal software purchase, the following conditions must be met:
* A theft report must be submitted with local law enforcement and a record of this report, including the police file number should be obtained.
* A report of theft or loss must be made to the Computrace Personal recovery team within seven (7) days of the police report submission, including the required details as indicated. The report may be submitted via the Computrace Personal website or directly with the recovery team through fax or phone at 1-604-608-4930.
* The theft or loss must have occurred within the United States , Canada , or the District of Columbia.
* The agent software must have successfully completed a minimum of one (1) call event during the thirty (30) days immediately preceding the date of the customer reporting the theft to the Computrace Personal recovery team.
Meaning that you have to plug your laptop onto the internet at least once after line#4 and before line#5. So, not spacing line by 10 is not a good idea.
I also wondered about that as well, so I jumped on the website and did a bit of research before posting here.
FROM FAQ
Q. Can ComputracePlus be detected?
A. On most PCs, the Computrace Agent, which powers ComputracePlus, is silent and invisible and will not be detected by looking at the disk directory or running a utility that examines RAM. On many PCs - depending on their operating system - the Agent cannot be erased off the hard drive by deleting files because it is not visible in file directories. The Agent can survive a hard drive re-format, F-disk command and hard drive re-partitioning. The Agent can be removed by an authorized user with the correct password and installation software.
On a Mac system, it is very difficult for a standard user to deliberately or accidentally delete the Agent as the files cannot be deleted by anyone other than the root user.
Q. What happens if a computer's hard drive is removed? A. The Computrace Agent resides on a computer's hard drive so if the drive is removed and installed on another computer, the Agent will initiate contact with the Monitoring Center at its next scheduled call. It will then report its new location. The original computer will no longer be protected.
Sig
...and it is useless. It is an application (not firmware) that is installed into the disk's MBR. It also requires a Windows OS. So, in a nutshell: if you reinstall Windows it will not kill computrace. Reformatting the MBR or installing a *NIX OS will kill it, however.
Together, we will drive the rats from the tundra.
this joke is a network version of cutting off the limb of a tree YOU ARE CURRENTLY SITTING ON when you hit save/add you get cut off from the box you are working (remotely) on
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