Ask Slashdot: Protecting Tech Gear From Smash-and-Grab Theft?

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Ask Slashdot: Protecting Tech Gear From Smash-and-Grab Theft?

Posted by timothy on Thursday December 15, 2011 @05:13AM from the disguise-as-a-tape-deck dept.

rstory writes "I seem to be hearing about more smash and grab thefts lately, from low-tech purse snatching to thieves after laptops and cameras. Bold thieves are even snatching stuff in church/day-care parking lots in the 5 minute window while a parent goes in to pick up their child. I often drive around with my laptop, and want to find the best way to protect against theft. Besides the obvious 'don't leave equipment in the car' solution, what else are people doing? Right now I just use a regular backpack instead of a fancy laptop case. I don't have a trunk, so when I leave the car I put the backpack on the floor of the back seat, sometimes throwing other junk on top. The only interesting thing I've found while googling is a couple of 'anti-theft' backpacks which have wire mesh to prevent cutting them open and a (thin looking) cable for securing to a stationary object. What do you do to protect your gear?"

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you can track your laptops by adeelarshad82 · 2011-12-15 05:13 · Score: 4, Informative

Well for laptops you can install software that can help you track your laptop or protect your files from a remote location. There are ton of them out there, listed in the article below http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387748,00.asp
1. Re:you can track your laptops by SomePgmr · 2011-12-15 05:22 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  There are a lot of articles about this, and probably suit his needs.
  
  I'm waiting to see someone combine these remote tracking and accessibility methods with semtex and finishing nails packed in the old optical drive bay.
2. Re:you can track your laptops by bignetbuy · 2011-12-15 05:24 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  What happens when the perp wipes the hard drive? Barring some BIOS magic, your software just disappears. That's the first thing I do when I steal laptops.
3. Re:you can track your laptops by dysan27 · 2011-12-15 05:32 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The location can be tracked as soon as your OS loads, you can wipe a laptop without ever loading the OS
4. Re:you can track your laptops by houstonbofh · 2011-12-15 05:33 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Well, the location can be tracked from the second it laptop is turned on and since wiping a laptop isn't instantaneous it gives you a (very) small window to track the culprit.
  How does it do this with no Internet and booting from a system recovery disk? It is only helpful to catch the stupid criminals. Admittedly, that is most of them.
  
  But it does nothing for the real problem. You now need a new window and backpack. The only good solution is to avoid the smash...
5. Re:you can track your laptops by S810 · 2011-12-15 05:34 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I work for a Major Bank and we have BiOS "Magic" that will track the Wi-Fi Card MAC, HDD MAC and MB MAC regardless of how many times the HDD is wiped. We have made it so it would be more expensive to replace all of those parts than it would be buy a new laptop. It works as we have laptops stolen all the time and find them with the help of local law enforcement.
  The Caveat is that it has to be on a the internet for us to track it. So if someone wants it to just be a local word processor to print to a local printer we will never know about it.
  
  --
  "I think you know what I'm talkin' about, Mr. President; We're gonna kill us a mummy!" - Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley
6. Re:you can track your laptops by Daniel_Staal · 2011-12-15 05:41 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Slightly more low-tech, but giving the same idea of 'make it trackable' is Stuffbak. It's just a (hard to remove) sticker, but it means you can prove a specific device is yours.
  But none of this is prevention. If you can't hide it and you can't lock it, take it with you.
  
  --
  'Sensible' is a curse word.
7. Re:you can track your laptops by walkerp1 · 2011-12-15 05:45 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I'm waiting to see someone combine these remote tracking and accessibility methods with semtex and finishing nails packed in the old optical drive bay.
  As a fun bonus, your vacations just became a lot more interesting.
8. Re:you can track your laptops by CohibaVancouver · 2011-12-15 05:45 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  What happens when the perp wipes the hard drive? Barring some BIOS magic, your software just disappears
  LoJack for Laptops has code in the firmware of all of the major laptop manufacturers. The code is dormant, but wakes up when you install the product. Once activated, the code checks for the presence of the LoJack agent on the hard drive and replaces it if it's removed or if it's been tampered with. It will survived an OS re-install, hard drive wipe - Even a hard drive swap.
9. Re:you can track your laptops by rickb928 · 2011-12-15 05:49 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  My work laptop drive is encrypted. We consider the data far more valuable than the hardware, and they can have it.
  My personal tablet notebook has the TPC engaged, and without the drive (which is unique and expensive) it's worthless. If I'm at all competent as a thief, I know this and avoid that model and those similar. The meth heads aren't, so I would probably check CL and find it for sale in a day or so. Ring ring.
  In fact, my work notebook, when it is replaced, is essentially scrap. We have to shred the drives, rendering the rest of it worth zilch. Kinda sad.
  Personally, I would bolt an eye to a seat, use a Kensington cable, and if it is really that bad thread the cable through the bag onto the notebook. This is mostly to slow down a thief, and leave you with a broken window instead. First step is to camo the bag, either slipping it under a seat or behind something innocuous. In the convertible you can hardly see my bag. In the Explorer, slipping it under a rear seat makes it virtually invisible also. Anyone who sees me do that of course knows the trick, but that's an even smaller window of opportunity. A decent car alarm will help some, but your window is busted anyways. LoJack for laptops sounds good until you find out it's in India.
  
  --
  deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
10. Re:you can track your laptops by CohibaVancouver · 2011-12-15 05:51 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Unless you take the HD out and replace it with a clean one...
  LoJack for Laptops has code in the firmware of most laptops that allows it to persist across a hard drive swap.
11. Re:you can track your laptops by tiksi · 2011-12-15 06:50 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  In your case, what would happen is the perp would break into your car to grab the fake laptop, discover it's a fake laptop, and then he'd notice the black cloth and you would be out the real laptop. :)
  Jason
  And probably a couple more windows because you just pissed him off.
  
  I had my car broken into once, had my girlfriend's purse stolen and my new speakers stolen. They couldn't get the radio out so they just smashed it and much of the dash.
  
  Best way to save your stuff is to not be a target. Don't give them a reason to even consider that there is something in the car. Keep everything clean, and dont make it look like you're hiding anything. My friend had his window smashed out for a pack of cigarettes once.
12. Re:you can track your laptops by berzerke · 2011-12-15 06:51 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  According a Houston PD officer in the auto thefts division, the worst place you can put something is on the floor of passenger back seat. That's the first place someone looking to do a smash and grab looks.
  Also be aware of someone walking around the parking lot (near cars) that appears to be talking on a cell phone. That's a definite "take it with me or leave" red flag.
13. Re:you can track your laptops by CohibaVancouver · 2011-12-15 07:33 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Ok, so the thief steals it, re-installs Windows but never directly connects it back to the internet. He then sells it on Craigslist, and when the person who bought it connects it to the internet, it leads back to a person who didn't steal it.
  You still get your computer back.
  
  Or if they really know what they are doing, modifies or flashes an already modified BIOS to the machine and takes out the LoJack completely.
  
  This is extremely difficult to do, and is usually unsuccessful.
  
  Or the most likely - victim tracks down the vicinity where it is reported the stolen laptop is. Gets the technically clueless police department involved who don't understand what you are trying to tell them, and are unwilling/unable to help. This has happened to several of my friends while tracking stolen cell phones.
  
  This is why the LoJack for Laptops recovery team manages the recovery process, not the end user. This is what you're paying for when you buy the service - It's the team of professional ex-cops who work with law enforcement to get your stuff back.
14. Re:you can track your laptops by coinreturn · 2011-12-15 07:35 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Yeah, thanks for those Mandarin homework answers. I was totally lost in that class.
15. Re:you can track your laptops by CohibaVancouver · 2011-12-15 07:49 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  do you know anyone who has actually recovered a laptop successfully using LoJack?
  Yes.
  
  http://blog.absolute.com/20000-recoveries-and-counting/
  
  They don't 'bend the law' - They just do all the legwork for the police. They basically say here's a stolen computer, here's all the forensic evidence proving who the thief is and here's what you need when you go in front of a judge. They do all the (legal) investigative work that holds up in court.
16. Re:you can track your laptops by tnk1 · 2011-12-15 08:08 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  You don't need to bend the law for a former professional to be useful. You just need to know how to report an issue so it becomes a priority. Also, they know what you need to give to the cops to make it easy enough for them to go take care of it with little hassle. If the ex-cops know how to make life easier on already overworked cops, it is much more likely that the cops will work your case in preference to another one.
  On the other hand, they also know procedure and the law so that the cops they work with can't try and brush you off with an excuse or some paperwork. If a cop is lazy, the ex-cop will know to perhaps ask for a sergeant and then quote some line and verse at them which is technically available for any citizen to use, but only cops know that it is there and how to invoke it.
  Finally, they realize that a company that handles dozens of these a day may well be one that they have to take seriously. As an individual, you're powerless against the police machinery, but a company with lawyers on retainer, ex-cops, and PR people are much more of a force to be reckoned with.
  It's all about bureaucracy and how to navigate it. Technically it's nothing that you couldn't do yourself, but you wouldn't even know where to start.
17. Re:you can track your laptops by JustNilt · 2011-12-15 08:12 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  As another said, the OP has no trunk. Personally, I 'd suggest something like one of these. This si just a quick result from a Google search but I have a buddy with a nice under-seat one. Myself, I have a padded carton inside my truck's diamond plate toolbox but these sorts of lockboxes can easily be placed behind a seat if there's no room underneath. The trick is to put the valuables in before your stop. If you're seen putting stuff in these, they know it's valuable and may either steal your car or simply pick the lock. Personally, I can pick a lock in about 10 seconds and my lockpick trainer in the Army could do it faster than I can use a freaking key. Not all thieves will have such skills but enough do.
  Security is as much about not being stupid as anything else.
  
  --
  You know the thing about UDP jokes? I don't care if you get it or not.
18. Re:you can track your laptops by froggymana · 2011-12-15 09:48 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  The location can be tracked as soon as your OS loads, you can wipe a laptop without ever loading the OS
  This is why theft tracking shouldn't be left to the OS (or any program ran by it). There should be a separate piece of hardware, hidden inside the computer that would leach power off the laptop's battery/power supply (or possibly have it's own). Ideally it should have GPS and a 3G radio to send such tracking information to "the cloud". It would be nice to see a DIY/"opensource" version done of this done so some a company wouldn't be able to track you (as easily). This way even if the original OS was never loaded after a theft you could still track your precious laptop.
  
  --
  "To prevent this day from getting any worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD THING" 1GJU8xLuDKDxEs4KLf8fAGyptoDsqvEsBT
Take valuables with you. by Anonymous+Freak · 2011-12-15 05:16 · Score: 5, Insightful

If I park somewhere that has a reasonable chance of a smash-and-grab, I take valuables with me.
Period.
Who cares if it's locked down to something, if it looks like there is something valuable in the car, it's going to get broken in to. And if they can't take the thing they really want, they'll likely do extra damage, just because.
Other than that, I try to avoid leaving my car in locations that I worry about its safety.

--
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
1. Re:Take valuables with you. by Duhavid · 2011-12-15 05:20 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I agree completely.
  If you do have to leave the stuff in the car, seems to me that you should put it in whatever area of the car is safe and bury it *when you leave*, not when you arrive. In my mind nothing would say "there's valuables here" than futzing around with those things at the destination.
  
  --
  emt 377 emt 4
2. Re:Take valuables with you. by Richard_at_work · 2011-12-15 05:20 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Yup, just take it with you. If you can't take it with you, put it in the boot (trunk) - much harder to smash and grab from the boot, and the thief has to take a chance on there being something in there rather than scoping out the back seats of all the cars around yours.
  The passenger compartment of both my cars is kept pretty spotless - there is nothing there for a thief to take a chance on, and you would be surprised just how low value something needs to be for the chance to be taken. Remove all temptation, don't just hide the high value stuff under low value temptation.
3. Re:Take valuables with you. by Jeng · 2011-12-15 05:31 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Rather than a crowbar to pry open the trunk, instead they use a dent puller to remove the trunk lock.
  
  --
  Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
Get a dog? by ion++ · 2011-12-15 05:16 · Score: 5, Funny

Get a dog and keep it in the car.
1. Re:Get a dog? by tripleevenfall · 2011-12-15 05:22 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  What you need is a trunk monkey.
2. Re:Get a dog? by Technician · 2011-12-15 05:22 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  This is not useful in hot weather. it may be illegal.
  To fight the gas theft on the other hand, I keep two gas cans in the shed. I've had the shed broken into and stuff stolen. One nearly empty can has gas. It is a 5 gallon can with no more than 2 gallons in it. The other full can has sugar, water, and gas, lite on the gas. Just enough to provide the proper smell.
  Not sure how to do this with a laptop though.
  
  --
  The truth shall set you free!
3. Re:Get a dog? by shadowrat · 2011-12-15 05:23 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  My dog would fiercely defend my car to his death. I'd much rather just lose the laptop.
4. Re:Get a dog? by Anthony+Mouse · 2011-12-15 06:30 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  On the other hand, liquid bleach will do wonders over a period of a week
  I just want to point out something that should be obvious, but deserves to be pointed out nonetheless: Don't be an idiot. If you don't know what you're doing, don't go around mixing random shit together. It's not very hard to win yourself a Darwin award by mixing oxygen bleach with gasoline or chlorine bleach with any of a long list of things that will release chlorine gas.
5. Re:Get a dog? by networkBoy · 2011-12-15 11:50 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  At my old apartments we had a guy stealing gas out of peoples cars.
  My old beater truck had no viable way to lock the gas tank (I had a locking cap and he just broke it off, damaging the fill spout in the process).
  so, I went to a shop that had done work for me in the past and we put a new fill spout up through the truck bed into the tool box. The old fill spout was connected to a saddlebag tank filled with diesel.
  Found out who was stealing gas when the guy with the camero started having engine trouble the day after the diesel was missing from my truck.
  I smiled.
  -nB
  
  --
  whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
550 Amp Truck Battery connected to metal briefcase by Assmasher · 2011-12-15 05:20 · Score: 4, Funny

...holding laptop, make sure to solder an unobtrusive on/off switch someplace you can reach but non-obvious on the briefcase (or connected to the briefcase by wire.
Fun! :)
(I had a friend who did something similar to the hood ornament of his Dad's Mercedes during the 80's when everyone was stealing them.)

--
Loading...
Use a Diaper Bag by Slashdot+Parent · 2011-12-15 05:24 · Score: 5, Funny

It's an old photographer's trick to keep gear in a diaper bag. Nobody wants to go near that (literal) shit.

--
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
Missing details by Toe,+The · 2011-12-15 05:25 · Score: 4, Funny

rstory, as the submitter of this question, you neglected to provide a link to yourself and your /. profile doesn't seem very informative.
Can you please give us a few details. Particularly, oh I dunno, maybe some info on where you like to park your car? Thanks!!
P.S. FYI, you can post stories as ac.
Before you get in the car by haystor · 2011-12-15 05:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

If I'm going around with my laptop, I put it in the inconspicuous place in my car *before* I get in my car. Not after I've stopped and everyone nearby can see that I'm hiding something valuable.

--
t
Remember... by bhunachchicken · 2011-12-15 05:37 · Score: 4, Interesting

Most thieves are opportunists, and unless they've been watching you and really, really, REALLY want what you've got, then simply locking the car securely is your best bet.
The other night, I was walking home (about 11:30pm, through East London), and there was a guy walking toward me. He was testing the door handles of each car he passed, until finally one opened. He took the stuff out that he found, throwing some of it away and pocketing whatever else it was he got.
I stood staring at him as he did this, quite incredulous that he would do this right in front of me, and he just looked at me and said, "Well, should've locked their car, shouldn't they?" and walked off, carrying on.
I didn't do anything because this was a very tall bloke, and was probably carrying a knife. I didn't call the police either, since, this being East London, he was no doubt part of a gang and knowing my luck I'd walk into him the following week.
So, lock your car and don't keep anything of value on show. Thieves won't smash EVERY car they come to - only the ones they know they can get stuff out of.

--
THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
1. Re:Remember... by Xacid · 2011-12-15 07:05 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I didn't do anything because this was a very tall bloke, and was probably carrying a knife. I didn't call the police either, since, this being East London, he was no doubt part of a gang and knowing my luck I'd walk into him the following week.
  
  I'm admittedly unfamiliar with London and it's culture but this irks the hell out of me. Maybe it's just the way of life there but here's a relevant movie quote:
  "And I am reminded, on this holy day, of the sad story of Kitty Genovese. As you all may remember, a long time ago, almost thirty years ago, this poor soul cried out for help time and time again, but no person answered her calls. Though many saw, no one so much as called the police. They all just watched as Kitty was being stabbed to death in broad daylight. They watched as her assailant walked away. Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men."
Re:Some ideas by DanTheStone · 2011-12-15 05:38 · Score: 5, Insightful

Surprised nobody else has said it, but it also helps if you have a piece-of-junk car. People don't expect to find anything worth stealing if you have visible rust and dents on a 10-year-old Ford or Saturn. I've never had a car broken into, and I frequently leave (small amounts of) cash in plain sight and a backpack with a laptop in the back seat.
Re:My take by Bobfrankly1 · 2011-12-15 06:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Go too Goodwill, grab a ratty looking Barney the Dinosaur. Cut a hole and insert.
Wait, are we still talking about theft?
this isnt as by nimbius · 2011-12-15 06:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

tech related a question as you hoped. If you really want to fix it you need to address inherent flaws in consumer capitalism, market driven sales, and social inequality.

churches, children, whatever the hell a five minute window is, are not all universally shared and certified as morally sanctified places; in other words, thieves dont care. asking slaskdot what product we would consume in order to protect the products we consume is perpetuating the very same problem that causes the kinds of thefts you've outlined in the first place.
the only reasonable solution is to buy a reasonably sized laptop that does what you need; perhaps something used on ebay. Bring the laptop where and when you think you will need it, and its dated appearance will likely serve the dual purpose of deterring thieves who want a very nice looking laptop, as well as preventing you from using it as a suburbanite status symbol. backup your data often so that if and when the laptop is stolen, a quick restore to another relatively inexpensive ebay laptop will solve the bulk of your problems.

--
Good people go to bed earlier.
Bait Car by Anonymous Coward · 2011-12-15 07:36 · Score: 4, Funny

Police department IT guy here. We've got a couple of "bait cars" rigged with a computer system and a private network 3G aircard for comms. Onboard are hidden cameras, mics and video recording system, remote controlled door closers and locks, remote control windows, GPS tracking, remote engine shutoff and brakes, all sorts of fun stuff. They're not only used to catch car thieves, but also we'll leave stuff laying in the back seat of floor to catch car burglars too. Lots of hilarity ensues on the videos we record inside these cars. Especially when a subject hops into the back seat and tries to grab a backpack that the strap is tied under the front seat rails so you can't grab it and run, and all of a sudden the door slams shut, the window rolls up and they can't get out of the car. By the time they try kicking out the window, a couple carloads full of uniforms arrive to greet them.