[luau] Be on the lookout for Stolen laptops

Tom_Gordon/RISE/HIDOE at notes.k12.hi.us Tom_Gordon/RISE/HIDOE at notes.k12.hi.us
Thu Mar 11 10:15:01 PST 2004


Theres retail products available for notebook recovery (must be 
implimented prior to theft).  Some involve GPS while others are just 
stickers or insurance etc.  Putting identifying marks on the laptop do not 
hurt ( http://www.honolulupd.org/community/opid.htm ).  Report it stolen 
to the police with all this info, pictures recommended.  Then you can 
check HPD Evidence/Lost and Found at 529-3283.  They used to have an 
online lsiting but not anymore.

I would try to avoid it in the first place.  By using smartcards you could 
really piss-off the thieves so they end-up asking a smart person for help 
reconfiguring it (and increase chances that it'll get turned-in). 
Fujitsu/Seimens notebooks (and even sceneic desktops w/ a optional reader) 
supported smartcard auth in the bios.  Combine that with a really small 
lifebook and it would be very difficult hack the bios, etc.

the white paper on it is here: 
http://support.fujitsu-siemens.de/SecurityCD/Docu/UK/PC-Security/wp_systemlock_e.pdf

Tom








"R. Scott Belford" <scott at belford.net>
Sent by: luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
03/11/04 09:29 AM
Please respond to luau

 
        To:     luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
        cc: 
        Subject:        Re: [luau] Be on the lookout for Stolen laptops


Ronald Willis wrote:
> Does anyone know if these unfortunate travelers had a beacon installed 
or if
> they
> have record of a mac address?

This reminded me of a great article I found on /. in 2002.  I hunted it 
down

http://macscripter.net/unscripted/unscripted.php?id=12_0_1_0_C

They didn't use the mac address, but they did find the stolen laptop.

I will always remember the very nice iBook one of the cashiers at Price 
Busters showed me and said that her cousin had bought it for only $200, 
without the power supply.  It was so hot I wouldn't even touch it.  I 
asked her to please report it.

What stands out is that the thief did not take the laptop to a shop, he 
sold it as is to a friend, who then gave it to his cousin, the cashier, 
so that she could as her company's "computer guy."  If these laptops 
take a similar route, I fear that it would be hard to recover them.

This makes me wonder, and perhaps some of you have an answer, what is 
the best way to get your laptop back if it is stolen?  I suppose that if 
one can boot off of a cd and re-install, all bets are off.  Does anyone 
out there have a strategy or a technology in place to prevent this?

--scott

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