IT Security: Lo-Jack software helps laptop recovery

The laptop, it turned out, had been spotted and taken home by an airline employee. But LoJack, which embeds itself into the firmware of laptops (and its sister product Computrace for desktops) are set up for today's connected world. As soon as the stolen computer is hooked onto any internet connection it secretly "phones home" and tells Absolute Software, the developer of the software, where it is.

The system depends on a working relationship between Absolute and the local police - and the police responding promptly.

When Stephanie Stone's laptop was stolen from a lecture hall at her university, Absolute got the theft report, traced the machine and told the police. But the timing was off and the laptop had been stolen, sold via an on-line auction site and - amazingly - the purchaser had then been a victim of theft when it was stolen from her bag while she was out shopping. Absolute traced it again and this time the police found the laptop in a lavatory in a shop day after it had been stolen for the second time.

And even the careful can be victims: Phyllis Proctor Leao locked her laptop in the boot of her car, out of sight. But a thief watched her do it and stole it anyway. In less than 24 hours, she was contacted by authorities who explained how Absolute had provided all the information they needed to exercise a search warrant, recover her computer and charge a suspect with the theft. And within four days, she had her laptop back.

The patented system is gaining serious traction amongst laptop manufacturers for their US products. The Company's software agent is embedded in the firmware of computers by manufacturers such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, General Dynamics Itronix, HP, Lenovo, Motion, Panasonic and Toshiba and the Company has reselling partnerships with these OEMs and others including Apple.

In addition to tracing, there is also a security feature: customers can remotely delete data to help keep it out of the hands of unauthorised users - a contingency in case data protection solutions fail.