Perhaps an indication of the size of the black-economy where computer hardware has become currency, last year it was discovered that over 1000 notebook computers had been stolen from government departments in the 18 month period leading up to June 2000. Earlier this week a report in the The Daily Telegraph suggested that laptops, like cash in silicon form, gave thieves incentive to target North Sydney office towers regularly over the last year, leading to the burglary of AU$250,000 worth of notebook computers.
The humiliation of the theft is possibly as infuriating a burden for the government to bare as the financial loss associated with it, but they can assuage some of their distress knowing that their problems are shared by one of the world's most powerful law enforcement agencies. In May, thieves reduced the size of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation's laptop fleet by 182, in one operation. If the FBI can't keep its laptops safe from thieves who can?
Les Ralph, national director of Web Internet Network Security (WINS) doesn't believe that laptop-theft will ever be eradicated but he is personally incensed by the brazen attitude of thieves who he believes have been allowed to get away with these crimes too easily, for too long.
"Nine times out of ten the police don't even have a start point for investigating," he said.
Ralph is placing the force of his convictions behind WINS's new laptop anti-theft product, PC PhoneHome. Currently being demonstrated to an unnamed government agency, PC PhoneHome combines stealth software with a central tracking service.
Whilst installed on a laptop, PC PhoneHome regularly searches for an open TCP/IP port and attempts to send data over the Internet. It notifies WINS central server of its IP number, hard drive serial number and the username of the individual logged on to the laptop. If the laptop is stolen the data could provide the owner with enough clues to help police recover it.
7%
2%
