Mac Security 101
Get Your Laptop Back: LoJack For Laptops
By Kale Feelhaver
For this month’s column, I decided to focus on a great piece of security software, Computrace’s LoJack for Laptops. This product is marketed as “Peace of Mind for $49.” In reality, that is a pretty good description of the product. LoJack for Laptops is an invisible program that silently reports your whereabouts every time you use the Internet. If your laptop is ever stolen, you simply report it stolen, and the next time your machine connects to the Internet, the perpetrator is caught.
It’s a simple concept, but an effective one. You purchase LoJack for Laptops, and install it on your computer. Then you register an account with Computrace via their website, and keep your contact information up to date. The software includes one year of service for $49, or you can get the extended plan, with 3 years of service, for $99. The software works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X. Once installed, the software reports to Computrace’s servers are regular intervals. If your laptop is ever stolen, you file a police report and call their 1-800 number to report it stolen. Computrace then flags your computer so it will trigger an alarm the next time it reports to their servers. As soon as your computer connects to the Internet, Computrace’s servers will determine the physical location by Public IP address or dial up area code. Their software’s logic will try to find the exact location of the laptop, and then notify the local police.
I used to think, “Who cares, the police aren’t going to take the time to find my laptop”, but the statistics show that 75% of computers with LoJack for Laptops installed are located and returned. Police departments across the country have found that stolen laptops lead to other stolen items. In most cases, the police show up expecting to find a stolen laptop, but end up also finding, drugs, other stolen goods, and, in a couple of cases, stolen cars. Needless to say, these statistics are very impressive. Computrace is so confident in their product that they have included a 30-day money back guarantee. If your laptop is stolen and you report it, they guarantee it will be returned inside of 30 days or they’ll refund the price of the software.
So I know what you’re thinking… if the thief steals the laptop and erases the hard drive, then LoJack for Laptops is useless… right? Wrong! LoJack for Laptops actually writes a program to the laptop’s firmware. It will still send a panic signal, even if the drive is erased. Pretty impressive huh? The product can be purchased from directly from the LoJack for Laptops website (http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/), and also purchased from the Apple online store (http://store.apple.com). If you have a sizable amount of money invested in your laptop… peace of mind may be worth $49 to you.
