Absolute Investigations Device Recovery Success Stories Fall 2023

Data breaches get more expensive every year. According to the 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global cost now exceeds $4.45 million – a 2.3 percent increase over last year. Endpoints remain a leading gateway for cyber criminals across all industries. When laptops are stolen, the risk for unauthorized access to sensitive data grows exponentially. While organizations consider the cost of stolen hardware, the real expense lies within the data on the machine and the network data thieves may gain access to with the stolen device.

When it comes to managing your devices, and more specifically, stolen laptops, Absolute customers have an important resource to lean on. The Absolute Investigations Team consists of former law enforcement officials who are trained to help navigate the circumstances of stolen property and recover stolen laptops. They rely on Absolute’s firmware-embedded Persistence® technology, enabling a permanent digital tether that intelligently and dynamically applies visibility, control, and self-healing capabilities to endpoints, applications, and network connections. No matter where it’s located, it is possible to swiftly lock, freeze, or remotely wipe a device if it falls into the wrong hands.

Here are a few of the investigator’s recent global recovery highlights:

Vehicle Burglaries

An employee of a sports team in Texas was the victim of a vehicle break in and a laptop, air pods, and tablet were stolen. The theft was reported to Absolute investigators a few days after the incident. Digging into the case, investigators could see the new user had typed in several email addresses and when they searched them using forensic tools, they were able to ID the user. That person’s address was then corroborated by another geolocation tool. Investigators prepared an investigative summary and shared it with local authorities. Using that information, detectives apprehended the suspect and notified the Absolute customer of the arrest. Detectives expressed their appreciation to the Absolute investigative team, explaining they wouldn’t have found the suspect without their help.

A California-based technology company for public safety and healthcare professionals was instantly concerned when an employee’s laptop was stolen during a burglary of their vehicle. They notified local authorities and Absolute investigators immediately as they were concerned over the possibility someone could gain access to the company network and sensitive information via the laptop. Investigators began monitoring the device and once it came active, they were able to freeze the device, rendering it unusable. Soon thereafter, a Texas company called Absolute saying they had the device and would return it right away. They had purchased it online, not knowing it had been stolen. The device has since been returned to the rightful owners and they are very happy with the support from Absolute.

Employee Theft

When an employee of a healthcare trust in England left their position, the organization requested the return of the company-owned laptop, monitor, USB dock, and mobile phone. When they didn’t receive the equipment back, they made numerous requests to the individual, who claimed they had already returned everything. The organization reported a theft to local authorities and Absolute investigators. Using Absolute forensic tools, investigators could confirm the individual still possessed the laptop and in fact, could see he was writing emails denying he had the laptop, while using it. Absolute compiled their findings into an investigative summary and sent it to detectives who then successfully recovered the equipment and arrested the individual. The organizations has flagged the individual after also learning of evidence this person was applying for other positions within the organization, on the very same stolen laptop.

For more than 15 years, Absolute Investigations have helped organizations recover their stolen devices. Made up of former law enforcement professionals and other experts, Absolute Investigations uses forensics tools and techniques to locate devices at large and once found, they connect with local law enforcement to orchestrate their safe return. Learn more here.