Consumers Get Stolen Laptops Back with Absolute's LoJack for Laptops
Vancouver, Canada: January 7, 2010 – Absolute® Software Corporation (“Absolute” or the “Company”) (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management solutions, today revealed the laptop theft experiences of five Computrace® LoJack® for Laptops subscribers. Computrace LoJack for Laptops is a software-based theft recovery service that tracks, locates, and recovers stolen computers, while providing consumers with the ability to protect personal information from identity theft with remote data delete capabilities. The following stories demonstrate how easily Computrace LoJack for Laptops customers went from victims of laptop theft to recovery victors.
Laptop Recovered Overseas
Jess Cenica was the unfortunate target of a laptop theft at London’s Heathrow airport when his laptop was stolen right under his wife’s nose. Jess immediately reported the stolen laptop to Absolute Software who worked closely with London police to get it back. Jess was soon reunited with his laptop, with no external or internal damage to the device. Although Heathrow is one of the worst offenders for lost or stolen laptops,* U.S. airports are a hot bed for laptop theft as well, with a laptop going missing every 50 seconds at U.S. airports.**
Jess still uses the laptop, commenting: “I would really recommend LoJack for Laptops software. Without it, there would have been no way to get my laptop back, especially since it happened in a completely different country. The service was quick and efficient. As we didn’t have to get involved directly with the police, this saved us a lot of hassle. We will definitely ensure we have LoJack for Laptops installed on any laptops we should buy in future.”
Laptop Lifted From Limo in the City That Never Sleeps
While helping his passengers with their luggage in the trunk of his car in the SoHo area of New York City, limo driver Jim Butler had his laptop brazenly stolen from the front seat of his car. Jim did not notice the laptop missing until he was already on his way to his next destination. Jim immediately filed a police report and contacted Absolute Software to report the theft, assuming he would never see his laptop again.
With the help of the Absolute Theft Recovery Team, Butler’s laptop was later found in Boston, where it had been resold online through Craigslist. Even after a hard drive wipe, Absolute Software was able to return the laptop to its rightful owner.
You Can Never Be Too Cautious on a College Campus
College freshman Bill Kotnarowski was no stranger to laptop theft. Having heard stories of laptops being stolen on college campuses, Bill made sure to purchase Computrace LoJack for Laptops in order to protect his “lifeline” and all of the information stored on it. According to a survey conducted by Absolute Software, dorm rooms and schools are among the top five places for laptop theft. A few years later, Bill’s investment paid off.
Bill made the mistake of leaving his backpack, with his laptop in it, unattended on the first floor of his house one night. His backpack was stolen that night, and when he notified the police, he was informed that his laptop was one of 12 that had been stolen in the last two days. Immediately, Bill reported the stolen laptop to Absolute Software. With the help of their Theft Recovery Team, Absolute Software was able to track down the computer and get it back to him. Relieved, Bill said, “If I were to ever buy another laptop, there’s no question in my mind that I would purchase LoJack for Laptops with it.”
Locked Cars Are Not Enough to Keep Thieves Out
Brice Barnes does everything on his laptop. For this reason, he was devastated when his beloved computer was stolen from his car in the parking lot of the International Boat Show in Portland, Oregon. Upon realizing it was gone, Brice was wracked with a “gut wrenching feeling that people…get to look inside my life.” Brice remembered he had Computrace LoJack for Laptops installed on his computer and immediately called the local police and Absolute Software to report the theft.
Brice was relieved when his laptop was recovered after it had been detected at eighteen different IP addresses. With the help of Computrace LoJack for Laptops, Brice’s laptop eventually led police to the original thief, who had allegedly stolen many other laptops and resold them to unsuspecting consumers.
One Line of Defense Is Not Always Enough
Certified Public Accountant Jamie Olsen left her laptop in her office overnight, secured with a cable lock. She was shocked the next morning when she discovered her laptop cable had been cut through and her laptop was gone. Jamie immediately reported the laptop stolen to Absolute Software and within an hour received notification from Absolute that they were on the case.
Jamie’s stolen laptop was later recovered from a nearby business, which had purchased the computer from a local chop shop. Jamie praised the recovery agents and commented that Computrace LoJack for Laptops is “… like a little private eye that travels with your laptop wherever it may end up.”
How Computrace LoJack for Laptops Works
Computrace LoJack for Laptops is powered by the Absolute Software patented Computrace technology. LoJack for Laptops is virtually undetectable and phones home to the Absolute Monitoring Center with location information. If a computer is reported stolen, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team can gather evidence from the computer to identify the thief’s location and works with local police to get the computer back. Additionally, Premium customers can remotely delete data from the stolen computer to help protect their personal information. When embedded in the firmware of computers from leading computer manufactures,*** LoJack for Laptops can survive operating system re-installations, as well as hard-drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging. It can be activated by customers when they purchase a subscription for LoJack for Laptops ranging from 1-4 years.
* Ponemon Institute, Airport Insecurity: The Case of Lost Laptops - EMEA, 2008
** Ponemon Institute, Airport Insecurity: The Case of Missing & Lost Laptops, 2008
*** For a complete list of firmware-supported computers, see www.absolute.com/firmware.