Product review - Computrace LoJack for laptops
In this product review I'm going to take a closer look at a piece of software that has the potential to recover your laptop should you ever become the victim of laptop theft. Laptop computers are the perfect item for thieves; they are easy to grab, they are worth a fortune and they are pretty easy to resell. Laptop thieves are everywhere; it could be the person standing next to you on the train, it could be the maid cleaning your hotel room, it could even be the strange guy walking down the hallway at your office. There are some basic physical methods to protect your machine, but in the end, you will always run the risk of losing your machine, no matter what you do.
This is where my review product for today can help; LoJack for Laptops is a piece of software that combines 2 basic components into one security solution; one part is the software itself, the other is the LoJack theft recovery team.
I first became interested in LoJack after a friend at a large company told me some stories of how LoJack helped them recover machines that were reported stolen. They even found a stolen machine inside the home of the staff member who filed the theft report. LoJack has a very impressive recovery record, and on average 60 stolen machines a week are returned to their rightful owner. To read some of the success stories, check out their website.
The first step in protecting your machine is to install the LoJack software on the PC. The installation process takes about 5 minutes and requires you to enter a serial number which is included with the package. Then you provide LoJack with your personal information such as address, email and phone number. LoJack also offers the option to purchase the software and serial number directly from their site.
In order to verify that the installation was successful, the software makes a test call to the LoJack servers. This also lets you change any firewall settings if necessary. From now on, your computer is invisibly protected by LoJack.
In the event your laptop is stolen, you first call the police, then you contact LoJack and provide them with the information they'll need to initiate a search. They will then go to work tracking your laptop. The entire success of LoJack is based on the stupidity and greed of the common thief; most of them will take your computer home, plug it in, and surf the web. Of course, they are unaware that the moment the machine connects to the Internet, it "phones home" and lets the LoJack theft team know what they need to know in order to recover the machine.
Once installed, LoJack is invisible to the user. It doesn't show up in your programs list, and it can't be easily uninstalled.
Of course, this software protection is no replacement for common sense, and some physical protection from a laptop lock and an ID tag like those from yougetitback or trackitback.
LoJack is available in three different versions; the standard version costs just $39.99 and provides basic laptop recovery. The premium version adds remote data deletion and a service guarantee. The third version is aimed towards corporate users, and includes things like asset management. The purchase price protects your laptop for 1 year, so you will need to renew this subscription yearly in order to keep the protection active. LoJack for laptops is available for Windows and Mac users. As part of a "back to school" promotion, you can purchase LoJack standard for just $29.95.
The data deletion feature in LoJack Premium lets you remotely wipe everything off the laptop, which is especially important if the machine contains sensitive data. The service guarantee protection means LoJack will recover the machine, or you'll receive up to $1000.
$40 is a pretty low price to pay for protecting a laptop easily worth $1000. In my opinion a product like LoJack is a "must have" if you travel with your laptop. There are however several downsides; the product will not work outside the US as LoJack will be unable to recover it. There are also several ways an experienced thief can disable the service, but I won't make their lives easier by describing them. All you need to know is that the average dumb laptop thief won't know LoJack is installed, and that LoJack has a proven track record at returning machines to their owner.
In the event your laptop is stolen, you first call the police, then you contact LoJack and provide them with the information they'll need to initiate a search. They will then go to work tracking your laptop. The entire success of LoJack is based on the stupidity and greed of the common thief; most of them will take your computer home, plug it in, and surf the web. Of course, they are unaware that the moment the machine connects to the Internet, it "phones home" and lets the LoJack theft team know what they need to know in order to recover the machine.
Once installed, LoJack is invisible to the user. It doesn't show up in your programs list, and it can't be easily uninstalled.
Of course, this software protection is no replacement for common sense, and some physical protection from a laptop lock and an ID tag like those from yougetitback or trackitback.
LoJack is available in three different versions; the standard version costs just $39.99 and provides basic laptop recovery. The premium version adds remote data deletion and a service guarantee. The third version is aimed towards corporate users, and includes things like asset management. The purchase price protects your laptop for 1 year, so you will need to renew this subscription yearly in order to keep the protection active. LoJack for laptops is available for Windows and Mac users. As part of a "back to school" promotion, you can purchase LoJack standard for just $29.95.
The data deletion feature in LoJack Premium lets you remotely wipe everything off the laptop, which is especially important if the machine contains sensitive data. The service guarantee protection means LoJack will recover the machine, or you'll receive up to $1000.
$40 is a pretty low price to pay for protecting a laptop easily worth $1000. In my opinion a product like LoJack is a "must have" if you travel with your laptop. There are however several downsides; the product will not work outside the US as LoJack will be unable to recover it. There are also several ways an experienced thief can disable the service, but I won't make their lives easier by describing them. All you need to know is that the average dumb laptop thief won't know LoJack is installed, and that LoJack has a proven track record at returning machines to their owner.
Filed under: Gadling Gear Review
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Leon Sep 18th 2008 1:05AM
I am curious if you are at all concerned with a third-party corporation having backdoor access into your computer system to access files, your web cam, and install whatever software they like? Personally I have a serious problem with this and why I don't install this on my computer.
Vidaho Lik Oct 18th 2008 7:29PM
Are you sure that you already do not have their
spyware program on your laptop. There are numerous
laptops sold all over with Computrace agent embedded
in BIOS, without customers being aware of that.
If by chance you are running Vista on that machine,
there is a (big?) chance that the agent is already
active, because contrary to their statements on their
web site, the agent in BIOS does not stay dormant
until they activate it through their software, it can
become active after some anti virus software installation.
For instance, popular Eset NOD32 Smart Security v.3.0
is known to activate that agent and from then on it
"phones home" on daily basis with reports on your
whereabouts. It also sends them the serial number of
your laptop, and who knows what else...
Besides that I do not advise baying this software,
especially if you run Vista Ultimate SP1. Then there
is a big chance that it will cause problems, and it
is not as secure as they at Absolute advertise.
Although it cannot be easily removed, it can be very
easily and effectively blocked. Blocking Coputrace
software from "calling home", is very trivial so any
thief, apart from a total moron, can find how with a
simple Google search.
Bradley Van Gemert Sep 18th 2008 10:02AM
Lojack is a great product but unfortunately many professional thieves are getting wise to the system so a layered approach to laptop protection is best. Also if you are going to add Lojack it is best to get it when you buy a new system with it imbedded in the BIOS as opposed to loading it. The load can be wiped off the hard drive whereas the BIO would need to be reflashed to remove it.
Here is the best avenue for true laptop security.
1.) Encrypt the data first
2.) Tag the laptop with a strong tag like the STOP PLate - www.stoptheft.com
3.) Add recovery software like Lojack..
Many people believe their is a GPS solution available. There is not no matter what someone tells you. GPS when used as a "send" signal does not work in buildings and drains battery life at a rapid pace so currently their is no GPS solution..
Eric Sep 19th 2008 1:29AM
Actually it is very very easy to reset the BIOs so Lojack embedded in the BIOS does not work that well, also the BIOS embedding does not work on the Mac.
Karl Sep 21st 2008 10:52PM
wouldn't waste your money on something like stoptheft.com , all someone has to do is place on some sort of sticker on top of it, (like a logo of a sports team or something)
keep with lojack and those id companies, there is Returnmoi also http://www.returnmoi.com
Doug Belfiore Oct 10th 2008 11:32AM
Before I respond to the comment by #4, Karl, let me fully disclose that I am the director of customer relations at STOP - Security Tracking of Office Property (www.stoptheft.com). I have been employed at STOP for almost 10 years.
Sorry, Karl, I just can't let your comment hang out there, because it reveals that you are not fully aware of how the STOP System works.
Simply placing "some sort of sticker or label like a sports team or something" could possibly defeat the STOP System, but only for the dumbest of the dumb potential victims/buyers, in which case I don't believe anything prevention measure would be effective. It would be impossible to effectively hide either the rigid aluminum STOP Security Plate (.020" thick), or the patented "STOLEN PROPERTY" tattoo that is hidden beneath the Plate and remains permanently bonded to the equipment if the Plate is removed.
And removing either the STOP Security Plate or the patented tattoo would leave behind sufficient enough mess and damage on the surface of the equipment to make MOST (not all) potential buyers suspicious. Indeed, the primary objective of the STOP System is to prevent theft by eliminating illicit resale value. And it does that quite effectively. As someone who personally answers recovery and ownership verification calls 24/7, I can attest that our permanent marking system works. After all, I've been with STOP for 10 years, so I guess I believe in our system!
Just a couple days ago I took a call on our recovery hotline from a Good Samaritan who was given a laptop by a neighbor but became suspicious when she saw the "STOLEN PROPERTY" tattoo. When I checked our database and found it by the serial number provided, this machine had indeed been reported stolen from a vehicle. The corporate owner is retrieving this laptop as I write.
Of course, the system isn't perfect. No system is. Still, at the one-time $25.00 fee, with lifetime, transferable service, it's a wise investment, given the cost of a laptop, and the cost and aggravation of replacing one that's lost or stolen. And, clients who purchase our Security Plates in quantities of 500+ pay $8.75 per unit, which provides an excellent return on corporate/enterprise investments, as well as demonstrates that the enterprise is doing its diligent best to protect investors' or taxpayers' dollars.
As for your recommendation for the LoJack software concept, again you seem to indicate a lack of understanding. Any discussion on laptop security must begin with theft prevention, and not recovery. Software tracking solutions are based on the concept of "steal me and I'll try to find you," while locks and permanent ID marking systems simply say "don't steal me!" Or, at least they say "go steal something else that will be easier to resell without calling attention to you."
Tracking software is a great backup solution for recovering a stolen laptop. But the recovery process isn't easy: first, you must connect a physical address to the IP address that the stolen laptop is reporting (not always easy, especially if a laptop logs in through a dynamic IP, say through AOL or Earthlink, for example); then, once you locate the address or general vicinity attached to the IP address, you must obtain a search warrant and then motivate the local law enforcement to retrieve the stolen laptop...if it's still at the location.
That said, prevention should always be the first course of action.
Laptop theft's a drag. Still, it's easier to STOP a thief than it is to catch one!
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Doug Belfiore
STOP - Security Tracking of Office Property