Re: Physical Laptop Security

[Lance Jordan <lancejor () RCI RUTGERS EDU>]

Greetings

A few comments on the topic.  I have used one of the products for
laptops mentioned by Mark.  The company is called "CyberAngel."  I refer
to it as "lojack" for your laptop.
Our university police department issued them to the community.  Fairly
simple to install and it works.  Whenever I failed to enter the correct
password, CyberAngel and my office was notified.  I had a couple of
opportunities to exercise the system. :-)   However, if the thief is
smart enough to reformat the drive, you are out of luck.  The company
does offer education discounts.

I have had conversations with our Risk Management office and the
insurance industry uses a term "due care."  Some of our users have been
the victims of theft and accidental loss and the department will be
reimbursed based on the circumstances of the loss.  The more "due care"
that is demonstrated the greater the recovery cost up to 100%.  This is
subject to interpretation of what a "reasonal person" would or should
have done.  (Security cables, locked doors, CCTV, etc.)

regards

LDJ

Mark Bruhn wrote:

> There are also small pads that you can buy:  one sticks on the laptop,
> and one goes somewhere else (e.g., stuck on the desk where the laptop is
> used).  If the two pads get too far apart, an alarm goes off.  If the
> faculty member takes the laptop away, they also take the second pad,
> perhaps in their pocket (not in the laptop case, since that whole thing
> could be stolen...)  These are good for PDAs, cell phones (though they
> are a bit large for small phones).  You can see these at Best Buy.
>
> There is also tracking software that you hide on the laptop, which helps
> locate it post-theft.  Our risk management department gives departments
> a lower deductible if this software is installed.  If one is stolen, the
> next time it connects to the network, the software "phones home."
>
> I have to say that I have no direct experience with either of these
> methods...
>
> M.


--

Lance D. Jordan

Director, Information Protection & Security

Rutgers University Computing Services

(Voice) 732-445-8138           (Fax) 732-445-8023

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