THIEVES LOVE LAPTOPS; FIRMS WORK TO STOP THEFTS OF POPULAR MOBILE PCS.Byline: Maggie Jackson Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. For two years, no one at the San Francisco-based law firm Cooley Godward knew that an employee charged with dispensing laptops instead was stealing them. Between 1994 and 1996, Duraid Altai stole 200 machines worth $1 million, then sold many through newspaper ads. He wasn't caught until one of his customers called the firm, complaining about the laptop he'd bought from Altai. Laptops are hot - to users and to thieves. The smaller and lighter they've become, the easier they are to tote - and to steal. And they remain pricey, thus alluring to criminals. That's why 309,000 were stolen in 1997, up from 265,000 the previous year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Safeware, a specialist in computer insurance. ``They remain one of the most highly sought-after pieces of property stolen these days,'' says special agent Peter Brust, chief of the FBI's interstate theft unit. ``Just about anybody will buy a stolen laptop.'' Stung by the trend, companies and users are arming themselves with a host of new security devices, from alarm bells to encryption programs that protect data that can be more valuable than the machine itself. Still, protecting laptops is a new battle, and so far the thieves are winning. ``My colleagues in security work are all frustrated by the difficulty of protecting these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. ,'' sighs Mike Fehr of the global security unit at Levi Strauss
Levi Strauss, born Löb Strauß , which has lost more than $1 million worth of laptops since 1991, both to internal and outside theft. Laptops are particularly hard to safeguard when they're treated like luggage. Common sense precautions can't prevent all theft, yet too many people treat their laptops too casually. Some are kept unlocked on desks at night, many are left unguarded at hotels or airports. One worker's laptop was easily snatched from a locked desk drawer - because the key was kept under the victim's Rolodex, says Brian Haase, commercial products manager at Safeware. ``If they thought about their laptop the same way they do their wallet or purse, thefts would go down,'' he says. Employers, too, are just beginning to learn how to protect their growing fleets of laptops. ``We hear from customers all the time, they really want us to help them get a handle on it,'' says Tom Grimes, product marketing manager with IBM's Mobile Division. ``They're beginning to understand what it's costing them, in terms of asset loss and data loss.'' An Achilles heel Achilles heel Noun a small but fatal weakness [Achilles in Greek mythology was killed by an arrow in his unprotected heel] Achilles heel n → talón m de Aquiles for many firms is inventory control, as Cooley Godward discovered. Some companies hand out laptops so freely that they don't even notice when the machines begin to disappear, says Sgt. James Doyle James Doyle can refer to:
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of city's computer investigation and technology unit. ``A company will start looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a laptop and suddenly realize they've lost 30,'' Doyle says. ``They don't even have the serial numbers.'' Since the thefts, Cooley Godward has also begun using some of the many security gadgets recently introduced to safeguard laptops. Devices now available include Kensington Technology's lock and cable, which fastens laptops to a desk. TrackIt Corp. sells alarms that sound when your laptop is separated from a radio transmitter you carry. In January, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) began selling a ``Smart Card,'' a card key locking system to safeguard data and access to the machine. Yet no security system is fail-safe. Since losing her laptop 18 months ago to a thief who broke into her car, Miami computer consultant Sandra Hernandez Adams uses encryption devices to protect the data on her machine. ``Security-wise, I'm doing a whole lot more,'' she says. ``But probably there are additional things I should be considering. We'll see how safe I am.'' AVOIDING LAPTOP THEFT Laptop theft is a serious threat to users of mobile computers. Many methods to protect the data and to prevent theft have been developed, including alarms, laptop locks , and visual deterrents such as stickers or labels. Some tips on how to foil laptop thieves: While traveling: Disguise your laptop. While traveling, keep your machine in an ordinary piece of carry-on luggage or briefcase. Laptop cases are an advertisement to thieves. Keep your laptop with you. It may seem obvious, but too many people put down their laptop while traveling, then walk away to make a call or get a snack. Be especially wary when passing through airport scanners. Two thieves working together can delay you at the scanner, then nab your laptop as it moves through the conveyor belt ahead of you. In the office: Identify laptops. Companies should inscribe in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. ID numbers on laptops and record model and serial numbers. Lock them up. Secure all equipment to a fixed place. Thieves are usually opportunists. Put alarms on equipment. Assign responsibility. If workers know they are responsible for equipment, they'll take better care of it. SOURCE: The Insurance Information Institute and Jim Lynch, crime prevention officer at the World Trade Center in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) Sandra Hernandez Adams of Miami uses encryption devices to protect the data on her laptop computer following a theft from her car. Alan Diaz/Associated Press (2--Color) Sgts. Brian M. McGuiness, left, and James Doyle of the New York Police New York Police may refer to:
BOX: AVOIDING LAPTOP THEFTS (See text) |
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