Re:LACC: PC Phones Home?

Dennis Hilliard writes:
>
>"Software to the rescue:
>If somoeone steals your PC, you may be able to get it back because of
>software that acts as a kind of tracking device. Home Office Computing
>magazine reports that the software CompuTrace TRS will automatically dial
>the office of its creator, Absolute Software, if a thief hooks up a stolen
>PC's modem to a phone line. The software reveals the location of the PC and
>Absolute Software will call the police" - Providence Journal-Bulletin -
>March 12, 1996.
>
>Any Comments?

A few questions:

1- How does the PC know where it is?
2- How does the PC know it has been stolen?

Since this is a software product I am assuming that the answer to #1
is the use of CallerID on the line when the software calls, which is
defeated by the use of line blocking by the thief.  The obvious answer
to #2 seems to me to have the system call the CompuTrace office at
odd intervals to see if it has been reported stolen yet...

Obvious solution for potential thieves: wipe the disks and reinstall
an OS once you steal a PC.  This should be done anyway to remove any
bits of data which might identify the original owner.

Conclusion:  Yet another useless piece of software riding the
computer security bandwagon.

jim

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On Wed, 13 Mar 1996, Jim McCoy wrote:

> A few questions:
> 
> 1- How does the PC know where it is?
> 2- How does the PC know it has been stolen?
> 
> Since this is a software product I am assuming that the answer to #1
> is the use of CallerID on the line when the software calls, which is
> defeated by the use of line blocking by the thief.  The obvious answer
> to #2 seems to me to have the system call the CompuTrace office at
> odd intervals to see if it has been reported stolen yet...

If the company uses an 800-number, than ANI can be used to identify the
caller.  ANI information cannot be blocked with *67 or line blocking.

> 
> Obvious solution for potential thieves: wipe the disks and reinstall
> an OS once you steal a PC.  This should be done anyway to remove any
> bits of data which might identify the original owner.

If the software installs itself on the master boot record, than reformatting
the disk would not get rid of the program.

- --Mark

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