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