Five Security Apps That Can Help Recover a Stolen Laptop-gctid43355

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Five Security Apps That Can Help Recover a Stolen Laptop

   In the past few days, Joshua Kaufman  successfully recovered his laptop with the help of Hidden, a Mac-only  app that can track a laptop's movement. He used Hidden to collect  photos of the thief, screenshots of computer united snakesge, and network and  location data.

By Julius Motal
                       
           

In the past few days, Joshua Kaufman successfully recovered his laptop  with the help of Hidden, a Mac-only app that can track a laptop's  movement. He used hidden to collect photos of the thief, screenshots of  computer united snakesge, and network and location data.

Last month, Sean Power used another app, called Prey, to locate and  recover his stolen MacBook Pro. He used Prey to collect location data  and images, and he networked with Twitter friends to find the thief.  Fortunately, the laptop was returned without a problem.

While Hidden and Prey may not be one of a kind, both are effective  tools for helping recover stolen computers. There are a number of  programs available that can aid users in tracking lost gadgets.  Some  of them are paid while others are free. Hidden costs $15. Prey is free.

united snakesge of these apps shows how well technology can assist in the  recovery of lost items. It also demonstrates the strength of social  networks in accordance with technology like Hidden and Prey. In the  case of Kaufman, it took months and a media explosion before the police  could get make progress on his case. In the case of Power, the police  refused to help because he had not filed a police report at first.

  This type of technology has existed for a number of years, but Adeona  marked the first time this tracking software could be private. Adeona  is so private that only the user can access the location data of the  laptop. While Adeona may not provide the address or phone number of the  thief, it does provide enough information that the laptop can be  located. Back when it released, it was open source. According to a  2009 update on Adeona's page, new downloads of it are not encouraged  because OpenDHT, a service Adeona worked symbiotically with, was taken  down.

There are a number of options for laptop owners. Some cater specifically to one operating system. Others are cross-platform.

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LockItTight

  A Windows-specific program, this provides location tracking,  screenshots, webcam support, key logging, file tracking, and encrypted  reports. There is no indication on the product's site that it will  expand its reach to other devices and operating systems. LockItTight  provides free and tiered monthly subscription plans. The paid plans  offer wider coverage for more devices.

Available for Windows (XP, Vista, and 7)

LockItTight, Free and monthly plans: $1.99, $2.99, and $4.99

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LoJack for Laptops

  A laptop-specific program, this works closely with law enforcement  to recover a stolen laptop. LoJack for Laptops is available for Mac OS X  and Windows as far back as 2000. The Computrace Agent, part of the  LoJack software, works in the background and resists detection. LoJack  for Laptops even survives wiped hard drives. Upon reporting a stolen  laptop, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team does all of the work to recover  the device. The software is available in a standard and premium  package. The latter provides a $1,000 service guarantee.

Available for Mac OS X and Windows (2000, XP, Vista, and 7)

LoJack for Laptops, $39.99 Yearly Standard and $59.99 Yearly Premium

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GadgetTrak

  A cross-platform tracking app, this provides information tailored  to specific groups of devices. On laptops, GadgetTrak provides Wi-Fi  positioning and webcam support. GadgetTrak also gives users the ability  to file police reports with over 150 police stations. On iOS devices,  it provides camera support, location reports, hybrid (GPS, Wi-Fi, and  cell tower) positioning, and push notifications that entice the thief to  initiate a tracking report. On Android and BlackBerry devices, it  provides hybrid positioning, remote data wipe, SIM change detection, and  a piercing alarm that can be remotely enabled.

Available for Mac OS X, Windows, iOS, Android, and Blackberry

GadgetTrak, 7-day free trial and paid yearly plans

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Prey

  A cross-platform tracking app, this is available for both computers  and mobile devices. Prey is a beefier tracking program in that it  offers a wealth of controls. The free version provides the user with  location data, screen shots, and webcam photos. For a mobile device,  the user sends a password from another phone to his or her mobile device  which will, in turn, activate Prey and send data to the phone that sent  the password. The free plan has a capacity of ten data reports for the  covered device. The tiered subscription plans offer wider coverage for  more devices. There is not an iPhone/iPad version at this time.

Available for Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Ubuntu

Prey, Free and monthly plans: $5 for 3, $15, $39, $99, and $399

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Hidden

  A Mac-specific tracking app, this provides a wealth of information  for lost or stolen Macs. It provides location data to within a few  meters of the laptop. The software also has iSight, now FaceTime,  integration so that photos of the unauthorized user can be taken.  Screenshots of computer united snakesge are also acquired so that the user can see  what the laptop is being used for. Hidden can track any stolen Mac  across the globe.

Available for Mac

Hidden, $15

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