Absolute Advises Customers to be Prepared for Computer Thefts Amid Economic Volatility

Absolute® Software Corporation the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management solutions announced today that it is has had an increase in the number of computer thefts reported to its Theft Recovery Team during the recent economic downturn. Absolute also highlighted a series of successful computer theft investigations including: recovering a British tourist’s laptop stolen while vacationing in the Netherlands; leading LAPD detectives to the recovery of 24 stolen school laptops; and identifying a security system installer alleged to have helped himself to high school laptops.

“We are seeing a rapid increase in the number of computer thefts reported to our Theft Recovery Team,” said John Livingston, Chairman and CEO of Absolute. “While some of this is due to our rapid subscriber base growth, we also believe this may be a sign of the economic times. Computer loss and theft is a major contributor to identity theft and data privacy breaches, which we believe is a top security risk at the best of times.”

Available on a subscription basis and delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS) via the Internet, Absolute’s suite of Computrace® solutions are designed specifically to manage and protect mobile computing devices.

For larger organizations, Computrace inventories computers that have left the corporate network, remotely deletes sensitive information, recovers computers and offers post-theft forensic analysis. For home office users, small businesses and students, Computrace LoJack® for Laptops™ offers theft recovery and identity protection through remote data delete capabilities backed by a Service Guarantee of up to $1,000.

Absolute has also developed a powerful set of theft recovery tools, which include capabilities such as keystroke loggers, cameras, location tracking (Wi-Fi, GPS), remote access terminals, etc., that enable the Absolute Theft Recovery Team to augment their investigation. These tools are only employed post-theft with customer authorization and are used exclusively by Absolute’s trained professionals in order to protect privacy.

According to Lyle Singular, Absolute’s Vice President of Recovery Services and a 25-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police specializing in computer crime, “Having managed thousands of computer theft investigations, we have learned that there are some simple steps computer users can take to protect themselves from the increased prevalence of laptop theft. Never leave a laptop unattended, don’t carry laptops in tell-tale bags and don’t just lock it in your vehicle’s trunk – make sure you lock it in the trunk before you arrive at your destination, not when you arrive. Thieves monitor parking lots for this type of activity. It is also important to help police recover your computer and apprehend thieves by subscribing to cost-effective anti-theft solutions like Computrace and Computrace LoJack for Laptops.”

How Computrace Solutions Work

The Computrace Software Agent that powers Absolute Software’s solutions is embedded in the firmware of computers from the world’s leading computer manufacturers. It can be activated by customers when they purchase a subscription with terms ranging from one to four years.

When a computer equipped with Computrace is reported stolen, Computrace sends a signal over the Internet to Absolute’s Monitoring Center, providing critical location information. Absolute then works with local law enforcement to help recover the computer. The stealthy Computrace Agent is capable of surviving operating system re-installations, as well as hard-drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging.

Backed by the Absolute Theft Recovery Team

All Absolute theft recovery solutions are backed by the efforts of the Absolute Theft Recovery Team. Staffed by former senior law enforcement officers with over 650 years of combined policing experience, the team uses information sent via Computrace to investigate computer thefts, document evidence and work with local law enforcement to physically recover missing computers and prosecute computer thieves.

For more information on Absolute Software and its range of computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management solutions, please visit www.absolute.com or www.lojackforlaptops.com.

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