Lojacking my PC ?

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Lojacking my PC ?

mike2010

5:06 pm on Jul 18, 2010 (gmt 0)

Lately i've been wondering if theres a way we could Lojack our PC's.

If someone broke into my house, i'd care less if they took my PS3 or bigscreen.. But leave my PC alone.

All the many years worth of work & emails, pictures , movies, documents , etc..

yeah, I backup occasionally, but even that doesn't seem like enough. Plus, if someone took my PC, they'd instantly have access to my 100+ passwords to all different kinds of sites.

I'd REALLY like a complete sense of security by having a Lojack on my Desktop PC. And i'm not talking about that software crap for Laptops.

Something hardware based... I just looked on the Lojack site and still...after like 15 years...they only have the technology to have this for Cars. Nothing for Bigscreen TV's, PS3 , Computers , etc.

Why is it , that we are this advanced in technology and not even 1 company has this type of solution for us ? And when I say Lojack, i'm talking hardware based , GPS type tracking technology for electronic accessories.

lammert

1:52 am on Jul 19, 2010 (gmt 0)

My HP ProBook laptop is factory equipped with a built-in GPRS/2G/3G card and according to the documentation this card also has a built-in GPS device. Antennas are placed inside the display.

With this configuration the only thing which you would require to add is BIOS firmware which periodically updates the laptop position to a central tracking server.

It is not a cheap option though. The card with antennas costs about $200 if you buy it as a replacement set. It would increase costs of house hold equipment significantly without much added value.

J_RaD

6:26 pm on Jul 19, 2010 (gmt 0)

1st off if you are worried about such things you need to encrypt your drive, then your passwords should also be stored on something like Keepass (an encrypted password manager)

so if/when it is stolen it is useless to them and your data is safe.

I would say this is a better use of time then trying to lojack it.

physics

7:00 pm on Jul 19, 2010 (gmt 0)

Just glue an iPhone to it and then you can use the 'locate my iPhone' feature.

mike2010

7:18 pm on Jul 19, 2010 (gmt 0)

1st off if you are worried about such things you need to encrypt your drive, then your passwords should also be stored on something like Keepass (an encrypted password manager)

Whats the use of encrypting the drive when I need it to be running all the time to run programs ?

Also, anybody else try this Keepass ? Seems interesting. I'd like it better if I could install it on a little bubble gum holder sized flash drive.

J_RaD

8:26 pm on Jul 19, 2010 (gmt 0)

your computer boots, it asks you for your pass, you type it in and it boots up.

just cause its encryted doesn't mean its not accessable.

truecrypt.org

mike2010

7:38 pm on Jul 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

Does being a server admin mean you have to be paranoid ?

I think it does... Or it at-least requires the trait.

physics

9:59 pm on Jul 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

Plus, if someone took my PC, they'd instantly have access to my 100+ passwords to all different kinds of sites.

You should be using an encryption program to store your passwords in an encrypted file or DB. Even better, on an encrypted volume or drive in an encrypted file. Probably safer than in your actual safe at that point. There are several progies to help with this, best one depends on your OS, etc.

Edit: just realized jrad said pretty much the same thing :)

willybfriendly

10:25 pm on Jul 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

Also, anybody else try this Keepass ? Seems interesting. I'd like it better if I could install it on a little bubble gum holder sized flash drive.

I use it for sensitive passwords. It is, itself, password protected, and it will run from a USB stick.

J_RaD

2:56 am on Jul 21, 2010 (gmt 0)

Does being a server admin mean you have to be paranoid ?

I think its more of you have a better view of how and what bad guys can do with things, so you are instantly more paranoid cause you know well if I can do a-b-c imagine what I could do if i wasn't so nice.

mike2010

12:22 pm on Jul 21, 2010 (gmt 0)

1 more question about keepass..

I'd like to just copy and paste a password file that has all kinds of miscellaneous misc info in it. Some have sites mentioned along with the passwords...some dont.

am I able to encrypt a file like that as well...just by dumping random / misc info into it... Or does everything have to line up?

J_RaD

12:20 am on Jul 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

install it and play with it for yourself, its quiet handy!

yaix2

4:02 pm on Jul 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

I use an encrypted EncFS-filesystem where all data is stored (incl. databases etc). Its completely on-the-fly so you don't notice it once you logged in.

The EncFS files are uploaded by rsync to my webserver (automatically by a Cronjob aka scheduled Task).

Passwords are managed by KeePassX.

If somebody stole my PC, I would be angry, but my data is save and inaccessible.

Its easy to setup and you don't notice it in your daily work. I am running Ubuntu, but there is surely software like EncFS and rsync for Windows too.

Maurice

11:05 am on Jul 26, 2010 (gmt 0)

or just physically bolt it to a desk burglars don't want to be slowed down.

Frank_Rizzo

2:20 pm on Jul 26, 2010 (gmt 0)

One big problem with lojacking your pc / laptop: pinpoiting your location.

If a car is lojacked it's location could be anywhere within, say, 50ft. If your car is at the corner of 10th and Main, and is a red Nissan it would be easy to spot.

Now if your PC is in building it could be in any building on the corner of 10th and Main. You will not know which building, floor or room.

If someone takes a laptop with a lojack, or a smartphone with GPS even that would be impossible to find even out in the open. You would have to stop and search every person carrying a laptop case.

Yes, bolting to the desk is an option - certainly do this when staying in hotels.

Another alternative is a web cam constantly recording and uploading video when you are out. There is software which you can use which detects movement so you can be alerted, watch the live video and call the cops as soon as anything moves in your building.

mike2010

5:38 pm on Jul 31, 2010 (gmt 0)

I guess my initial question should of been more along the lines of....

"is there a small GPS type device I could buy to track my electronic products ?"

There has to be something out there... Look at this, on Drudge Report today. Brazil's biggest laundry detergent company has implanted GPS devices into every box of detergent. Link -

[adage.com...]

how do I get my hands on something like that ? And why isn't the product more available mainstream so we could all use this type of technology ? If they could afford to put GPS into boxes of detergent, we should be able to find something decently affordable to do the same.

yaix2

6:54 am on Aug 1, 2010 (gmt 0)

GPS devices into every box of detergent.

Read again. The devices are put into some of the boxes, and if you happen to buy one of those boxes, you win some stuff.

Fifty Omo boxes implanted with GPS devices have been scattered around Brazil,

I just binged for "gps tracking", doesn't seem too hard to find.

J_RaD

8:15 pm on Aug 1, 2010 (gmt 0)

what rizzo says make sense, its just not logical to GPS your computer.

hal12b

2:26 pm on Aug 6, 2010 (gmt 0)

Liquid nails... and beef up your case to 50 pounds. Nobody will take it. Wipe some food on the outside of it also and throw a dirty sock over the case. Call it a day.

Lojacking my PC ?

mike2010

lammert

J_RaD

physics

mike2010

J_RaD

mike2010

physics

willybfriendly

J_RaD

mike2010

J_RaD

yaix2

Maurice

Frank_Rizzo

mike2010

yaix2

J_RaD

hal12b

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