LoJack for Laptops Security Review

wow thanks alot greg =)

 

lojack will work with any notebook right great with any bios?
its just that lojack' ability be embeded in bios for a select number of notebooks yea?
just wanted to make sure before i make my purchase =)

 

Hmm, I've also been thinking of getting it.
The only problem I see is this;
I only have 1 user account and it is password protected. Now I know it says it still phones home before you log in, but usually you cant connect to the internet without first logging in. So I'm thinking if my laptop were to get stolen, it's more likely that the thief wouldn't be able to log in and connect to the internet, and would just reformat it. Unless of course the thief was really after my personal data and hacked his way through the password, but I think it's more likely that whoever steals it is more after the laptop itself than whatever is on the hdd.

 

Lojack supposedly resides where you can't delete it even if you reformat the hard drive and it only works when connected to the internet. Yes the person can copy your personals, that's why I use a encrypting software just in case.

 

LoJack works with almost all notebooks...the exceptions are listed at the bottom of this screen capture:
http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/23099.jpeg

As for BIOS compatibility, there is no BIOS-related reason LoJack will not work. However, some BIOS allow for greater survivability by copying itself to BIOS.

Oh, and by the way: I have since done two system re-images back to some other install without LoJack (one an earlier OS image I built, the other was restore DVDs again) and LoJack is still running on my PC.

 

When you have a physical connection, the IP connection is made during the boot up process. So only WiFi networks and modems would prove difficult.

As for a password protected notebook...those are unfortunately very easy to crack. Several IT techs at work have a disc that does this...at I'm sure serious notebook criminals would also have access to this stuff. So they'll log in, use the internet, and still get busted.

There is a corporate version of LoJack that does support data-destruction, but we did not dare test that feature.

Yup...LoJack can 'live' in BIOS...a part of BIOS that isn't going to get wiped during a BIOS flash either.

 

I know it says it doesn't work with Asus but what about the barebone ASUS say C90S ;D

 

I'm going to Italy soon so I would like to know if LoJack recovers laptops Internationally? If so, does anyone know if I would file a report to the local authorites?

 

You would just have to contact the police like you would any crime. You do have to file a police report, but LoJack takes it after that.

During my review I was in contact with one of the higher-ups in the company, and they said that while they can track laptops worldwide.

However, they can only help you recover your laptop if you it is located in North America or Europe.

 

Thank you.

Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

 

So what about someone who added it to a laptop after purchase would it still survive a computer wipe then?

 

Assuming you have a BIOS-supported computer, yes. Mine has, several times in fact.

 

i still don't like the idea that some person/company can know where my computer and i are at any given time. i'd still rather focus on prevention than recovery. although the ability to have your laptop easily recoverable is quite tempting...

 

does it work on a c90s? since its a clean system and the conflict is with a preinstalled bloatware

 

Crash, although I can understand where you are coming from, keep in mind that if you use a cell phone (which I'm sure almost everyone on these forums do), you are using a traceable device - in the end, I'm sure the recovery of a laptop would set your mind at ease.

 

Just curious...... If the lojack software is written to the bios and not the hard drive, what's stoppping someone from flashing the bios with the 'motherboard manufacturers' latest bios. That would probably effectively clear the lojack software from the laptop.

 

My hunch (I don't write BIOS for a living) is that it is stored in a portion of BIOS code that never needs to be re-written like maybe the boot sector (which is responsible for checking the integrity of the remaining portion of BIOS).

Next time there is a BIOS update for my computer I'll try it and post.

 

I wonder if the professional computer thieves have already found a way around Lo-Jack. They probably have

 

Professionals...maybe. Common thugs (the ones that you would probably find...) almost assuredly not.

Still, something is better than nothing especially if you get the notebook back. And hey, if you don't...you get your money back from CompuTrace. Win/Kinda-Win situation!

 

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying the HP dv9500t.
If I buy the loJack, would it come installed on the BIOS too?

Nilesh

 

Guys, tell me what the heck computrace is trying to say here.

http://www.absolute.com/PDF/EULA.pdf

look at page 3, section 1.8 letter f. here's the quote:


"For Consumer Customers who have purchased the
Computrace Personal (LojackForLaptops) Service, the
Consumer Customer may receive only one Theft Recovery
Service per purchase, irrespective of the length of Service
Term. The Service will immediately terminate upon recovery
of the Customer Computer, and ASC will not be obligated to
refund the Customer any portion of the purchase price paid
for the Service applicable to the balance of the Service Term."

Is that what i think it is saying? if so, would it be feasible to go on from a year to year basis if you've gotten the same laptop stolen more than 1 time per year?

 

Wow... that sounds like a deal breaker to me.

Imagine if your computers $400 extended warranty only covers the first repair...

 

Part of the review is wrong. It depends on the laptop. I have a dell XPS m1210 with lojack on it. ON a dell system it is sofware but after u install computrace is hardwired into the bios. I have changed hard drives in my sytem and the sytem still calls into the service. I know that on the dell its in the bios so you cannot erase it.

 

Here is a demo of how easy it is to steal a laptop with a cable lock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6sh4srzbI

There are other numerous videos showing you how to pick or cut them. Granted nothing is 100% safe, so use all the layers you can.
I just got a Dell M1330 and it came with Lo-Jack so I will be installing it. I also use a cable lock just as another layer. I have used www.Stoptheft.com theft labels on other laptops. But I am debating this on my M1330, because labels do look retarded. I may stick it on the bottom, if it will fits ok.

 

If you read a few pages in, you'll see I had a chance to try that as well and LoJack still worked.

 

Apple made macbooks hard to reformat,they need the discs!

 

That has very little to do with what this review is about.

 

I have tried option 2 and no it doesn't run in safe mode with networking. However, most common thiefs hasnt the knowledge on how to disable the software, but what if no internet, and they decided to boot from a common boot disk and wipe the drive and reinstall?

 

If they replace the hard disc, LoJack will install again on the new one if the laptop is BIOS compatible with the laptop. I've tried it.

 

Will Lojack do this ona Lenovo T61?

 

Here is a link to a list of notebooks with BIOS support for Lojack. There is a Lenovo 61t on there. Is that the one you mean?

http://www.absolute.com/products-bios-enabled-computers.asp

 

What happens after your subscription runs out? Does it bombard you with nag screens to renew? Or does it give you the option of opting out of further coverage?

Also, what if you decide to sell your laptop or send it back to Dell? Is it transferrable to another user?

 

Good questions...particularly about what happens when the subscription expires. I'd like to think that all that happens is that it quietly quits checking in. Throwing up a nag screen would seem to be at odds with its intended invisibility. Maybe someone will check in and answer that.

Regarding selling the laptop...I think the idea is that you sell it to someone you're not particularly fond of, then report it stolen...just to see if they actually can track him down. Just for fun, I mean.

 

What if you laptop is stolen with 1 week left on your subscription? Will LoJack require you to buy another subscription to recover your laptop, only to make the subscription void after the recovery?

 

I'm thinking of getting a m1530. Is this lojack already installed on the laptop and ready to go when I first turn it on or do I have to install the software and activate it?

 

In most cases it is not installed. When you get the laptop you will install the software. Please note that you must go into the BIOS the notebook setup and Activate CompuTrace.. this allows the laptop to be tracked even if the software is deleted. It places the code in the hardware and on the hard drive.

 

It's already installed into the M1530's BIOS. The "installation" is merely logging into the lojack web site and registering/activating.

I didn't need to actually go into the BIOS on my M1530. The process of registering it online activated it. I didn't need to manually change any BIOS settings. Perhaps other notebook models behave differently.

 

We just had our new IMac stolen last month. I decided to put the LoJack on the new one incase the thieving scums decide to come back once the insurance company replaced it. I read in some other review that it was a good idea to put a dummy account the thief could access to get your computer online for Lojack to work. Is this a smart idea? I set up a guest account that doesn't have a password. Tell me, was it stupid to do this? No one here has suggested it so I thought I would ask.

 

Does this work outside of the United States and does LoJack have a good rapport with the police officers in the Oceania region?

The other question is whether anti-virus scanners erroneously pick it up.

 

I was going to get the 4 year one w/ my laptop. But now, I won't, after reading this. I guess I'll look for other methods to prevent my laptop from getting stolen.

 

Great job on the article, lots of good information, very informative.

I can probably pose my question, in a single word. Linux.

Assuming it's activated at the factory, that means it's in an unflashable portion of the BIOS. I got that part down. And assuming your running windows, it will work. But the question I pose is, what happens if you reformat using Linux?

The only protection I can think of, is if the signal is embedded into the hardware to the point that it sends a signal no matter what OS is on the system, which, doesn't seem all that impossible given Intel's control over the wireless cards for the entire market. At least for embedded wireless anyway.

Even then, couldn't this be blocked on the router side of things? Blocking all ports?

Thoughts?