CALIFORNIA LAPTOP THEFT A CAMPUS ISSUE AT UCLA The Daily Bruin - Laptop theft a campus issue
Laptop theft a campus issue
Eric Harris returned to the parking garage one day to find the doors and trunk of his car jimmied open. He searched frantically for the briefcase that contained his laptop but in a matter of seconds, the sad truth dawned upon him: It had been stolen.
“I mainly felt stupid,” said the fifth-year communications studies and political science student, who lost his computer on Oct. 29 and went on to file a report with university police.
“The police officer was extremely helpful, though. He said, ‘Don’t feel bad. This happens to a lot of people,’” Harris said.
Over 600,000 computers get stolen each year, said Les Jickling, the director of corporate marketing of Absolute Software Corporation, and less than 3 percent of these cases get resolved.
At UCLA, laptop theft is often an issue. Eleven computer-related thefts were reported between Oct. 1 and Oct. 21, said Kristi Godines, a crime analyst at UCPD.
“This is pretty typical for the beginning of the year,” she said. “New students are very trusting.”
“Crimes of opportunities are the number one problem at most campuses,” said Nancy Greenstein, the director of police community services at UCPD.
Laptop locks have become a popular means by which to prevent theft, said Orlantha Boeker, product marketing manager at Kensington Computer Products Group, an international lock brand.
Stephanie Ng, a first-year political science student, said she owns a laptop lock and tries to use it as a precautionary measure.
“It’s hard to trust everyone,” she said. “I put my lock on my computer when my door is open or if I’m gone for a long time.”
Still, laptop locks are not always effective.
Last year, Harris left his laptop locked but alone at his wooden desk at his apartment. He returned to find it gone.
“Those locks don’t do anything, unless you have a metal desk bolted to your floor,” he said, noting the ease with which locks can be ripped out from wooden desks.
Gregory Evans, an expert on computer security and instructor at several Los Angeles universities, advocated other simple prevention methods for students.
“One of the first lines of defense is to password-protect your laptop,” he advised.
Evans also suggested frequently saving the hard drive to an external storage drive, which he stressed should be kept separate from a student’s computer bag or keychain.
A number of other programs exist for students who wish to put extra care into the safety of their computers.
Though some are geared toward the corporate sector, they protect students’ technology as well.
LoJack for Laptops, a part of Absolute Software Corporation, sells software that continually signs computers into a central network.
When a laptop with the software is stolen, the user can alert the company and they will track down the current location of the computer when it next logs on to the Internet.
LoJack is able to retrieve 75 percent of the stolen computers that contain its software, said Jickling. The company is planning on unveiling a full recovery guarantee by Christmas.
UCPD also offers a program called S.T.O.P. Plates, which attempts to deter potential thieves and allow rapid tracking of stolen property through a sturdy security plate and an indelible tattoo inscribed behind it into the computer.
“(The plates) make it really hard to resell the computer,” said Greenstein. “It has no street value because it’s marked.”
In addition, Evans said he has developed a program called E-Snitch, offered through Ligatt Security, that installs a locator into the user’s computer that can communicate with a command center over the phone, making it possible to track stolen property to an exact location.
Evans also proposed mass education on the matter to increase student knowledge of property protection.
“Every university should teach about computer security when they’re doing orientation,” he said, adding that he has personally contacted UCLA about running a seminar on the subject, but the university has no plans of hosting such an event.
For the individual student, however, law-enforcement officials emphasized care and attention.
“Don’t leave your laptop or valuable property unattended,” Godines said. “Not even for a second.”
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