AFRICA COMPUTER THEFT A LUCRATIVE BUSINESSallAfrica.com: South Africa: Laptops Make for Lucrative, Easy SwagJohannesburg)

November 30, 2004
Posted to the web November 30, 2004

Penny Haw
Johannesburg

Travellers need to treat their laptops as if they are bulky wallets which means not leaving them lying around

TOGETHER with cellphones, palm tops and iPods, laptops are at the top of thieves' wish lists. They are abundant, easy to lift, quick-selling and apparently achieve good "return on risk".

In SA, stolen laptops have been known to fetch more for thieves than stolen motor vehicles. A growing number are nicked from business travellers at airports, and from hotels and hired cars.

There is no central source for computer theft statistics in SA, but Business Against Crime recently began compiling a database of computers, the objective being to eventually match serial numbers and trace the owners of machines recovered by the South African Police Service.

"Once we have a database , we will be able to keep track of how many computers (both desktop and laptop) are stolen and have a better chance of cracking syndicates and returning property," says Lorinda Nel of Business Against Crime.

Jonathan Bass, MD of NetTrace, a Johannesburg company whose services include tracking technology and the recovery of stolen computers, says he believes that up to 12% of all laptops are stolen in this country.

"Our research indicates 45% of stolen laptops are lifted from inside companies while 55% are stolen from employees' homes or cars as the result of muggings or hijackings, or during business trips," he says.

Airports are magnets for laptop thieves. They look out for weary, rushed or distracted travellers who leave their trolleys or baggage unattended for even the shortest moment.

In October, Airports Company SA (Acsa) security personnel apprehended two suspects in connection with a laptop theft syndicate operating at Johannesburg International Airport.

"Dressed in smart business attire, the suspects mingled easily among the many business travellers moving through the terminals," explains the communications manager for Acsa at Johannesburg International, Jacqui O'Sullivan. "Their modus operandi relied heavily on the often-distracted behaviour of passengers. Airports are naturally busy places with people rushing to park vehicles, check-in luggage, clear security and possibly grab a cup of coffee before boarding the aircraft. The thieves capitalised on this busy environment."

Closed-circuit television footage revealed that the thefts took place in seconds and usually with the owners of the lifted laptops in close vicinity. In each instance, passengers left their bags unattended for a short period , creating the opportunity for the thieves.

"Too often passengers leave bags unattended on trolleys while checking-in or making a purchase. Bags are also often ignored while travellers speak on their cellphones or get up from tables in restaurants," says O'Sullivan.

However, theft is just one aspect of the problem: "The more regular and serious problem is passenger negligence. Passengers regularly leave valuable items such as laptops, cellphones and video recorders in restaurants, at boarding gates and most often in bathrooms. The traveller is usually in a hurry and loses track of hand luggage in the rush."

Acsa advises passengers to arrive at the airport within the recommended check-in period to avoid undue pressure. Passengers are also advised to limit their hand luggage and be wary of people approaching them and attempting to distract them," says O'Sullivan.

And if you think your laptop is secure once you have made it through the airport, you are mistaken. An increasing number are stolen from hotel rooms.

In August, a Lenasia resident pleaded guilty in the Randburg Magistrate's Court to 19 charges of theft of hotel guests' belongings including numerous laptops amounting to an estimated R477305. Masquerading as a guest at more than 10 different Gauteng hotels over a 19-month period, he either walked into rooms while staff were cleaning or went to the front desk and claimed to have lost his key card before slipping into guests' rooms to take computers.

Bass says he believes travellers need to treat their laptops as if they are bulky wallets. That means not leaving them in hotel rooms, unattended in airports, restaurants and conference rooms, or in cars.

NetTrace provides clients with a low-level software programme that resides on hard drives. The software makes a daily call via the internet to a central database (the monitoring centre) to report information about where the machine is and who is using it, as well as software and hardware specifications.

"It is essentially the computer equivalent of a Tracker or Netstar vehicle monitoring system," says Bass. "The technology is increasingly effective internationally and is used by a growing number of companies to manage their assets. It does not, however, cancel out the need for individuals to be more responsible for their laptops."