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Retriever Security – Prevent, Protect, Recover . . . . Peace of Mind

SMASH!  The car window shattered as the backpack in the front seat disappears with a shadow down a long dark alleyway.  The shadowy figure, excited about his new acquisition, smiled and swaggered down the road to the coffee shop on the corner.   “One cappuccino with a double shot of espresso,”  he tells the barista behind the counter.  Beverage in one hand and the bag of swag in the other he places himself at the table in the corner and begins to inspect his loot.  The bag contained an iPod with over a thousand songs, green sketch pad with random scribblings, last weeks party flier, a laptop and a purple marker. He removed the iPod, plugged himself in and pressed play.  Rock music began to scream through the headphones into his eardrums.  Bouncing to the beat he pulled out the laptop, opened the screen and pressed the power button.  A moment passes as the computer comes to life.  Then things being to happen very fast.  “HELP ME, I’M A STOLEN COMPUTER” flashes on the screen.  His eyebrows furl and he helplessly begins to press random buttons trying to make the screen go away.  Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Delete, Alt+F4, nothing works!  Suddenly the laptop makes a loud screaming noise.  Loud enough to pierce through the iPod music and make the alarmed barista look his way.  “HELP ME, I’M A STOLEN COMPUTER” comes blaring like a fire alarm out of the computer speakers.  Now everyone in the cafe is starring at him.  With a loud crack he slams the screen closed but the noise continues.  He stuffs everything back in the backpack and prepares a hasty escape, but it was too late.  A hooded figure stood between him and the door.  The figure raised his head and extended a long bony finger.  “Give me back my backpack.”

One of the most devastating events that has happened in my life is when my laptop got stolen. I went to bed and it was there, I woke up and it was gone. All that data, all that work, everything was gone. And the worst thing was I had no idea who took it or where it went. Even though the serial numbers were registered in my name the detective told me that the chances of having my computer returned were slim to none. If only I had known about the Retriever Security software prior to this tragic event.

Retriever Security software can increase the chances of having your computer returned in one piece. 97% of stolen PCs are never recovered but with Retriever you have a 97% chance of recovering your stolen equipment. What a way to flip the odds!

Retriever has a number of tools to help recover stolen computers.  You have the ability to lock the computer down and prevent anyone from having access without your security code.  You can then blast a message across the screen that says anything you wish to the thief.  You can also upload an audio clip to play at start up or at random intervals.  This clip can be an alarm message or if you want to be really annoying you can have it blast “The song that never ends.”

The most beneficial feature of this program is its ability to tell you the IP address of your computer. This information can be used to run a visual IP trace and help determine the location of your laptop. You can use the IP to open a virtual connection and remotely control your computer if you have a VNC program already setup and configured. You could also configure your webcam for network access and view it as well.  This would allow you to get any needed files and possibly even an image of the perp before locking the computer down.

When I first setup the software the first thing I noticed was that when you boot the computer it pops up a Retriever window showing the owner information. Initially I didn’t like this feature because I would prefer any thief to be oblivious to the fact that I have a security program on my computer. It was then explained to me that a large number of lost laptops are returned because their owner information is easy to find. I was also informed that hiding that window will be an option in a later version of the program. As an alternative I would recommend having your computer fixed with a security tag or engraved with your owner information.

Another thing I noticed about the program is when tracking an IP address it will often trace back to the ISP address and not the physical address of the machine. This depends on the network the computer is connected to. To get detailed address information you would have to contact the service provider and acquire it from them using the IP number. Future versions will also include integration with a computers onboard GPS if it is available. I also heard that an upcoming feature for the software will be the built in ability to capture an image from the webcam. This could prove to be very handy in court and can help to identify the thief. I was told these features are being worked on but I do not know when they will be available.

One thing I really like about the Retriever Security program is when setting up your online account it allows you to keep track of the model and serial numbers of your machines. If your computer gets stolen having this information easily accessible is very useful.

I wish that I had Retriever Security working for me that fateful morning when I woke up and found my computer stolen. If that was the case then there is a very good chance I would still have all those files I lost. Now I have Retriever Security Software so if someone tries to steal my new computer, GOOD LUCK!

Resources:
Operating System – Any
Developer – World Security Corp
Retriever Security Software Website
Purchase Retriever Security Software

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© 2009 Soft Thoughts.