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Losing a notebook computer is a major inconvenience to many of us. But if you're a company C-level executive or James Bond, the loss could be devastating.
This is the reason why chipmaker Intel Corp has come out with its hardware-based security technology for laptops.
If you lose your notebook, or it gets stolen, you can send a "poison pill" over the Internet to remotely lockdown the device, so that the data on it cannot be accessed.
Or you can set in advance, the number of days before the machine automatically locks down if it is not synchronised with the company server.
The technology works with selected second-generation Intel Core and Core vPro processor notebooks.
Intel said this is meant to be an extra layer of security on top of existing ones for safeguarding sensitive personal or corporate data.
Subscription-based, the Intel Anti-Theft Technology service will be available from next month.
The US-based chipmaker is working with Ingram Micro Malaysia, an information technology distributor, to market the anti-theft service in Malaysia.
Other countries that the service is being launched in are the United States and Australia.
To activate the service, a user needs to purchase a 25-character online activation code, which will be available through Ingram Micro's channel partners nationwide.
The subscription rates are RM99 for a one-year period and RM199 for a three-year period, starting from the day the user activates the service.
Securely locked up
According to Intel, the service creates a secure data vault upon service activation, where private files can be encrypted and stored.
Owners can log-in online (from other devices) to send a lockdown notification to the missing notebook, so that the next time it connects to the Internet and automatically synchronises with the service, it will be locked.
Users can also attach a custom message to be displayed on the locked notebook to help facilitate its return by good samaritans.
Steve Dallman, vice-president of Intel's sales and marketing group, said the notebook will remain disabled even if a thief re-images the hard drive or installs a new hard drive, or changes the boot order, or even avoids connecting to the network.
"The data cannot be read even if the hard drive is removed and attached to another computer," he said.
And if the owner is lucky enough to get back the notebook, a simple keying-in of the person's password will revive the notebook to full functionality.
As part of the package, there is an Intel Anti-Theft Technology sticker. This is a very important part of the kit, according to Intel.
Users are encouraged to display this label prominently on their notebook - it is the first step to deterring someone from stealing the device.
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