Recently, you can increasingly see news that owners managed to return lost or stolen equipment thanks to various programs that managed to compromise the identity and geographical location of the thieves.

And this applies not only to iPhones - Android devices, tablets, and laptops running various operating systems have also been successfully returned to their owners.

We decided to look at the anti-theft capabilities of various platforms, as well as third-party programs for these platforms.

Apple

Technologically, it is Apple that is ahead of the rest in terms of anti-theft functions built into the operating system itself.

Services iCloud allow the owner to access the site using his Apple ID from any computer, not only determine the location of the lost device, but also send a sound signal, a message to it, or even block it remotely.

Apple has developed a system for remotely blocking stolen equipment. Activation Lock”, which confidently and permanently turns a stolen device into useless high-tech junk that won't turn on.

At the moment, some hackers have not been able to crack this algorithm, and the second part has refused to do what the scammers will use.

In addition, with the appropriate settings, iCloud synchronizes all photos taken between all devices activated on the same Apple ID. This has already caught many phone thieves.

All of the above applies to both iPhone and iPad and most other Apple devices, including MacBook Air laptops.

Third-party programs allow you to somewhat expand the functionality of iOS and iCloud, without any special innovations.

Android

The Android operating system also has a built-in system for finding lost devices - the “ Android Remote Control" It allows you to log in using your Google account on corresponding page, select one of your devices there, connect to it and find out where it is, turn it on loud, block it, or completely clear it.

The main difference from Apple technologies is the absence of a boot block for a stolen phone. That is, if a fraudster quickly reflashes the phone, then it will be much more difficult to detect him. However, not all phones can have firmware.

It is also worth noting that Google Maps With default settings, they save the history of movements of Android devices. They can be seen by logging into this page with your Google account.

There is a more advanced and also free Android application Lost. The list of its capabilities for remotely controlling the phone resembles the list of capabilities of the phone itself. It can, for example, redirect calls and SMS from a lost phone to your other mobile phone, clear the SD card, take pictures from the phone’s cameras, and even say loudly through the phone’s speaker “ I'm lost, pick me up and return me to my owner!»
Moreover, you can install this application on your phone even after losing it using the online service Google Play.

Of the paid applications, quite interesting is Avast Anti-Theft. In addition to all the above-mentioned functions, the following are available to it: remotely intercepting sound from the phone’s microphone, displaying information (for example, about a refund for a reward) on the lock screen, performing certain actions when the phone leaves a certain geographical perimeter, and so on.

Computers and laptops

If with Apple devices and Android devices everything is clear and quite good, then with laptops, for example, on Windows or Linux- vice versa. There are no “anti-theft” tools in the operating systems, popular third-party programs for such purposes are practically not represented on the market, and the devices themselves (laptops) as a rule do not contain the necessary sensors - for example, they do not have GPS to determine the location of the device.

Hardware solutions to protect laptops from reinstalling the operating system ( which even a schoolboy can handle now) also practically none ( there was an attempt from Intel, but it remained a drop in the bucket).

Of the commercial third-party programs, you can only pay attention to the Prey program, which runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu, Linux, Android and iOS.

With the free plan, you can connect up to three devices to one account. Of course, the chance that an attacker is so stupid that he will not reinstall the system on a stolen laptop is not 100%, but human stupidity should not be underestimated: judging by the blog of the developers of this program, their users regularly return their devices.

Some interesting examples of how various anti-theft programs work:

• British nurse Becky Brinklow had her iPhone stolen by two guys. In her iCloud account, the very next day she found fresh photographs of them in shorts, which were handed over to the police.
• A student from Germany lost his phone in Ibiza, which became the beginning of the popular photo blog “The Life of the Stranger Who Stole My Phone.” The thief lives in Dubai and does not even suspect that he has become an Internet star.
• Three young men from Winnipeg (Canada) took the iPhone from a 30-year-old woman. A “selfie” taken by one of them, iCloud synchronization, Find My iPhone geolocation and local police sent the whole trio to jail.
• A man from the USA entered the store, leaving a child in the car. When he returned, he discovered that the car had been stolen. The situation was saved by a smartphone left in the glove compartment of the car.
• Unlucky thieves robbed the apartment of an Apple service center employee. Among the stolen items was an Apple laptop with the Back to My Mac program installed. The detained criminals are accused of three robberies and illegal possession of 1.5 kg of marijuana.
• the man who stole the MacBook. The basis was photographs from the built-in camera, which were taken by the anti-theft program installed on the laptop.

are you talking about laptop? It’s just that there is such a feature in the Toshiba brand, it has its own code... you register the whole thing on the website... and if the laptop is stolen, then it’s possible to find it! But I don’t know about other brands, alas!

what the hell will you find, no one will deal with the codes, here you can only rely on the cops, maybe they will find it someday, or go to dubious places yourself, mostly black people steal and they sell right away

Is it possible to find a computer using documents? A friend's computer was stolen, he assembled it himself, there are documents only for the case, disk drive and ASUS motherboard, the serial number of the motherboard is indicated there, is it possible to somehow find the computer? How do they find phones?

Theoretically, knowing the serial number of the motherboard, you can get the address of its network card through the MAC manufacturer, and then (also theoretically) give a special order to all providers in your city so that they can use a filter to track the network activity exactly from the MAC address you specified. But practically, as you understand, no one will do this.

theoretically this is possible, but in practice it is much easier to buy a new computer

phones send IMEI to the operator upon connection. the computer doesn't do anything like that

you need to visit all the apartments in your city. Search. Who seeks will always find

Of course you can. But no one will do it

Well, if you have friends in the FSB, they can figure out this computer. If they go online on it.

Are you going to look for a needle in a haystack?

Question about a computer: If a mobile phone is stolen, you can find it by ID. And if a computer or laptop is stolen, can you somehow identify or find it?

Submit an application to the regional police department, or whatever it is, and attach to it the receipt for what you bought, and the warranty, on which sellers mark the serial numbers of components or laptops, etc. Serial numbers are unique to each manufacturer. They are looking for them. There are very few chances. For example, cars are visible and drive, but computers are at home.

No) The mobile phone can be found because in any case (99%) it will be registered with the mobile operator, where the billing system will record the Name. A computer and laptop are unlikely to be able to do this)

there must be great luck

Only by using the license key on the bottom label, and then you will have to search manually...

Some install programs for remote access in advance. If you go online from a lost laptop, you can connect to it unnoticed and find out information that will help you return the laptop. There is a video somewhere on YouTube of a hacker making fun of a thief.

The serial number is on all parts, and it is also written on the documents. However, if they don’t buy up, there is no chance.

Maybe a GUY! Everything is possible!!! If desired!! Only from a technical point of view, it’s not too complicated! But our “Love Cops” are too tough!! And why?? It’s much easier to rummage through the pockets of a drunk

The question is how to find a computer stolen from me, the police can’t find it?

I don’t know which department of \"K\" you were in... But the first time you access the Internet, the location of the computer is established with an error of 5 meters anywhere in the world. Technical means allow this, and it is legal because when you write a statement, you authorize the police department to carry out search activities on your property and collect information about it.

It's easier to buy a new one.

Not at all.

how to find a stolen computer?

By number on the board

it is necessary to carry out a set of operational measures: Interview possible witnesses, check the victim’s circle of acquaintances, check all the surrounding pawn shops for receipt of similar equipment.

if you have the documents on your computer and you know where and from whom to look, then you can... but look for fistulas...

Laptops have become so popular precisely because of their compactness and portability. But this is both an advantage and a significant disadvantage: a laptop is quite easy to steal, unlike a bulky desktop PC. More often than not, you want to return not the laptop itself, but at least the confidential information stored on it, because restoring lost documents and files is difficult or even impossible. Fortunately, both laptop manufacturers and software developers have already thought about this problem.

Is it possible to find a stolen laptop?

If your smartphone is lost or stolen, antivirus vendors will come to your aid. Many applications responsible for smartphone security have an additional “Anti-Theft” function. True, until recently such software was useless for laptops - it simply did not find them. Of course, there are already existing developments for tablets and devices that support wireless communication with a built-in 3G module, but if a laptop is stolen, how can you find it?

If we talk about technologies that have recently entered the market, Intel introduced a development called Anti-Theft Technology. According to the developers, it reduced the number of stolen devices - it was possible to remotely turn off the central processor and optical drives of a laptop, making it unusable for work. The technology was not widespread, since it was still impossible to find a stolen laptop with its help.

Finding a stolen laptop

Programs that allow you to protect your laptop from theft and have already gained popularity not only abroad, but also in the CIS countries:

McAfee Anti-Theft

This is an improved version of Intel Anti-Theft development. McAfee engineers claim that now the computer can be reliably protected thanks to the use of this software. The program was created specifically for ultrabooks. To protect against the use of user information, secure storage technology is used, connecting hardware and software infrastructure, and data encryption. A stolen ultrabook can be found by determining its location using wireless networks (3G, Wi-Fi or GPS).

An attacker will not be able to reinstall the operating system or remove unnecessary software, or change the hard drive - the owner remotely denies access to operating system resources, programs and files. A specialized web interface is used for this.

McAfee Anti-Theft is partially embedded in the hardware system of a particular ultrabook, so completely getting rid of the protective technology is not so easy. The only drawback of the development is its narrow focus: the program is only suitable for devices on the Intel platform.

ESET Smart Security

The program is aimed not only at ensuring data security in case of theft - it is a full-fledged anti-virus software. But now we will look at only one of its functions: Anti-Theft technology, which saves you from worrying about how to find a stolen laptop.

The latest development is the sixth version of the program, which combines many useful functions: parental controls, anti-spam, anti-phishing, firewall, etc., including a specialized Anti-Theft module. ESET was one of the first to start working on the latter function not for smartphones, but specifically for laptops, integrating the module into existing computer software. The utility operates on Intel and AMD platforms.

Recently, ESET Smart Security was officially introduced in the CIS countries.

Anti-theft allows you to both track a stolen laptop and remotely control it, preventing an attacker from accessing protected files. The only and rather significant disadvantage is the ability to simply disable ESET Smart Security on a stolen laptop. In this case, the defense mechanism ceases to function, giving the thief complete freedom of action.

Every mobile device has one significant drawback - they are easy to steal, which cannot be said about desktop computers. As practice shows, in such a case, it is not the device itself that is more pity, but the confidential information that was stored on it. This issue has been pondered by hardware manufacturers and software application creators for a long time. Accordingly, a decision was made that greatly simplified the situation.

Various antivirus vendors will help you find a stolen or lost smartphone. In this case, you can recall the tools from the Mobile Security category that support the special “Anti-Theft” function. It is known that recently it was not possible to find laptops using this method. Progress is obvious.

Of course, we still need to say about the technology announced several years ago by Intel, which, according to the developers, significantly reduced the number of stolen laptops. This development was named Anti-Theft Technology. With its help, the operation of drives, as well as the central processor, was disabled at the hardware level. Intel marketers suggested that in this way the stolen device could be turned into a pile of useless hardware. Still, this type of technology has not gained much popularity. In addition, it was impossible to find a stolen or lost laptop in this way.

Let's go through the most popular antivirus solutions that will help you avoid laptop theft.

First of all, McAfee Anti-Theft should be noted. Most recently, McAfee (part of Intel) announced the release of a new version of its own solution, which is ideal for creating reliable protection. This opportunity, as many might have already guessed, applies to ultrabooks. And the solution itself is called McAfee Anti-Theft. In a special development, the software and hardware infrastructure was combined with the function of secure storage, as well as encryption of information (against theft or when a mobile device is lost). In addition, in this case, the user will be able to determine the location of the stolen ultrabook using wireless communication technology (GPS, Wi-Fi, as well as 3G). It will also be possible to remotely block access to information when the hard drive is changed, the operating system is reinstalled, or software is uninstalled. As a result, with the help of McAfee Anti-Theft, the real owner of the device will be able to remotely control the stolen ultrabook using a special web interface. It is known that this solution cannot be considered completely software. The product is partially integrated into the hardware of a particular ultrabook. As a result, the attacker will have to work hard to get rid of the protective technology. Among the negative aspects of the development, it can be noted that there is support only for the Intel platform.

How to find a stolen laptop using antivirus?

An application called ESET Smart Security has become quite widespread among mobile computer users. In this case, we are not interested in the antivirus, but in the Anti-Theft function.

The sixth release of ESET's flagship antivirus product, called Smart Security, is considered a high-quality alternative to this tool. It should be noted that the program was recently presented in the CIS countries. Not counting the antivirus, as well as various protective functions (such as antispam, firewall, anti-phishing, parental control function, etc.) that are standard in products of this class, in this case there is a special “Anti-Theft” module. It must be said separately that ESET was one of the first to decide to integrate this functional mechanism into computer software. The application supports not only Intel, as was the case in the previous case, but also AMD.

Using Anti-Theft, you can find a lost laptop and manage the actions performed on this device.

Naturally, such a system has its drawbacks. For example, if an attacker disables ESET Smart Security on a stolen laptop, then the program will not be of any use.

Due to its mobility and operation on a battery rather than on a network, the laptop can be easily moved to another place and used, for example, in a cafe. This is very convenient and simple, because then you can work anywhere. But for the same reasons, a laptop is a good bait for thieves, or you yourself may lose it. Laptops are often carried in bags, and they can easily be pulled off your shoulder on the street. Or, forgetting your laptop on a bench in the park when you and your friends got together in a group and forgot about it in conversations. And then what to do?

How to find a lost or stolen laptop?

First, you need to contact the police. They may not help you much or look for the thief, but then you will have the feeling that you did everything you could. Besides, they can still check pawn shops. And the laptop itself can be brought to the police not by thieves, but by those who found it in that very park.

Secondly, we don’t need to rely entirely on our defenders. You can protect yourself and your laptop in advance. There are already special programs that will help you download information remotely, as well as find the laptop itself.

Common mistakes when searching for a missing laptop

With one exception, laptops do not have a single indicator that is permanent and by which you can find or locate it. This system will work with a mobile phone, but not a laptop. And this is another reason why it is unlikely that the police will help you. If they bring them some kind of laptop, and you left your serial number, then they will be able to identify it, but not find the “laptop” remotely.

You won't be able to locate a lost or stolen laptop using an IP address. Most laptops are assigned it by the Internet provider and this does not happen on purpose. That is, the provider itself buys a bunch of addresses and when you connect to the network, you get any of them. It won't be the same. Especially if the laptop has changed location and who distributes the Internet.

You can submit a request to the provider so that he gives you all the information and IP addresses of your laptop. And he can find its current location. But in most cases this method will not work for the reasons given above.

All laptops also have MAC addresses of network adapters, this is the constant indicator. But if you don’t know it in advance, and don’t have the laptop itself, then it’s completely useless, since without the address itself you won’t know anything.

The real way to find a lost or stolen laptop

Some, very, very few, laptops have a GPS navigator, which makes it easy to locate. Therefore, if you are very lucky, then your laptop is the one on which it was installed. But if the model is quite old, then it is unlikely that GPS is there.

Nowadays, almost all laptops have the Computrace program installed in the BIOS, which starts when turned on and has the function of transferring data remotely from the computer. If you lose your laptop, and it contains such a program, then you need to contact the company that installs them, and they will give you all the information within a certain time. You can find a list of laptops on which the program is installed on the Internet.

This is the most important and easiest way if you have not taken care in advance to ensure that special anti-theft software is installed on your computer.

How to secure your laptop?

The most important thing is to carefully monitor it and, if possible, not take it out into the street again, where it is easier to steal it, and also monitor the safety of the house. If it doesn’t help, then various special programs will help you find your lost or stolen laptop. Install them on your laptop in advance. It can be:

- TeamViewer. Almost the same. Using a password and login, extract information remotely from your computer. The main thing is that it is online.

— Encrypt data that is very important to you, and also set special passwords for most of these files. Then the thief may decide that it will be easier to return your computer to you (if you posted advertisements) than to suffer with decryption.