New technology will prompt a laptop to self-destruct data if moved from a safe zone.
One of the points of laptops, it always seemed, was their portability. You could take them with you and work anywhere. And, of course, people do.
However, that might cause a few conflicts and mishaps with some new software, called
Backstopp, developed by UK firm Virtuity.
Vnunet reports that the company has developed a technology that employs Wi-Fi and radio frequency identification (RFID) to destroy the data on a laptop if it’s taken from a designated space.
Backstopp works by monitoring the laptop’s location. If it’s moved from its designated zone, administrators can block access to the machine’s data, and eventual destroys that data if the computer is deemed to be at risk. The idea is to add another level of security, which isn’t a bad idea in a country where data-filled laptops are lost as often a five pound notes.
If the laptop has a built-in camera, it will be prompted to start and take images of the thief.
Virtuity chief technology officer Dean Bates explained,
“There are millions of laptops out there that contain valuable data. The vast majority are not stolen for their data, but the [thief] will often come across the data and use it for criminal purposes. This solution prevents that illicit use."
That’s certainly true. But what will happen when an employee decides to take a laptop home for the weekend and work on something very sensitive without telling anyone….?
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