Stories about: Absolute Software

Dell has unveiled new deployment services for its customers alongside new notebooks that take advantage of Intel's Sonoma technology and a new workstation designed to be friendly to both IT managers and environmentalists.

WASHINGTON (04/06/2001) - Standards setters have voted against adding a copy-protection mechanism to the ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) standard that governs communications between a PC and removable media devices.

Lost laptops and stolen computers are a growing concern to federal IT managers, but now agencies can help protect themselves thanks to a reseller agreement announced Monday by Lockheed Martin Corp.

While on a business trip, Bob Greschke thought he'd forgotten to pack his new, lightweight laptop. That's when he knew he'd made the right decision to buy it. "I had to keep checking the bag to make sure the notebook was there--the bag was so light, it felt empty," says Greschke, a Socorro, New Mexico-based programmer for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The 5-pound IBM Corp. ThinkPad 600X that Greschke bought in April weighs 3 pounds less than his old Toshiba Corp. 730XCDT notebook.

He landed on both feet: I could see his footprints on the bathroom floor. The sheriff said the burglar was a pro, looking only for jewelry and cash. And my depreciating-as-we-speak PC? Fortunately, it wasn't touched.

If your firewalls, intrusion-detection software and encryption technologies make you feel safe, think again.

If your firewalls, intrusion-detection software and encryption technologies make you feel safe, think again.

Notebook computers are obvious and attractive targets for thieves because they're easily concealed, expensive and likely to contain valuable information. Statistics bear this out. Last year, 303,000 notebooks were stolen in the U.S., according to Safeware, The Insurance Agency Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. It's no surprise that a small industry exists to prevent the loss of notebook hardware and data and to help with their recovery. You can lock down notebooks with special hardware or install alarm systems that can tell when portables are being carried out the door without authorization. You can tighten data security by replacing typed passwords with smart cards and biometric authentication or use special software to track down lost computers. I tried three different approaches that are likely to appeal to senior-level road warriors: a portable alarm, a tracking-and-recovery software/service hybrid and voice-verification software.