Theft Prevention and Solution

aeric · Nov 30, 2023

Last 2 week, my car window was broken and my fiancée laptop bag was stolen. Inside the bag were her company laptop, 2 cheap mobile phones without SIMs, chargers, bank security token and USB drives.

Let's not talk about whose fault.
I am thinking, are there anything to prevent this from happening or make thieves think twice before break in the car.

I want to say, local authority should install more CCTV but they didn't.
People around won't bother when they see thief breaking in a car.
Laws are not strict enough to take action to buyer of the stolen computer or mobile phones.

So, what can be done in term of technology?
Should we place GPS tracking tag inside our laptop bag?
Should PC and mobile manufacturers put a GPS tracking chip inside these devices?

JohnC · Nov 30, 2023

Technology wise:

Attach Airtags to anything you want to track
Install a 24/7 360 degree view dashcam with notification feature
Car alarm with glass breakage detection and a LOUD alarm
Make sure laptop, USB memory devices are encrypted/locked
Do local backups of all important data (or cloud)
There is software available that installs on laptops in a hidden way and when the laptop is connected to the internet, it will notify you of the IP address that police might be able to use to locate the thief.
If you want to additionally deter from stealing the car as a whole, install a very visible streering wheel lock and make sure the car alarm has a bright flashing "armed" LED.
Keep your keyfobs in a Faraday box to prevent "Relay Attacks" (https://arstechnica.com/information...iously-unknown-keyless-can-injection-attacks/)

LucaMs · Nov 30, 2023

JohnC said:
6) There is software available that installs on laptops in a hidden way and when the laptop is connected to the internet, it will notify you of the IP address that police might be able to use to locate the thief.

That seems useful and intelligent to me.

However, the best prevention is... don't leave anything in your car!

Daestrum · Nov 30, 2023

Get a laptop bag that looks like a folded newspaper. A quick glance from a thief and they will just assume its a newpaper on the seat.

mcqueccu · Nov 30, 2023

Security starts with Us. Technology is there to assist.

Someone once told me, if you intend to leave something in a car, better put it in a boot (trunk), or under the seat where no one will see it, let alone be tempted to break in.

LucaMs · Nov 30, 2023

mcqueccu said:
Someone once told me, if you intend to leave something in a car, better put it in a boot (trunk), or under the seat where no one will see it, let alone be tempted to break in.

My father put my mother's fur coat in the trunk of his car (in those days there were no animal rights activists).
When he reopened the trunk, he found six of them ?

aeric · Nov 30, 2023

JohnC said:
Technology wise:

Attach Airtags to anything you want to track

Install a 24/7 360 degree view dashcam with notification feature

Car alarm with glass breakage detection and a LOUD alarm

Make sure laptop, USB memory devices are encrypted/locked

Do local backups of all important data (or cloud)

There is software available that installs on laptops in a hidden way and when the laptop is connected to the internet, it will notify you of the IP address that police might be able to use to locate the thief.

If you want to additionally deter from stealing the car as a whole, install a very visible streering wheel lock and make sure the car alarm has a bright flashing "armed" LED.

Keep your keyfobs in a Faraday box to prevent "Relay Attacks" (https://arstechnica.com/information...iously-unknown-keyless-can-injection-attacks/)

Okay. Thanks.

aeric · Nov 30, 2023

JohnC said:
There is software available that installs on laptops in a hidden way and when the laptop is connected to the internet, it will notify you of the IP address that police might be able to use to locate the thief.

I don't think this will work.
The laptop can't go online as the thief can't login to the windows to connect to the WiFi.

JohnC · Nov 30, 2023

aeric said:
I don't think this will work.
The laptop can't go online as the thief can't login to the windows to connect to the WiFi.

If the laptop has an Ethernet port or if the thief plugs in a Ethernet-USB adapter, that might give the notebook internet access without logging into windows.

aeric · Nov 30, 2023

JohnC said:
If the laptop has an Ethernet port or if the thief plugs in a Ethernet-USB adapter, that might give the notebook internet access without logging into windows.

You may right but I guess the thief is not that IT savvy. If he has such knowledge, he may not steal things. He can get a job.

Edit: He may not even able to bypass Bitlocker login in BIOS.

Mashiane · Dec 1, 2023

aeric said:
Last 2 week, my car window was broken and my fiancée laptop bag was stolen. Inside the bag were her company laptop, 2 cheap mobile phones without SIMs, chargers, bank security token and USB drives.

Let's not talk about whose fault.
I am thinking, are there anything to prevent this from happening or make thieves think twice before break in the car.

I want to say, local authority should install more CCTV but they didn't.
People around won't bother when they see thief breaking in a car.
Laws are not strict enough to take action to buyer of the stolen computer or mobile phones.

So, what can be done in term of technology?
Should we place GPS tracking tag inside our laptop bag?
Should PC and mobile manufacturers put a GPS tracking chip inside these devices?

So sorry to hear this @aeric .

peacemaker · Dec 1, 2023

The key of the possibility to break\steal - the visible simplicity of possibility to do it.
So, the possibility must be hard or ... just invisible.

For ex. the locks on doors. If it's visible and it's easy to break it with some portable tools set - it's the possibility.
But if one of them is ... inside a metal frame that does not allow easy usage of tools - it's possibility to pass this one by and look at other ones.

aeric · Dec 1, 2023

peacemaker said:
The key of the possibility to break\steal - the visible simplicity of possibility to do it.
So, the possibility must be hard or ... just invisible.

For ex. the locks on doors. If it's visible and it's easy to break it with some portable tools set - it's the possibility.
But if one of them is ... inside a metal frame that does not allow easy usage of tools - it's possibility to pass this one and see other ones.

i guess my possibility to understand is almost zero. ?

peacemaker · Dec 1, 2023

aeric said:
almost zero.

The content of your car was well visible and there was possibility easy to ... lost it.
So computer technology could not help in your situation.

aeric · Dec 1, 2023

If I assume I understand correctly, you suggest me to install this on my car? Or you mean inside the laptop or the bag?

peacemaker · Dec 1, 2023

I just suggest to think wider during problem analysis ...

aeric · Dec 1, 2023

My point of this post is about technology, for other aspect, maybe we can talk in a new post. BTW, a lock is also kind of technology. I am confused.

peacemaker · Dec 1, 2023

In your situation only a fantastic force field around the car (you asked for technology) might help.
Without it no one technology can help to see, break and steal...

Or do you talk about future technologies to prevent such ?

aeric · Dec 1, 2023

How about design the car with a locker compartment inside that difficult to break.

Magma · Dec 1, 2023

I am very sorry for your "lost" things...

I have to say - i was robbery victim before some years (8) - at my shop when closed for night (not e-shop)...

I had cameras, shop at the center of city...

Cameras wrote/capture their faces... and police understood who they were... found them after a day... money was already gone...
These guys were about 18~24 years old (4 guys)... had to go 4 times at police, also lost 4 days at 2 years at courts... - the judge said they were minors (kids) - because laws in Greece not created for safety of citizens... and they went for reformatory (center for kids) for 1 month (actually one day - because escaped) and not jail...

Lost my time, money, my mind for a long time....

So may be an alarm if you have good neighboors can save you... and an extra good locker... and ofcourse what LucaMs said... is the right... leave always your car in public, with a lot of people... especially with police officers arround it....

cameras, are just for taking good photos.. and remember good and bad things (like that)

Also... have in mind... that the only thing can't steal... is your health, i know the feeling trust me... I can only say to you - to be Healthy! (only this - nothing more, and in love with your girl)

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