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Hi everyone,
A friend of mine lost a laptop the other day and unfortunately, there was no way to locate it . It got me thinking about solutions for locating stolen laptops or for that matter, most electronic hardware. Most of the solutions that I've come across e.g Adeona at http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/148197 do not impress me much because all it would take is a software(O.S) re-formatting and the tracking application is gone. The privacy part of Adeona is impressive though.
What I would like to know is, does anyone know of a hardware solution that could be used, such that even if the machine is formatted it would still be able to send location information to a server or some email? (I've seen someone who actually included a pet tracking chip on their laptop, well hidden from view!).
Thanks.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by malekramsey

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Good question, . If the goal is to keep tracking alive after a wipe or drive swap, think in terms of two hardware-anchored approaches, not pure software. Also, quick myth-buster: those pet microchips are passive RFID IDs, not GPS beacons. They cannot broadcast a location.

  1. Firmware persistence. Many business laptops ship with a firmware module that can reinstall a small agent into a fresh OS and check in once the device gets power and network. This is as close as you get to a hardware solution without adding parts. Caveats: it must be activated before theft, it still needs power and network to report, and a determined attacker can sometimes disable it by reflashing firmware or replacing the motherboard.

  2. Independent tracker inside the chassis. A tiny LTE/GNSS or BLE tracker with its own battery and SIM can be tucked under a non-metal section (speaker grille, palmrest, or display hinge area). Pros: survives OS wipes and drive swaps. Cons: battery life, RF shielding from the case, and anti-stalking alerts on some BLE trackers that may tip off a thief. Choose units with motion-based wake and long standby, and test signal quality with the lid closed.

Practical hardening that pairs well with either path:

  • Before loss: enable any OEM firmware persistence, set BIOS/UEFI and drive encryption (BitLocker/FileVault), record serials/IMEIs, and label the device.
  • If lost: file a police report, put the device in lost/lock mode, and let the tracker build a pattern of life; do not confront a thief yourself.
  • Skip microphone/eavesdrop features. Recording people without consent may violate wiretap laws in many U.S. states. Better to stick to location-only tracking.

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Hardware trackers are hard to come by due to the limited space inside laptops.However software solutions have always been around.the problem with software trackers is that once the laptop has been formated it is very hard to retrieve it. Thus hardware would be the best solution as the component is embedded within.after a lot of internet searching for a hardware solution I found a young guy on the internet who has come up with a local hardware solution for this he calls the matrix blackbox.He actually embeds it a motherboard tracker in your laptop which you can physically track via text messaging.The tracker responds with gps text messages, google maps url and street address of where the laptop is.Moreover you can eavesdrop on conversations around the laptop and hear everything in its surrounding. It's a pretty interesting innovation.i saw it on youtube today here Click Here and i admit he has tried.check it out and see if it helps.

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