I found out yesterday that Nath's laptop and passport were stolen while he was on the overnight bus from Banda Aceh to Medan. In an attempt to identify the thief, I decided that it would be helpful if I could log an IP address when the laptop connects to the Internet. The laptop is set to automatically log on to MSN, so I set up a buddy pounce to send a message as soon as the laptop connects. I don't think it is possible to trace an IP address directly through MSN because the packets travel through the MSN servers before heading towards their destination, so I set up the buddy pounce to send an irresistible URL to a webpage with a web tracker instead.
Today the thief actually logged onto MSN. The buddy pounce sent the link, and then he/she logged off a few seconds later. Unfortunately the thief did not take the bait, and didn't click on the link. I set up another buddy pounce just in case he/she decides to log on to MSN again, although I think that would be extremely unlikely. If I had succeeded in getting the IP address it probably would have been possible to track down the location of the connection... oh well :(
1 comment:
Great article on laptop theft and how serious it can be for everyone.
Here's a great article on thieves that steal laptop computers, why they do it (datat mining, quick cash on Ebay, etc...), how they do it and how to best protect yourself and your laptop. This is a absolute must read for everyone:
How to take a major bite out of laptop computer theft from Bestbraindrain.com
Bert S.
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