STUDENT NEWS

Protect your laptop – before it’s too late!

Police raising awareness of computer programme that secures your laptop - and your work

Published 08 February 2010

The percentage of the students who fall victim to crime during their time at university is very small and Leicestershire Constabulary is committed to reducing this even further.

The Riverside and Campus neighbourhood policing teams are working with the City’s two universities - De Montfort and University of Leicester – to raise awareness of a tracking and recovery software programme called LoJack® for Laptops by Absolute® Software.

The officers and staff spent time on both campus sites to install the software programme on laptops and give safety and crime prevention advice.

PC 4500 Gail Warden, the Riverside Neighbourhood officer for De Montfort University, said: “Building on the successful trial of the software earlier this year, I am urging all students to consider having this programe installed on their laptops.

“Computers now play a major role in storing course work and personal information. The misery of losing years of hard work and other valuable contents can be avoided by installing this technology.

“I have a dedicated office in the student services centre in Gateway House at De Montfort University so please come and chat to me about any policing and crime reduction matters.”

Funded by the Safer Leicester Partnership Serious Acquisitive Crime Group the program works by remaining dormant inside the bios of the laptop until a student reports that the laptop has been stolen. Once activated the GPA will track and pinpoint the stolen computer to any location in the UK and abroad. If necessary, the programme can also remotely delete any or all of the information stored on the computer so that it cannot fall into the wrong hands.

PC 1129 Harvey Watson, the Campus Park Neighbourhood officer for the University of Leicester, said: “Maybe you got a new laptop for Christmas or you’ve had yours for years. It doesn’t really matter, as no one wants to lose their laptop and more importantly, the contents.

“That’s why we are encouraging all students to allow us to install the LoJack® program on their laptops. I can be contacted at my office on Victoria Park or on Facebook (Campus Cops). I look forward to catching up with you.”

Leicestershire neighbourhood teams hold regular consultation events with the student services, security and union staff to support students to enjoy their time at university.

Kevin Burrows, Head of Security at De Montfort University, said: "The University works very closely with the police to ensure our students enjoy a safe and friendly environment. We are fortunate that only a tiny percentage of students become victims of crime. This program is an excellent way to reassure students that if their computer is stolen it can be traced and returned to the rightful owner.”

More and more, computers are being used as a document, photographs and audio/visual library. Most also serve as a primary means of communication for students and may contain email addresses, telephone numbers and social networking site details of their tutors, friends and family.

This includes files and applications that contain personal photos, internet bookmarks, browser cookies, financial information, and stored passwords. Everything an identity thief would need to steal your identity.

Jit Pandya, Student Community Development Officer at De Montfort University said: “We welcome this initiative and support the police in urging students to install this program. It’s free and can save you a lot of hassle. I would also remind students that they should be regularly ‘backing up’ or saving the contents of their computers on a separate hard drive.

“It’s not just the financial cost of losing a laptop that people should be concerned about but the added risk of identity theft. This programme can also delete information on the stolen laptop.”

Awarded the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) ‘Secured by Design’ accreditation, Lojack® can be used to remotely delete any sensitive data, serving as a powerful deterrent to thieves.

De Montfort University students interested in the Computrace programme should contact PC 4500 Gail Warden from the Riverside Neighbourhood team on 0116 222 2222 and follow the instructions to leave a message. When prompted, key in the officer’s identification number 4500.

University of Leicester students can contact PC 1129 Harvey Watson, from the Campus Park Neighbourhood team on 0116 222 2222 and follow the instructions to leave a message. When prompted, key in the officer’s identification number 1129.

Anyone who has information about theft, or has been offered a laptop for sale in suspicious circumstances can contact Crimestoppers, which is free(*) and anonymous on 0800 555 111.

(*) Please note, some mobile phone service providers may charge for this call.