[kictanet] Q: How are Kenyan telcos helping the police recover stolen laptops?

Wed Oct 17 16:48:52 EAT 2012

Yes, noted these "rootkits" are activated if not installed before the theft
to report the laptop location using wifi / gsm but are our telcos helping
the police?

Once there is a police abstract an investigation is supposedly (or
definitely opened if law enforcement is financially motivated) so telcos
would not be breaking the law by helping.

Yes? No?
On Oct 17, 2012 4:04 PM, "Evans Ikua" <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:

> I know of software solutions that can help track your lost laptop. The
> software resides in the bios, so uninstalling the OS won't help. This only
> works once the laptop is plugged into the Internet. From this point, you
> need the cooperation of the Telco/ISP and the police to track the laptop
> using the IPs. I have never tried it though.
>
> On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 3:11 PM, Michael Bullut <main at kipsang.com> wrote:
>
>> *@Alex* + 1
>>
>>
>> On 17 October 2012 14:32, Alex Comninos <alex.comninos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> It can be quite easy to track USB modems (dongles) through the IEMI
>>> number, like in a cellphone. It is easy to block IEMI numbers and
>>> punish the criminal by rendering the device useless. Whether
>>> geolocating the devices through triangulation of GSM reception is
>>> possible depends on whether this type of tracking is allowed by
>>> legislation. This would probably need a warrant to prevent abuse.
>>>
>>> Detecting a laptop is however virtually impossible. Laptops transmit
>>> two MAC adresses over networks (the wired and wireless connection)
>>> that can identify them. However the MAC address can only be detected
>>> by LANs or wireless networks. Once the device is in a local network
>>> (LAN) it is behind a router, which has its own MAC address, rendering
>>> the MAC adress of the laptop undetectable. Thus the telcos can only
>>> track USB modems and phones, but not laptops. There are simply no
>>> technological methods available to have telcos cooperate in finding
>>> laptops.
>>>
>>> I would suggest if one is afraid of losing a laptop:
>>> 1- one insures it
>>> 2- one encrypts the harddrive (Windows can do this now) as to not have
>>> sensitive data stolen
>>> 3- one backs up their data regularly, either to a harddrive, or online
>>> to the cloud.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 17 October 2012 12:39, Nancy Macharia <n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>> > Muraya,
>>> > This is a serious concern as we kenyans  save their hard earned income
>>> to purchase laptops.
>>> >
>>> > The amount of agony and disorientation one experiences upon losing not
>>> just the hardware resource but more importantly the information is enormous.
>>> >
>>> > I was a victim of this heinous act and telcos did not appear to be of
>>> help.
>>> >
>>> > I would be delighted to offer ideas towards realising a solution for
>>> this menace.
>>> >
>>> > Nancy
>>> > Tel: +254727746156Sent from my BlackBerry
>>> >
>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>> > From: "S.M. Muraya" <murigi.muraya at gmail.com>
>>> > Sender: "kictanet"
>>> >  <kictanet-bounces+n_macharia=yahoo.co.uk at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> > Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:31:04
>>> > To: <n_macharia at yahoo.co.uk>
>>> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> > Subject: [kictanet] Q: How are Kenyan telcos helping the police recover
>>> >         stolen laptops?
>>> >
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>>
>>
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>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> *----------------------------------------------------
> Kind Regards,
> Evans Ikua,*
> lanetconsulting.com,
> lpi-eastafrica.org,
> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
> Skype: @ikuae
> Cell: +254-722-955831
>
>
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>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
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