When two laptops, computer monitors, video production equipment and a 42-inch TV went missing from TagTeam Business Partners’ Rocky Hill headquarters last year, the loss of expensive technology, valuable company information and confidential client data could have potentially ruined the advertising firm.
TagTeam was lucky thanks to technology that works much like the auto world’s LoJack Security System. A sophisticated software program that enables IT experts to access, troubleshoot and back-up the company’s servers remotely helped the ad and video production firm recover its stolen laptops.
For the past three years, TagTeam has subscribed to Distinctive Computer Solutions for its routine IT support, including company and client data back-up services.
Turns out, the same technology that provides remote server access can also identify the IP address, internet service provider and general location of a device when it logs online, according to Sean Rogers, owner of Distinctive Computer Solutions in New Britain.
When the stolen laptops went online in August, Rogers’ screen lit up.
“Sean called and told us our computers were on,” said Mark Zurzola, a founding member of TagTeam Business Partners. “I thought he was kidding at first. We thought our equipment was gone forever and that we would never see any of it again, especially since it had been a year since the break-in.”
Rogers notified the Rocky Hill Police Department and together with Detective Andrew O’Brien, collaborated with AT&T security officials to pinpoint the precise street address where the computers were located.
“Our service is never supposed to turn off,” said Rogers. “So when a device is stolen or misplaced and goes offline, it sends a signal to our computers. This case was unique because the computers came back online a year after they were stolen and we were able to track it back to one of the suspects.”
According to Rocky Hill Police, recovering one piece of stolen goods, even if from an end-buyer, can help trace the chain of supply and shut it down.
As laptops, iPads, e-book readers, smartphones and other mobile devices become more affordable, lightweight and capable of storing massive amounts of information, they are increasingly easy to steal or misplace.
An estimated 2.6 million laptops are stolen worldwide each year, up from 1.5 million 2003. Airports, hotels and cars are the most common places for laptops lost or stolen, according to a Ponemon Institute study, which reported that 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen each week in U.S. airports alone.
Lost or stolen laptops and other computer equipment result in huge losses for businesses. Data breach incidents cost U.S. companies about $205 per compromised customer record last year.
While a lost or stolen laptop results in a loss of employee productivity, countless hours replacing hardware and reconfiguring software, the real damage is often in its missing data.
“Losing confidential data can have severe consequences and be expensive to replace,” said Rogers.
“You have to recreate the data and it might not be as good the second time around,” said Rogers. “Think about the lost time spent on developing the data in the first place and then how much time goes into reconstructing it.”
The FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey estimated the actual financial impact of a laptop theft to around $169,000 — significantly greater than the amount a company would spend to safeguard its data and technology.
A recent case is that of a worker at the Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern Connecticut who lost a laptop when vandals broke into her car and swiped her belongings. That laptop contained confidential medical information on 12,000 current and former patients.
In August, University of Connecticut officials announced that a computer stolen from its West Hartford campus stored personal information and Social Security numbers on more than 10,000 students.
Health Net of the Northeast Inc. in Shelton suffered a similar experience last year when an external hard drive vanished. It held personal data on more than 400,000 Connecticut members.
Rogers hopes his hardware recovery technique will become widely used by more companies in Connecticut, where the value of office equipment stolen in 2008 surpassed $5.3 million statewide with only 4 percent — or $240,190 — recovered, according to the Connecticut State Department of Public Safety.
Distinctive Computer Solutions offers hardware recovery service on an as-needed basis, but its revenue comes from providing IT resources, maintenance plans and back-up solutions to about 40 small businesses in Connecticut and New York, said Rogers.
Businesses spend an average of $700 to $1,500 a month for his services, depending on the frequency and type of work he performs, said Rogers.
“After the break-in, we installed additional office security and insurance covered the cost of what was taken, but you’re still left with a sense of frustration,” said Zurzola.
“We all know insurance rates rise with losses, so every business owner ends up sharing the cost of incidents like this,” said Zurzola. “These aren’t victimless crimes. Using tracking software benefits small business owners all around Connecticut.”
