There have been dozens of stories on the news about how a laptop or computer camera has been left on and snapped photographs of a robbery taking place – and how these photos have been used to identify the thieves. Of course this is usually not an easy task – local police districts are too strapped to supply resources to solve these crimes. However, citizens have been able to employ technology along with social media streams to get the help they need. The most recent story is about Joshua Kaufman’s mission to retrieve his laptop after it was stolen out of his apartment during a break-in. Luckily, Kaufman had been pro-active in protecting his laptop and installed a security application called Hidden.
Hidden (http://hiddenapp.com) is a theft tracking software for Apple computers that can locate your stolen computer once tracking is activated. Hidden works with a three-pronged attack – the first way is by collecting pictures using the built-in iSight camera. Hidden also collects location data – the company claims it can pinpoint a location “within meters”. The last way in which Hidden works is by taking screen shots to see how the thief is using your property – this allows you to collect virtual clues.
Even though Kaufman had been able to collect evidence that would lead investigators to the thief he wasn’t able to get Oakland police to take action. After facing frustration with the lack of response Kaufman set up a Tumblr blog and started posting pictures of the suspect that he obtained from Hidden. Kaufman also started Tweeting about his experience and gained enough support that the local news media got involved and helped pressure the police to take this case more seriously. Due to key evidence from the screen shots, Oakland police were able to make an arrest and return the stolen laptop back to Kaufman.
This situation is a great example of how social media can be very useful and practical in real life situations and how powerful the internet and technology can be when combined. It’s also worth pointing out that these solutions are pretty economical too. Hidden’s software is $15 a year to cover one computer and there are open-source anti-theft solutions available free of charge for Mac’s, PC’s and phones. One example is Prey (http://preyproject.com). When these types of software are merged with free social media streams such as Tumblr and Twitter, as Kaufman used, it’s definitely worth the investment of your time and a little money to keep your computer safe.
