ITN TACKLES RISKS OF REMOTE WORKING

News producer, ITN and security specialist, Absolute Software pull the plug on laptop thieves, having successfully recovered four laptops stolen from ITN staff.



Computrace® by Absolute® Software successfully tracked and located the missing devices, which allowed the Absolute Theft Recovery Team to gather evidence and, working with local police, to recover the items.



Philip Tidmarsh, IT network manager at ITN, commented: “Due to the nature of the fast-paced media industry, we have to be flexible when it comes to employees working on the road. Fully aware of the security issues that remote working presents, we needed to make sure our computers are protected. We decided to implement Computrace, by Absolute Software, as a key measure in tackling this threat.”



One of the thefts occurred at an employee’s house in Bracknell in April 2007. Returning home, they found their house had been burgled and the company laptop had been stolen. But as soon as the unauthorised user connected to the Internet, Computrace sent an alert to the Absolute Monitoring Centre, allowing the device to be tracked and located. The laptop was found in Bracknell and returned to the organisation. The police were involved in the case, but no arrests were made.



Derek Skinner, theft recovery services manager at Absolute Software, said: “Laptops are an easy steal for today’s thief, particularly those that store valuable information. It’s essential for organisations to have security measures in place to deter thieves and prevent the worst from happening.”



“We’re seeing more and more company laptops being stolen, as people are frequently using them at home. This blurring of personal and work life needs to be accounted for when securing the items, wherever they might be.”



Tidmarsh concluded: “We now have 193 Computrace licences, which have proven their value on a number of occasions.”