Lenovo to Allow Locking Down ThinkPad Notebooks by Text Message

From X-bit Labs: Lenovo Group plans to introduce a new feature to its ThinkPad lineup of notebooks that will allow to lock the personal computers if they are stolen or lost in order to protect sensitive information. The new feature is a yet another option of ThinkPad laptops that is likely to appeal to businesses or government organizations.

According to the 2008 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey, 42% of computer attacks and incidents among U.S. organizations in both private and public sectors occurred as a result of notebook PC theft. Lenovo’s new Constant Secure Remote Disable enhances the security of a lost or stolen ThinkPad notebook PC by speeding up the time it takes to lock the PC, helping to prevent unauthorized access to the computer’s data.

To activate Remote Disable, users create a simple text message command such as “lockdown now PC” or “PC shut off” that can be used if a notebook PC is lost or stolen. A user sends the kill command to the ThinkPad notebook via cell phone to the PC’s onboard mobile broadband service and the computer becomes inoperable (PC must be located in cellular coverage area to utilize this feature). If the PC is turned off when a user sends a kill command, the PC will automatically disable the next time it registers on the network. Users also receive a confirmation text message that validates when the Remote Disable technology has been successfully executed. To reactivate the disabled PC, a user enters his or her pre-set passcode created during notebook startup.

Lenovo worked with Phoenix Technologies, a developer of BIOS, EFI and other embedded technologies, to develop the Remote Disable capability.

View: Article @ Source Site