Skip to main content

Preventing the “Worst Case Scenario:” Combating the Lost Laptop Epidemic with RFID Technology

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Novel Algorithms and Techniques in Telecommunications and Networking

Abstract

This paper examines the most frequent cause of data breach today – that of stolen or lost laptops. Over one million laptops go missing each year in the U.S., creating tremendous problems and exposure for American companies, universities, government agencies, and individuals. This paper first looks at the size and scope of the laptop theft problem and the ramifications of the loss of the hardware and data contained on the device. Then, the paper examines new developments in the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology as a potential deterrent and detection device for laptop security. It concludes with an analysis of the impact of the application of RFID in this area, looking at the legal, IT, and financial aspects of the issues involved in enhancing laptop security. With laptop sales far-outpacing those of PCs and with form-factors shrinking, the issues involved with laptop security will only increase in coming years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. B. Wilson, “TSA pilot would offer ads at airport security checkpoints,” Aviation Week, January 4, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2008, from http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/ADS01047.xml.

  2. The Ponemon Institute, White Paper - Airport insecurity: The case of lost laptops, June 30, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/services/dell_lost_laptop_study.pdf.

  3. P. Seitz, “New Dell services help users hunt down missing laptops,” Investors Business Daily, June 30, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008, from http://investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=17&issue=20080630.

  4. T. Wilson, “Laptop losses total 12,000 per week at US airports: Nearly 70% are never recovered, many go unreported,” Dark Reading, July 2, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=158099&f_src=drdaily.

  5. D. Hughes, “12,000 laptops lost weekly at U.S. airports,” Aviation Week, July 3, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.aviationnow.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/LAP07038.xml&headline=12,000%20Laptops%20Lost%20Weekly%20At%20U.S.%20Airports.

  6. T. Frank, “TSA takes steps toward speedier laptop X-rays,” USA Today, July 6, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-07-06-laptops_N.htm.

  7. Identity Theft Daily Staff, “Costs attributable to laptop theft are projected to exceed $1 billion,” Identity Theft Daily, July 16, 2008. Retrieved AUgust 20, 2008, from http://www.identitytheftdaily.com/index.php/20080714370/Latest/Costs-Attributable-to-Laptop-Theft-Are-Projected-to-Exceed-$1-Billion.html.

  8. J. Ryder, “Laptop security, part one: Preventing laptop theft,” Security Focus, July 30, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1186.

  9. A. Sacco, “Lax laptop security can be dangerous … and expensive,” Network World, November 12, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2008, from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/111207-lax-laptop-security-can-be.html.

  10. J. Arquilla, Networks and netwars: The future of terror, crime, and militancy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. Griebenow, White Paper: RFID as mandatory protection for laptops, March 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.mediarecovery.com/library/AxcessLaptopWhitePaper.pdf.

  12. A. Sacco, “Study: Average value of business info on travelers’ laptops equals $525 K - The average value of personal information on travelers’ laptop computers is $330,000, according to iBahn,” Network World, October 17, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www.cio.com/article/147000/Study_Average_Value_of_Business_Info_on_Travelers_Laptops_Equals_K.

  13. McAfee and Datamonitor, White Paper - Datagate: The Next Inevitable Corporate Disaster?, April 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www.mcafee.com/us/local_content/misc/dlp_datagate_research.pdf.

  14. The Ponemon Institute, 2007 Annual Study: Cost of a data breach. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from http://www.ponemon.org/press/PR_Ponemon_2007-COB_071126_F.pdf.

  15. G. Gruman, “How to lock up laptop security,” CIO Magazine, October 22, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2008, from http://www.cio.com/article/147900/How_to_Lock_Up_Laptop_Security/1.

  16. M.O. Foley, “New technologies to thwart laptop theft.” Inc., August 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://technology.inc.com/hardware/articles/200708/theft.html.

  17. R.K. Raghavan, “Protect your laptop,” The Hindu Business Line, June 18, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/06/18/stories/2007061850010200.htm.

  18. G. Gruman, “ABC: An introduction to mobile security,” CIO Magazine, March 8, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2008, from http://www.cio.com/article/40360/ABC_An_Introduction_to_Mobile_Security_/1.

  19. A. Foster, “Increase in stolen laptops endangers data security,” The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved July 25, 2008, from http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i43/43a00103.htm.

  20. Anonymous, “Dallas-based AXCESS’ RFID technology used by U.S.government to stop laptop theft,” Pegasus News, April 17, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/apr/17/dallas-based-axcess-rfid-technology-used-us-govern/.

  21. C. Swedberg, “Army National Guard tracks assets: A PICS RFID system enables U.S. Army National Guard divisions to locate laptop computers and other electronics as they are moved in and out of their Washington, D.C., headquarters,” RFID Journal, March 3, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/3951/1/1/.

  22. B. Violino, “Eating your own dog food: Cognizant Uses RFID to Track Laptops - The global technology solutions company is currently deploying an asset-tracking system throughout its development facilities worldwide,” RFID Journal, January 21, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/3857/.

  23. AssetPulse, Inc., Fact Sheet: AssetGather for laptop tracking - RFID- based solution for tracking laptops and IT assets, July 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.assetpulse.com/solutions/AssetGatherForLaptopTracking.pdf.

  24. Anonymous, “Orizin Technologies launches active RFID system for laptop tracking,” Newswire Today, September 3, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2008, from http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/23006/.

  25. Virtuity, Ltd., Fact Sheet: What is BackStopp?, February 2008, Retrieved May 27, 2008, from http://www.backstopp.com/what_is_backstopp.aspx.

  26. G. Dixon, “Self-destruct laptops foil thieves: Wi-Fi and RFID system destroys sensitive data,” Vnunet.com, February 19, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008, from http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2209973/laptops-set-self-destruct.

  27. J.E. Dunn, “Laptop wipes own hard drive to beat thieves: A new laptop protection system can automatically wipe hard disk data on machines taken from authorized locations,” PC World, February 19, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008, from http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,142631/printable.html.

  28. D. Goodin, “Mind the gap: Data for 800,000 job applicants stolen. The Register, September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/28/gap_data_breach/.

  29. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Staff Report: Agency data breaches since January 1, 2003, October 13, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2006, from http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20061013145352-82231.pdf.

  30. Y. Ting and J. Tsai, “Worldwide notebook shipments grow 33% on year in 2007, says IDC,” DigiTimes, January 31, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/MailHome.asp?datePublish=2008/1/31&pages=PD&seq=209.

  31. D.C. Wyld, M.A. Jones, and J.W. Totten, “Where is my suitcase?: RFID and airline customer service,” Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 382-394.

    Google Scholar 

  32. B. Bacheldor, “Medical distributor puts RFID tags on equipment,” RFID Journal, July 25, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2008, from http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2513/1/1/.

  33. D.C. Wyld, “Sports 2.0: A look at the future of sports in the context of RFID’s ‘weird new media revolution,’” The Sport Journal, October 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2006, from http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/sports-20-look-future-sports-context-rfid-s-weird-new-media-revolution.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wyld, D.C. (2010). Preventing the “Worst Case Scenario:” Combating the Lost Laptop Epidemic with RFID Technology. In: Sobh, T., Elleithy, K., Mahmood, A. (eds) Novel Algorithms and Techniques in Telecommunications and Networking. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3662-9_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3662-9_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3661-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3662-9

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics