(STILLWATER, Okla. – Oct. 27, 2009 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Laptop computer security firm MyLaptopGPS, featured in Inc. Magazine, TechRepublic and elsewhere, has introduced patent-pending laptop encryption to its already robust Internet-based laptop tracking product. MyLaptopGPS™, whose unmatched industry theft rate sees only 4 out of every 1,000 machines equipped with the technology going missing to thieves, now features encryption with the fastest speed available and algorithms that far surpass standard AES. MyLaptopGPS’ new FIPS Level 2–certified laptop encryption provides Remote Decryption Kill (RDK), as well, locking data out of thieves’ reach even in the unlikely event that the encryption key becomes available to them.

“Purchasing a capable laptop theft protection technology is easily one of the smartest moves any organization can make,” said Robert Siciliano, CEO of identity theft protection firm IDTheftSecurity.com. “The alternative to paying less than ten dollars per month to protect a machine is to play chicken with costs reaching into the hundreds of thousands, even the millions—the typical aftermath for any organization struck by a highly publicized data theft. MyLaptopGPS far surpasses its competition in not only protecting mobile computing devices from thieves once they’ve gotten a hold of a machine with valuable data on it, but also in deterring those thieves from even bothering to steal the machine in the first place.”

With clients in 18 countries across six continents, MyLaptopGPS, a Tri-8, Inc. company, is a leader in laptop computer security and mobile data privacy. Thanks to a proven multilayered security approach featuring strong encryption, covert laptop tracking, remote data recovery and deletion, and theft prevention, MyLaptopGPS boasts a 99.6 percent success rate in the battle against laptop theft.

MyLaptopGPS Encryption features the following:

• Remote Decryption Kill (RDK)—even a thief who has the decryption key cannot decrypt the data on a MyLaptopGPS-equipped machine
• Fastest encryption available today (patent pending)
• NIST FIPS Level 2 certification
• Non-expanding encrypted data footprint (patent pending)—whether they be entire disks or individual files and folders, the addition of MyLaptopGPS will not increase their size
• Flexible encryption model: disk, file, folder, file type, etc.—the technology adapts to protect entire disks or individual files
• Administrative recovery of lost keys
• Automatic re-encryption
• Hardware-specific encryption: data cannot be decrypted on any other hardware (optional)

“We are aware of no other solution that offers the level of protection now available with MyLaptopGPS,” said Dan Yost, chief technology officer of MyLaptopGPS. Yost, a recognized expert in laptop security and security best practices, provides guidance to corporations, small businesses, academic organizations, and other groups. He invited readers to follow MyLaptopGPS’ laptop computer security blog and laptop computer security posts on Twitter. Anyone who belongs to LinkedIn® is encouraged to join MyLaptopGPS’ laptop computer security group there.

“The addition of technology that enables users to actually shut off the keys to new, industry-leading encryption capabilities is truly game-changing,” Yost continued. “When your technology already stops laptop theft nearly one hundred percent of the time—the best success rate in the business—you know you’re doing something right. But we just couldn’t stop there, and now, the impossibly small percentage of MyLaptopGPS customers who do see their laptops go missing to thieves have at their disposal even more tools for damage control.”

Even without encryption, only 4 out of every 1,000 laptop computers equipped with MyLaptopGPS ever go missing to thieves, a theft rate unmatched in the industry; the company’s technology for laptop theft prevention, in fact, is itself a deterrent. Machines equipped with MyLaptopGPS laptop tracking technology that do end up in thieves’ possession have long enabled their rightful owners to remotely track their property and covertly delete and recover data from it, all unbeknownst to the criminal.

Additionally, MyLaptopGPS includes SafeRegistry™, a comprehensive system for inventorying entire fleets of mobile computers. Bolstering SafeRegistry is a full line of SafeTags™, police-traceable property tags designed to secure not only laptop computers, but also iPods™, iPhones™, cell phones, BlackBerry™ devices and other mobile property. Notably, SafeTags are applied with 3M 300LSE pressure-sensitive adhesive, the functional equivalent of welding for Low Surface Energy plastics.

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About MyLaptopGPS

Celebrating 25 years in business, Tri-8, Inc. (DBA MyLaptopGPS.com) has specialized in complete system integration since its founding in 1984. From real-time electronic payment processing software to renowned mid-market ERP implementations, the executive team at MyLaptopGPS has been serving leading enterprises and implementing world-class data systems that simply work. With MyLaptopGPS™, Tri-8, Inc. brings a level of expertise, dedication, knowledge and service that is unmatched. MyLaptopGPS™’s rock-solid performance, security, and reliability flow directly from the company’s commitment to top-notch software products and services.

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects everyone. CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, Robert Siciliano is a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board and of the consumer advisory board for McAfee. Additionally, in a partnership to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips for consumers to protect themselves, he is nationwide spokesperson for uni-ball in 2009 (uniball-na.com provides for more information). A leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on “The Today Show,” “CBS Early Show,” CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX News, “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Tyra” and “Inside Edition.” Numerous magazines, print news outlets and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters and others. For more information, visit Siciliano’s Web site (idtheftsecurity.com), blog (realtysecurity.com/blog), and YouTube page (youtube.com/stungundotcom).

The media are encouraged to get in touch with any of the following individuals:

John Dunivan
MyLaptopGPS Media Relations
PHONE: 405-334-4302
FAX 405-533-1136
info AT MyLaptopGPS DOT com

Robert Siciliano, Identity Theft Protection Expert
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert AT IDTheftSecurity DOT com

Brent Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner AT STETrevisions DOT com

The numbers are, of course, staggering. What’s more, customer records went missing at the highest rate (55 percent), followed by intellectual property (43 percent), credit card details (21 percent) and financial information (20 percent).

And, again, this is just in Australia. What’s the story elsewhere? Well, as far as security is concerned, it’s not that good.

According to a study from the Verizon Business RISK Team of 500 security breaches that occurred between 2004 and 2007, most organizations seem to lack the capacity even to know when a breach has occurred, even though most breaches are seen as easily achievable: Sixty-six percent of breaches, for instance, affect data that the organization does “not know was on the system,” three-quarters of breaches are “not discovered,” and a commanding 83 percent of breaches are “not highly difficult” to conduct.

And, amid the confusion and, frankly, bumbling practices, the number of breaches continues to mount, last month already surpassing last year’s total. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 of this year, the total number of data breaches was 516, according to an ongoing tally by The Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) announced on Oct. 6. The ITRC’s total for 2007 was 446 breaches, which suggested that the final number for 2008 would dwarf last year’s.

So, we have a picture: rampant data breaches; ineffective, nonexistent, or just plain clueless security practices; and laptop computers playing a key role. But security measures for mobile computing equipment don’t have to be difficult or too expensive to implement; they can be as simple and effective as laptop tracking from MyLaptopGPS.

In September, a laptop computer belonging to the UK offices of Deloitte went missing to thieves. On it were data records for approximately 100,000 pensionsers, reports SecurityPortal.com — or as many as 150,000, depending on where you read about it. And yet, SecurityPortal.com notes, the employee allegedly responsible for losing the machine waited until mid-October to inform the company of the incident.

That seems like a long time. Anyway, what are the implications of the theft?

A Deloitte spokesperson, quoted in ITPRO, has reassured those affected that information, protected by “a start up password, operating system user ID/password authentication, and encryption,” should remain safe and out of thieves’ hands.

And Deloitte is probably right about that. Even so, the lag of time separating the event from the employee’s reporting of it to superiors within the company is worrisome. Furthermore, the threat of lawsuits, or even the responsibility of having to inform all those affected, could cost any company in such a situation dearly.

It’s too bad, really, that more company laptops aren’t equipped with an inexpensive laptop tracking service. If they were, they’d enjoy a miniscule 0.4 percent rate of theft — much, much lower than the average: 12.5 percent.

The question is, how can any company that has lost computers containing hundreds of thousands of employees’ Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth and more possibly believe the information isn’t somehow at risk? Any company that has lost computers to thieves ought to assume this to be the case.

Why?

It is nearly a certainty that valuable information, encrypted or not, in the hands of criminals is going to leave those it identifies at the mercy of identity thieves. In fact, this information’s availability is likely the very reason for the scope and magnitude of laptop theft. Once that information is gone, the pain really begins, as A-B has probably learned in marshaling the effort to notify potential victims, who reside in states across the nation.

The alternative, of course, is simple. You’re here at MyLaptopGPS right now. Just take a look around our site and learn how you could be saving yourself a lot of grief — not to mention money — by making the pennies-on-the-dollars investment in laptop tracking technology. Spare yourself the headache of becoming the next company that’s hemorrhaged many thousands of employees’ unique data records.

On Aug. 13, The Associated Press reported on the theft of 12 laptops–yes, 12 of them–from Charter Communications Inc.’s offices. During the week prior to the AP report, just about 9,000 former and current employees received notification from the firm that their Social Security numbers, associated names and birth dates were on the stolen machines. Even so, Charter Communications has “no reason to believe that the information has been or will be used improperly,” according to a company spokesperson quoted in the news report.

But they most surely do.

Any time a laptop computer with thousands of people’s Social Security numbers matched to other identifying information goes missing to thieves, the assumption should be that each and every one of those individuals is at risk of all kinds of fraud at the hands of identity thieves.

After all, most laptop thieves aren’t stealing the machines just for the hardware. In fact, the hardware is typically of little use to them. Sure, stolen laptops refurbished for the black market can fetch “good coin,” but an identity thief steals a laptop computer from a business because he understands that most firms exercise poor control over the kind of information stored on these machines. The thief knows that he’ll eventually hit the mother lode: a spreadsheet with thousands of employees’ names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and maybe more — the raw ingredients for identity theft.

Take the recent news from across the pond.

This week, The Irish Times and others are reporting that the country’s Department of Social and Family Affairs lost a laptop computer to theft–a year ago. Furthermore, the agency is apparently just now contacting the social welfare recipients whose personal details were stored on the computer–all 380,000 of them, including about 100,000 whose bank account information was mixed in with the records on the machine.

Is it any wonder that consumers “are dissatisfied with the notification process used by companies following a data breach affecting their personal information,” according to a news release covering recent research from the Ponemon Institute on 1,795 U.S. consumers? The Consumer’s Report Card on Data Breach Notification reveals that more than 55 percent of respondents to the Ponemon survey report receiving notification of a data breach more than one month after the incident. Additionally, 50 percent of respondents rate the timeliness, clarity and quality of these notifications as only fair or poor.

While Ponemon’s research doesn’t specifically explore cases in which victims have waited as long as a year after an event occurs before even learning that the theft indeed happened (and that the incident left their information in peril for all that time), consumers on both sides of the Atlantic probably don’t like the idea. Needless to say, a viable laptop tracking and data recovery solution would have gone a long way in helping Ireland’s social welfare agency to retrieve its own laptop–and, more importantly, other people’s data that just so happened to be on the organization’s mobile computing device.