An iMac attacks: Mac tracking software captures an unsuspecting thief!
By Opal Tribble
Steal an iMac get arrested. That’s the message one thief might have received after he stole an iMac from an individuals home. What the thief thought was an easy crime got him into a lot of hot water.
The thief picked the wrong person and computer to mess with. Unbeknownst to him the rightful owner, a computer support group worker, had Macintosh tracking software installed on the iMac. Once he was away from the scene of the crime the new “owner” set up the iMac at its new “home”. What the thief didn’t know was that this simple act set the tracking software in motion. The tracking software “talked” with the iMac. Steve Leichtweis, IT group manager at the School of Education, stated the staff took control of the computer remotely and instructed it to take pictures every two minutes. The photos showed the user to be in a location not too far away. He had set up the computer in an apartment or dormitory.
Thanks to the photos and additional information provided a search warrant was received. Police were able to locate the thief. He was arrested and is now facing a court hearing. Dr Leichtweis said:
“We hope it will be a deterrent to thieves who often treat schools as supermarkets,”
He also stated that the software would be free to all schools and universities in New Zealand. At this time this, specific tracking software is only available for Mac computers, but the IT department is working on a PC version.
iMac, Mac tracking software, Apple,
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on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
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