3 Software Reviews:
Your PC was just stolen! 
What do you do? 

Surprisingly, of the computers that are recovered, 90% still have all the software intact. With the prices of computers falling and software rising, the real value of the stolen unit to a thief is the software that is contained on the PC. The thief is unlikely to format the computer to erase its software because a PC with software is more valuable than one without software. Keeping all this in mind you can increase the chances of getting your computer back by installing software that will assist you in the recovery process. 

Software is available that will contact either a central station or contact you directly to help you determine it's location. Once you establish where your computer is, you can get the local authorities to recover it. You need a package that will hide itself on your computer so you don't give a thief a reason to format your drive. The recovery software should be stealthy and not call attention to itself. Some packages claim that they will survive a disk format, but I was unwilling to erase my drive to verify their claims. The claim is backed up by the statistics that if you do not give a thief a reason to erase the drive, i.e. alarms and warning screens, they won't, so the software's stealthiness is the key. 

I tried three evaluation products: Computrace, CyberAngel, and Stealth 95/98. Most have a low initial cost for the software, but there is also yearly monitoring fee which is included in the price for the first year. You have to renew the monitoring service yearly. Depending on your requirements, I believe one of these products will give the extra security you need. 

CompuTrace
CompuTrace is installed and removed by a floppy disk. You need the disk to access the configuration menu which also keeps the program from being targeted as a program to remove from a stolen computer. All functions are password protected which adds to security. CompuTrace makes the claim that it will survive a disk format, but as I said earlier, I was unwilling to put it to that test. It does install itself in the boot sector of the hard drive which does make it less accessible. CompuTrace periodically dials to a central station to report it's location no matter where it is and these reports are accessible through the CompuTrace Web Site. If the computer is stolen, you call CompuTrace and they will tag the computer as stolen. A tagged computer will dial in more often which will definitely help in the recover process. 

I tested the software and it accurately reported the location address from which I was calling. There was one problem in that when CompuTrace calls from a PBX system, it cannot report the exact phone number it used to dial out. This could be a bit of a problem if the computer did not move from the PBX environment and you tried to locate it in a building complex that houses 10,000 people. I also did not like the feature that you had to configure the program with what style of dial out you wanted to use, i.e. 1-800 or 9-1-800. 

The price for the software and one year of monitoring is $89.95 and $60 a year for monitoring after the first year. You can locate them on the Web at http://www.computrace.com and they are offering a 30 day trial. 

CyberAngel
CyberAngel is also installed, removed and configured with a floppy. For installation and removal you need to be connected to a phone line. Passwords protect the configuration and removal process. A plus for CyberAngel is that they will custom configure the software. This is intended for "corporate" users and would not necessarily apply to the average home or small business user. CyberAngel also calls a central station, but only if the user fails to give the correct password when the computer is turned on. This password function can be prompted or un-prompted. The un-prompted is suggested, but either method is available. This is where the "customization" comes in. The password prompt on the screen can be changed or disguised. Movements of the PC are tracked. PCS reported stolen computers are also tagged and call more often. 

The CyberAngel also offers the added benefit of unauthorized access detection and locating a stolen computer in real-time upon connection. CyberAngel makes no claim to survive a disk format, it is relying on it's stealth to not be targeted for removal. CyberAngel also had difficulty when dealing with PBX. I was impressed by the fact that it will make multiple attempts to dial out. It tries the standard 1-800 and then starts using known PBX access codes (9, *7, etc.). The software will also try to get a network connection if no phone connection is available. 

The price for the software and one year of monitoring is $79.95 for the standard CyberAngel and $50 a year for monitoring after the first year. CyberAngel EXR adds globally exportable encryption to safeguard your data for $99.95 for software and one year of monitoring. You can locate them on the Web at http://www.sentryinc.com and download the software from the "Buy Now" section. CyberAngel comes with a money back guarantee. 

Stealth 95/98
This is one of the newer members of this "stealthy" group. Stealth 95 is also one of the lowest priced of the group with respect to initial cost and yearly monitoring. This software will attempt to verify if it is on it's "home phone line" and if it is, it will not call the monitoring station. This helps keep down false alarms and reduces the cost of the central station which is passed to the user in lower yearly monitoring costs. This product did report where it was calling from, but again had the same PBX reporting problem as in the other products. 

The software developers claim Stealth 95/98 will survive a format, but if the thief does not have any reason to think there is software tracking the computer there would be no reason the thief would format the drive. The software is available for download off the Internet and comes with a unconditional money back guarantee. If your computer is stolen and it is not recovered they will give a complete $29 refund for the monitoring service for that year of Stealth 95/98 Theft Recovery Software. 

The price for the software and one year of monitoring is $29 and $29 a year for monitoring after the first year. You can locate them on the Web at http://www.stealth95.com. They are offering a 30 day trial. 

Visit the Web Sites for more information on any or all of these software products. 

All three products will help raise the odds of recovery of stolen PC's whether laptop of desktop. I liked all three software products, they all were easy to use and configure. Like any software products, each had its pluses and minuses. The software and data on your computer is valuable — it would be a good idea to protect them. 

Now to repeat the questions: Your computer was just stolen, now what do you do? If you are using one of these products, you report your computer stolen and prepare to help the local authorities recover your computer. What are your chances of getting it back? Much better than without one of these products!