Syrian Police Return Columbia Student's Stolen Laptop

By Matteen Mokalla
MIA 2008

As a pseudo-tech-guy I have to admit that Columbia IT  does a fairly decent job of keeping faculty, students, and staff aware of what they need to do to keep their computer safe. In fact, CUIT even offers a few software solutions for free to all of Columbia and its affiliates, including Norton Anti-Virus and the laptop anti-theft software PC PhoneHome.

According to the Bragadoon Security Group, the proprietors of PC PhoneHome, the software works by sending an "invisible email" to an email address of your choosing every time your laptop connects to the internet. In the event your laptop is stolen, you inform Bragadoon and they take it over from there by working with various local police departments to recover your laptop.

Sounds too good to be true.

But today, the Columbia Department of Public Safety sent out a campus wide email announcing a former graduate student's stolen laptop had been recovered from a Syrian pawn shop.

Talk about diplomacy through IT!

Now, if only CUIT would be kind enough to offer Mac PhoneHome to those of us who are smart enough to stay away from Windows!  The text of the entire announcement after the jump,

Department of Public Safety Goes Global

CU Graduate Student’s Stolen Laptop Recovered in Syria

You already know that Columbia’s Department of Public Safety protects the University community in upper Manhattan, but did you know that we can keep your property safe around the world?

In early November, a former Columbia graduate student informed Public Safety that his laptop was stolen in Syria.  While at Columbia, the student had prudently joined two of Public Safety’s free crime prevention programs, Operation ID, which provides engraving and registration of property with the NYPD and CU and PC PhoneHome, which uses software to help recover stolen or lost laptops. 

Public Safety contacted the Brigadoon Security Group, the PC PhoneHome vendor, who was able to identify the exact location of the stolen laptop – in this case a computer pawn shop in Syria.  The Syrian Police Department responded immediately and recovered the laptop, which was easily identified as the student’s through the Operation ID program. 

“This is a great example of how taking proper precautions with your property can prevent crime anywhere,” said Jim McShane, Associate Vice President of Public Safety.  “Special thanks go to CUIT and Public Safety Sergeant Anthony Mendez, who initially alerted the PC PhoneHome program.” 

Both Operation ID & PC PhoneHome programs are FREE!  For more information please call Columbia University Crime Prevention at 212-854-8513.

Comments

[matteen]

Why hasn't this post generated any controversy? I am upset now.