Ericsson, Intel boost theft protection for mobile broadband notebooks

Ericsson said it is collaborating with Intel to ensure that Ericsson's Mobile Broadband Modules are interoperable with Intel Anti-Theft PC Protection Technology for notebooks. The collaboration addresses solutions to minimize the negative consequences when notebooks are lost or stolen, and in conjunction independent encryption software when sensitive data is lost while on-the-go and to prevent unwanted data intrusion.
The need for taking the profit out of stealing laptops and protecting sensitive and important information continues to grow with the increased popularity of mobile broadband notebooks. Theft or loss of notebooks can have enormous financial consequences for both consumers and enterprise users, especially when sensitive data on the notebook is lost or obtained by unauthorized persons.
Through this collaboration between Ericsson and Intel, a theft management service residing in the network can send a message via SMS to the mobile broadband module inside the notebook, which securely transfers the message to Intel's Anti-Theft function inside the processor platform. It then takes appropriate action, such as completely locking the computer, making it unusable. When the notebook is located and recovered, an unlock message can be sent to the notebook that makes the data accessible again.
"We have entered a new era for security for the on-the-go businessperson in which losing a notebook or having it stolen can have disastrous implications," said George Thangadurai, director of Intel's Strategy and Platform Planning Group, and general manager of the company's Anti-Theft Program.
Anti-theft PC protection technology can be programmed to respond to repeated login failures and expiration of a timer that requires regularly scheduled connection to a central server.
When a loss or theft is detected, Intel Anti-Theft PC Protection technology can lock the laptop, rendering it useless, by blocking the boot process, and when working in conjunction with third-party encryption hardware or software can protect data by deleting cryptographic keys or similar essential code for decryption.
The theft management service can also take advantage of built-in global positioning system (GPS) technology in the Ericsson mobile broadband module, which can send location data to a central server. The location function can be utilized to determine a theft situation when the notebook is moved outside a pre-defined area – a so called geo-fence to locate a lost notebook.  The solution will be available in commercial data protection products starting second half of 2009.