PlumChoice, a specialist in
the delivery of remote technical services in the Service 2.0 model, announced
the launch of its SafeLink Anti-Theft service that protects the data stored on
a notebook against theft or breach if it gets lost or stolen. The
software-based system resides on the machine and communicates with the SafeLink
server platform.
During configuration, users
can select specific files and folders for the service to protect. The
device is locked down when a loss/theft trigger is detected, and unauthorized
access to the user's data is prohibited. If the user fails to authenticate and
unlock the device within a configurable period of time, the data is wiped from
the machine to eliminate the risk of data theft. If a user reports a device as
lost or stolen, PlumChoice can set a poison flag so that when the device
connects to the server, the data is immediately wiped.
Built upon the company’s
SafeLink platform, the Anti-Theft Service is bundled with cloud-based data
backup that allows users to securely retrieve their data if the user-selected
data is wiped clean. Provided by PlumChoice's IT-certified
technicians, the Anti-Theft service is the latest value-added offer on the
SafeLink platform and is designed to help ISPs, wireless carriers, device
manufacturers, and other retail partners serving the small and midsize business
and consumer markets to deliver a higher level of service.
With the recent explosion in
mobile computing, the private data and confidential business information stored
on laptop computers is extremely valuable and vulnerable, according to a recent
report by the Ponemon Institute. Ponemon researchers found just over 12,000
laptops are lost per week at U.S. airports alone. Another 600,000 are stolen
each year, resulting in an estimated $5.4 billion loss in proprietary data,
according to Safeware insurance agency. The FBI reports that 97 percent of
stolen PCs are never recovered.
"For the SMB user, the
data loss is much more devastating than the hardware loss," said Josh
Goldlust, vice president of product management for PlumChoice. "You can
buy a new computer, but it's virtually impossible to replace the data, not to
mention the risk of identity theft that could result if the data contains
personal identification information. The SafeLink Anti-Theft Service enables
our partners to offer an unprecedented level of security and peace of mind to
their customers for a simple monthly subscription fee."
The SafeLink Anti-Theft
software is compatible with any Windows-based laptop to provide secure and
customizable data protection. During the initial setup, users can access
PlumChoice's technical expertise and assistance to install and configure the
anti-theft and network-based backup software to meet their needs. As part of
the Anti-Theft launch, PlumChoice is partnering with Intel to support Intel
Anti-Theft Technology. PlumChoice's software solution will work in conjunction
with Intel's hardware-based, notebook-lockdown capability.
"Intel has helped
accelerate mobile-computing adoption and continues to innovate in helping
protect laptops as well as the sensitive data they carry," said Anand
Pashupathy, Intel's general manager of anti-theft PC services. "We are
excited to enable PlumChoice's SafeLink service platform with Intel Anti-Theft
Technology to deliver a robust hardware-based PC and data-lockdown solution
backed by their service and support."
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