On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 4:45 PM, Sean Anderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's certainly prudent to realise that this is far from a full-proof > phone theft prevention system. I realise it's a little redundant to say > "aaw, but no security is airtight anyway!", but it's worth pointing out > nonetheless. > > Encrypted data, a device that phones home... these are all flawed but > noticeable barriers for the potential thief. It is also worth noting > that the data stored on a phone like the Moko (emails, passwords, ssh > keys) is significantly more valuable than the type of data stored on > ordinary cellphones at the moment ("hey, how r u? <3" x 500, some > pictures of people being hit by bins) so it is more important that the > owners of the devices, and the developers, think more seriously about > how to protect the valuable data that is being stored. > > The Moko has the hardware and the flexibility, so I doubt it would be a > great deal of trouble to implement a little GPS app that phones home > when it gets lost. > > My main point: the system may also be useful if the user has simply > misplaced the phone and would like to find out if they've left it at a > friend's house or at the pub. GPS is getting accurate enough to > determine which area of the house it is in. It could eliminate the > possibility of it being stolen if it turns up in a familiar location. > How is the Moko user going to tell if they have dropped their phone on > the train and it is sitting unclaimed at the lost & found depot of the > train station? GPS, of course :) > > Sean. > > > > On Fri, 2008-04-04 at 12:43 +0200, Alexey Feldgendler wrote: > > On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:35:17 +0200, Michele Renda > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > When I steal the phone, the first thing that I will do is to turn off > > > the phone. Then because I am afraid to be detected by cell I will change > > > the internal sim, before to turn on it. > > > > This is also what happens in Russia. The majority of cell phones are > > stolen or robbed of people by junkies. They immediately turn the phone off > > and throw away the SIM card. Without turning the phone on, they bring > > several phones they've collected during the night to a buyer-up who pays > > them maybe a tenth of what the phone is worth, and that's enough for them > > to get their needle. > > > > The bulk of stolen phones then goes to some phone repair workshops who run > > an underground business of preparing them to be sold. They reflash the > > phone or reset it to a clean state because nobody wants to sell a phone > > with someone's data on it that would be crying out loud "I'm a stolen > > phone". They also unlock it if it's locked to an operator, and change the > > IMEI in those models where it's possible. The next stop for a stolen phone > > is a second hand mobile phone shop whose owner allegedly has no idea that > > the phones that strange people bring, a whole box of them at a time, are > > in fact stolen. > > > > Because rampant mobile phone theft brings them to the second hand market > > where they are priced for less than half of what they're worth, it makes > > them affordable to people who would otherwise not be able to buy a phone. > > Of course, this happens at the expense of those people from whom the > > phones are stolen, and who usually buy themselves a new one. Because of > > this situation, the cell operators in Russia are reluctant to use the IMEI > > (which is often impossible to change) to track down or at least deny > > service to phones reported as stolen -- that would shrink their own market. > > I'm not an expert of the matter, but if it's possible to detect the distance of some bluetooth-device, then a simple headset (remains always on your ear) or even a "bacon" in your wallet is enough to prevent loosing/getting your phone stolen: if more then 2 meters distance, make a loud noise. That's it.
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