Sunday, July 1, 2007

Track your Stolen Mobile Device

Read about a service called 'PhoneBAK' that helps users track their stolen devices. For Symbian devices it is a Symbian application that needs to be installed and then configured with a PIN and two mobile numbers. Once configured, it requires the PIN to re-configure, enable or disable the application. The application runs quietly in the background tracking the IMEI (device identifier) and IMSI (subscriber/SIM identifier). If the IMSI changes, it quietly sends out SMS messages to the two mobile numbers configured with the IMSI of the new SIM. If you lost your device and the person who has it now tries to use it with a new SIM with a new number, you now know the new number. You can either report to authorities or call up the person and deal with it yourself.

But there seem to be few caveats.

  • Since this is not embedded along with the phone firmware, a reset of the phone would wipe out the software. If the phone was stolen, it is very likely that the thief will reset your phone. Most of the smart phones do start up even when there is no SIM card, so it is easy to just pull out the SIM, reset the phone and then use it. It would work till thieves are ignorant about such a software, but if this becomes popular, or after couple of incidents of thieves getting caught is publicized, they will become wiser.
  • If your phone is stolen outside your country and the new number does not have international messaging capability, the software will not be able to send an SMS.
But once this becomes popular, its a matter of time before the solution can be improved and made more effective. Few ways to make it more effective that came to my mind:
  • Embed the software in the firmware. It is easy for Nokias and Sonys of the world to embed this in the firmware so that once configured, it can not be wiped out. The software configuration should be stored separately so that it can not be wiped out even with a reset. The only way to reset it should be to visit the service center, present proof of ownership and let the technician clear the settings.
  • Use data channel as a backup to SMS for informing the new IMSI. Bak2U could run a service where they can in-turn send out messages or inform their users.
  • It should also encrypt data (phonebook, notes, calendars, files) transparently. If the IMSI changes, encrypted data is no longer available. The service could then send across the data to the original user through Bak2U service. The user can at least retrieve the data and not let it fall on wrong hands. The data sometimes is more valuable than the device itself!
I had read a related article when Bak2U had started its service few years back and then it was just a service that provided labels that you could stick at the back of your device so that if a nice person found it they could return it for a small reward. Works for misplaced items, but not effective against thefts. I'm sure we will see such anti-theft solutions in the market soon as devices become smaller and unified and become more and more important for us.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

PhoneBAK is a really interesting concept, but what would happen if the battery is dead? I use another form of lost and found recovery, its called TrackItBack. I get labels sent to me and I put them on my camera, laptop, cell phone, and my kids portable video games. When I lose any of the items that has a TrackItBack label on it, they call me when its been found and they get a courier deliver it back to either my home or work address. I have save hundreds of dollars using this service and would recommend it to anyone.

Anonymous said...

PhoneBAK is a really interesting concept, but what would happen if the battery is dead? I use another form of lost and found recovery, its called TrackItBack. I get labels sent to me and I put them on my camera, laptop, cell phone, and my kids portable video games. When I lose any of the items that has a TrackItBack label on it, they call me when its been found and they get a courier deliver it back to either my home or work address. I have save hundreds of dollars using this service and would recommend it to anyone.