42 Comments

Today My Laptop Was Stolen, I Ask for Your Help

February 17, 2009 by in Random with 42 Comments

I try not to write personal items on my website, but as a way to release some pent up anger I decided to blog about my day.

Sadly today my laptop was stolen out of a locked car. I did nothing obvious to showcase it’s contents, it was just taken because it was sitting in the back seat and somebody who is quick with a jimmy tool wanted cash.

The machine was sweet, a MacBook Pro maxed out with a killer 160GB SSD drive thanks to Intel. And honestly the loss of the machine doesn’t really bother me… Keep the machine, matter of fact keep everything. What bothers me is the loss of data.

I learned today that nobody is above good security. Sure I had a password but no encryption on my data. What does that mean? I have to call the major credit bureaus and freeze my credit (as I was working on my taxes) both personally and for my business, change a million passwords, and rebuild my digital life.

Simple rules I tell people everyday I ignored. So, I learned an important lesson, encrypt your hard drive or at least your personal files. Install a remote access program (my favorite is LogMeIn free) so if the machine ever touches the Internet you can gain control and wipe it. I use Apples MobileMe (which has been wiped) so on next sync my email, contacts and calendar should be cleared, but that is not nearly enough.

Sure nothing on the laptop was too personal. At worst the thief will have all the access they want to my vacation pictures (me shirtless is a sight to be seen) and where I surf but the feeling of having data loss is terrible and heart breaking.

I want to see if I can leverage the power of the Internet to help me. Please pass this link on, major sites PLEASE lend a fellow blogger a hand and post this. If you are in the New York metro area – specifically Brooklyn keep your eyes out. If you see an eBay listing flag it.

I’ll post the machines serial number and tech specs.

The serial number is: W88528LR1G0
Model: MB470LL/A
Ethernet ID: 0023DF83F662
Has 4GB RAM and a 160GB Intel SSD drive.

If it is found as a reward you can keep the hardware and Ill offer a reward to top it. All I want is the peace of mind that I can wipe my data, and know my SSN as well as EIN will not be used.

This may be a desperate plea from a frustrated tech guy, but who knows maybe someone will find it in their heart to spread the word and find this missing computer! Let’s show how powerful the Internet is! I also would like to thank any of the big sites if they choose to syndicate this.

I thank you in advance for your time, postings and comments.


  • joe

    long time reader…first time poster… i’d call apple too to burn those S#’s out. Yea, i often fear the loss of data etc etc! And the fact it was an mac…w/ ssd…dude… sorry.

    vent vent vent

    on a lighter note…love your blog…

  • http://poly-life.com/ Kenji

    http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/7y7g1/help_dan_from_uneasysilence_get_his_peace_of_mind/

    Hope that helps Dan! I also posted a link to this post on my site (although i’m not as big as reddit, I hope it will help.)

    http://poly-life.com/post/79207206/today-my-laptop-was-stolen-i-ask-for-your-help

    in case you wanted to see it.

  • http://www.carltrimble.com/ Carl Trimble

    Sorry to hear that. I do not live in NY but I feel for you. One of my offices had every machine stolen. Thank fully we had backups. Hopefully this article shows up on DIGG so we can catch them.

  • Luka Kladaric

    man, that sucks… if someone got my laptop, i think i’d just reach for the nearest rope and go find an appropriate tree…

    best of luck recovering the machine!

  • http://elmak.org Elmak

    Ouch. I had a computer stolen before- it was an iMac G5 box (yea, they stole a desktop) and I was able to shell into it when it got online and burn out my data with some well placed sudo commands. Luckily for me the thing was using DynDNS and operated as a webproxy, else I’d have been screwed.

    The only thing I can suggest for the future is buy yourself a copy of Undercover and turn on SSH access or something that lets you access it directly without the user knowing when it’s online.

  • http://elmak.org Elmak

    Oh, and best of luck! I hope it returns safely to you.

  • http://pixelplain.com JR

    I’m sorry to hear about this, Dan. I’ve had 2 laptops stolen (well, I technically left one under a table) so I understand what you are going through.

    Apple wasn’t really very helpful. They flag the serials and that’s about it. Not that I blame them, what else are they supposed to do.

    Chances are, whoever stole it (or eventually uses it) will either wipe the drive for fear of any tracking and does not care about your data.

    Like any theft, however, it does make you feel violated and a little dirty. But I have lived through a couple and we just have to keep going and learn from our mistakes (i.e., adequate backups and security).

    Hang in there and hope someone tracks it down for you!

  • Ian

    I’ve had a laptop stolen from a repair store (yeah, go figure), and it is quite a feeling to have your personal information out like that. Best of luck trying to get it back.

    Don’t forget to continuously check Craigslist. Lots of hot items end up selling on there within 24 hours.

  • Jerry

    My wife had her camera bag and GPS stolen out of her car a few weeks ago. Well lit parking lot, decent foot traffic. They ended up catching the guy last week somehow, she got the camera back but GPS was gone. (And missing the CF cards for some reason…)

    The one time she DIDN’T have her laptop with her thankfully.

  • http://web.me.com/mr.nickler Matthew

    I am SO sorry to hear that Dan. I fear the loss of my laptop as well. I hope you find it, and if you need anything let me know.

    Matthew

  • Billy bigmouth

    what kind of dumbass leaves a super powered computer in a car in plain sight with sensitive info on it …in the dirty bowels of brooklyn…and expects it to be there when he returns…you should have left the doors unlocked and saved yourself the broken window.

  • wrxratd

    i recommend all mac user get this as i use it and it helped a close friend of mine get his Macbook back

    http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/

    Sorry for your loss and i would go with the craigslist idea also

  • http://www.uneasysilence.com Dan

    I set up a RSS feed for Craigslist. Hopefully it will turn up something, eBay too.

    I hope Apple can burn the serial number so if someone brings it in they will flag it.

  • http://5thirtyone.com Derek

    Really sorry to hear that your notebook was swiped Dan. Here’s to hoping someone somewhere notices something. I’m getting paranoid and planning on PGP encrypting all of my data along with protected DMGs for the sensitive temporary details.

  • Paul B

    http://www.h-townmadness.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21808#post21808

    I don’t have a blog of my own, but I can post about it and hopefully get the word spread.

    Sorry to hear about this, some people are just a**holes.

  • http://novus.byvolce.com Jonathan Solichin

    That sucks mate! I hope everything will be fine. I posted on my blog’s elsewhere. Hope it helps. Good luck!

  • chris

    Dan, That sucks, but thanks for taking the time not just to bitch about it (we all would) but really make this an opportunity to remind us to secure, encrypt and back-up our data. As always thanks for a great blog. chris

  • SMASH

    for all the time i have killed on this site over the years… if your computer turns up in chicago… ill shoot the person in the knee cap :-D haha

    no but seriously that sucks and im sorry it happened if someone stole my macbook i dont know what i would do! this thing is my life.

  • http://clibra.wordpress.com/ CLibra

    I blogged about it, so if it ends up in the UK, my readers can help track it down.
    http://clibra.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/helping-a-fellow-blogger/

  • tonto

    If you have mobileme, you might have a chance to get your mbp back. I’m sorry to hear that.

  • tonto

    oops! sorry, didn’t read your blog completely.

  • http://jeffbaynham.com Jeff

    Man, that just sucks.

    I would suggest doing some RSS Ebay searches with your model number and so you can see if it pops up. Craigs List might let you do the same thing.

    Good luck!

  • http://www.vcuramnation.com Matt Morton

    Make sure you change all of your passwords to admin sites like this one. That can always be a nightmare!!!

  • http://www.reelsmart.com Stephen
  • Joe

    Sorry for your loss. I was horrified. So I decided to put a password in my BIOS to protect my multiboot lappie. It doesn’t encrypt the HD but it’s something.

  • Noah Hardaway

    Man… I know how that would make me feel.. loss of everything like that… I think I’ll start encrypting my data now! This post is a real wake-up call (to me at least) that computers actually get stolen! The horror!

    Dan, I wish you well.

  • Doc

    Any chance of getting this up on Digg? Dan do you know Kevin Rose or Alex Albrecht? Maybe send out a tweet to them. See if they can post something on their sites. Or maybe even Amber from http://ambermac.com/

    Also you may want to send a quick email to Shawn and Lisa King of http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com/
    they have a live show airing tonight maybe they can get the word out for you, you never know or at least post something on their site.

    Using the power of this site is a powerful tool. I would bet it works out in the end.

    Good luck,
    Doc

  • sivil.

    That is bullshit, long time reader, huge fan, I feel for you man.

  • 4tigs

    Dan
    I contacted Apple about my G4 + Ipod when it was stolen with serial number etc as it needed the battery recall so I hoped they would flag it and could inform Police of its new owners address. I was told that I Apple would not bother as I would just buy a new machine. Not being insured (In locked Car and laptop kingston locked (in a Car being the problem)) I couldn’t afford to replace it for two years. It was the bluetooth that gave the laptops wareabouts away. I now keep that turned off.

    Apple did allow me to redownload all my lost Itunes as a one off and that was very good of them.

    Can you run a line on remote data removal – how is it done for the beginner

    Rick

  • Jon

    Oh D. I never trusted VS.

  • http://fernyb.net fernyb

    My laptop was stolen as-well. Although it was my company issued laptop
    Macbook Pro and was stolen from my desk on my 3rd day on the job.

  • HZC

    I take it then that you didn’t have your MobileMe Back-to-my-Mac feature enabled? I know that this could be a longshot, but if it is enabled, you should be able to get the IP address of the computer (or DSL modem, etc.) via Back-to-my-Mac:

    echo “show State:/Network/BackToMyMac” | scutil
    (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7412235)

    Other links:
    http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/11/stolen-laptop-recovered-with-back-to-my-mac/
    http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/17/iphone-thief-thwarted-by-mobileme-sync/

  • Doc

    Engadget story about those intel SSD. They fragment and really slow down after heavy use. Only way to fix is a complete wipe of the drive!

    http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/intel-x25-m-ssds-slowing-down-with-extensive-use/

  • http://www.ronaldpoi.net/ Ronald Poi

    I work on an Apple Authorized Service Provider on Lima, Perú. If the computer ever reaches Peru and my service center, I’ll know its yours… Sad thing… is the only thing I could say =(

    Hope you can find it. And in the rare situation that in fact it comes to Peru, I’ll let you know. Maybe you can recover it.

  • Chad

    this makes me want to get a dyndns client up and running on my macbook pro. At least then I could try to get to it via SSH and gather data on the thief or make the laptop a brick and clear out my private data.

    Dan you’ve inspired me sir… sorry you book got stolen… but I have to point out the irony.

    http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2006/11/8288/

    consider it tough love.

  • http://www.uneasysilence.com Dan

    I don’t like really leaving SSH open… I’m protected DMG’s all the way with auto timed passwords.

  • Nancy

    so sorry to hear that..

    My Macbook Pro was stolen last 2 days too. T_T

    I got the IP address of the theft, but seems like police can’t help. Call the ISP, but got nothing. I am finding my way to get those thefts in Jail…

  • kaz

    Why do you have to change a million passwords? I mean, to look into your keychain passwords, the guy need to know your password, isn’t it? Even Firefox password are secure if you set a master password.

    The computer wasn’t shut down or in sleep mode with password requirement on wake up active? To me, that’s already a big step. If the guy can’t start the computer, he’s gonna reinstall it, not trying to read the data out of it. If you have the firmware passoword set, the thieve can’t even start your computer in target disk mode, and has to open it. No thieve is going to beak open and risk to damage the computer, just for some hypothetical data.

    For the paranoids among us, having filevault active is really useful for such cases. Then you don’t need to worry about your data (provided, your computer is password-locked). I’m using Espionage, a really neat encryption tool, since Filevault has some bugs which I can’t live with (Time Machine backup only when logged out, all default extension/applications associations reset at each reboot…).

    But as I said, that’s really because I’m paranoid about my data. My passwords are safe anyway just because I never leave my computer without being password locked.

    Maybe I should have posted this below your post “how do you protect your data?”…

  • Doc

    any updates Dan ?

  • http://sumobackup.com Sumo Backup

    Man, that really grinds my gears. I’ve had a laptop stolen too, and it’s just infuriating.

    The sad thing is that it probably for fenced and formatted within minutes of being stolen. Gone for good…

    But we can always hope for a miracle.

    In the meantime, I hope that this little cartoon we made cheers you up:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumobackup/3489049318/

    All the best, and I hope you find your machine.

  • MadAsHell

    I got my MacBook Pro stolen as well two nights ago and I can see the guy accessing the internet via a Sprint Data USB card because I have LogMeIn installed on it. I can get his IP address but it is a pool of IPs that Sprint has.

    I could remotely control the laptop via LogMeIn but it flashes a little message box up on the remote computer screen that tells them that it is being remotely controlled by a different machine.

    Any ideas?

  • aidanc0837

    Today my car was left unlocked by my kids.the stuff inside was rumaged through and my laptop was moved from the boot to the front seat the robbers then hid it under my large clotes bag (i work away from home) i came back to find my laptop bag on the back seat with all the stuff emptied on the other back seat i was destrought and rather sad i have all my passwords and banck account details on a notepad file i was on the verge of a panic attack.my kids stuff was all over the floor and gone through.For some reason it was left on the passenger seat.why?
    nothing was taken and the car locked itself with the emobilizer setting(god bles BMW anti theft)
    i feel sorry for the guys who have lost there lapdog

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