miTracker PC Anti Theft 1.2.1

Overview

When you occasionally carry your laptop with you wherever you go, the constant thought of protecting it is always on your mind. You might lose it or if you take your eyes off of it for a few moments someone could easily grab it and you’d never see it again. In fact, I’m writing this review in a library and I really don’t want to leave my laptop exposed to anyone here. So what’s the solution? Either install an alarm on it, or use miTracker, a software that can help locate your laptop and allow you to make important operations remotely, such as shred confidential files, lock the computer to prevent unauthorized login and you the ability to type a message and display it on the screen.

Installation

There’s nothing particular in the installation of this program, as all you need to do is follow the small number of steps, set shortcuts and then wait for the main installation process to finish. The setup package is 100% clean from malware and doesn’t install any additional 3^rd party software (e.g. toolbars) either.

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista and 7 (32 and 64-bit).

Interface

First-timers will be prompted to enter a username, password and email that will be used to log into the program and remote center. After doing so the main window will open and on the left side you can see a pane with 4 different options: Overview, File Encryptor, File Shredder and Remote Control Center. The main screen changes depending on which option is selected. The first one displays some general information regarding the status of your computer (User Name, License, IP address and Connection) and on the rest of the screen you can see a short overview of the rest of the menus. The second one, File Encryptor, is a tool used when you want to protect certain files/folders by encrypting them. Simply click on the Add Files (or Add Folder) button, select the desired items and add them to the list. Then click Encrypt and voila! They’re locked. To decrypt them, click the Decrypt button. File Shredder works similarly, only that here the files/folders aren’t locked, but completely erased from the computer. The last option perhaps is the most important function of the program. If you click on the “Login Now” button you will be redirected to the miTracker remote control center to locate it and protect your data from others.

Pros

The file encryptor and shredder tools can be really useful at times when you have to secure your files. The file encryptor uses military AES encryption standards to lock files, and for the shredder tool you can pick one of the following deletion algorithms: Gutmann algorithm, Erase and write random data, National Safety Association Standard, United States Military Standard and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Standard.

But miTracker’s full capabilities lie within the remote center. Login with your credentials and locate your computer’s geographic location, lock it to prevent unauthorized use and enter a message you wish to be displayed on the screen. Furthermore you can delete files remotely, either by selecting them by type or erasing the ones that have been locally encrypted by miTracker.

Cons

Other software of this kind make use of the laptop’s webcam so that it secretly takes photos of the thief and the environment, helping significantly in its retrieval. It would be a nice addition in future versions.

Alternatives

Snuko Antitheft (paid) is a product available for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows and Mac devices and will help you trace it if it gets stolen. Compared to miTracker it has many more features, such as the Spy Camera feature and the Wifi Hotspots Wireless Connection feature (connects automatically to any unsecured wifi access point to continue uploading photos taken from the webcam). If you lose the device, the finder can enter his details on the screen so that you can contact him about it. Prey (free) is another application with the same purpose, which supports Linux OS as well, besides Win, Mac, iOS and Android.

Conclusion

miTracker will definitely help if your laptop ever gets stolen. However, alternative software have different features implemented so you should check them all out and see if they fit your needs better.