Students, faculty, staff and alumni can now help protect their laptops from theft at no cost thanks to the collaborative efforts of Information Technology Services (ITS) and Public Safety (PSafe). FrontDoorSoftware, initially brought to campus by Director of PSafe Dave Meyer, is a system that allows victims of laptop theft to track their laptops on Google Maps.

“ITS checked it out and it’s pretty good,” Meyer said.  “We figured it’d be a great thing because that’s one of our biggest issues—the theft of [laptops].”

The software’s website boasts that the installation increases chances of recovery of the device from 3 percent to over 95 percent. Students who install the software can personalize their security settings, with the option to receive text message alerts and have the laptop audio “say” a phrase of your choice when stolen.

Senior Helpdesk Consultant for the ITS Website and Student Blogs Oriana Ott ’14 was one of the first students to test the technology.

“You can program your computer to shut down so your files are inaccessible, alarm your computer with a personal message, and track it down all just by going online once your laptop has been registered,” Ott wrote in an e-mail to the Argus. “You can activate these features via text, send a text message [to the computer], and if you’ve just lost your laptop, you can set up your login page to show contact information for its return.”

The University is covering the price of the software for all users. Once installed, the software will remain on student laptops for four years.

“It doesn’t slow down your computer at all,” Ott wrote. “The only thing you see is a small notification that your computer is protected and that displays any contact information you would like to make available should someone find your laptop.”

To install FrontDoorSoftware, visit helpdesk.wesleyan.edu/frontdoorsoftware, or visit the ITS helpdesk for assistance.