[OLPC Security] Anti-theft and Anti-Sale ideas for Nepal

Carl-Daniel Hailfinger c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006 at gmx.net
Mon Feb 19 12:17:10 EST 2007


Hi,

Bryan Berry wrote:
> I really like Bitfrost's P_THEFT protection option where the laptop could
> "phone home" to renew its 21-day operating lease. W/out that operating
> lease, the laptop will shutdown.  However, that is not ideal for Nepal, at
> least for the next several years.  Consistent internet access in remote
> districts will remain prohibitively expense for at least the next several
> years.
> 
> Nepal could use a modified P_THEFT to discourage sales by hungry kids and
> alcoholic Dads or general theft.  The number one use for sold laptops will
> be Internet access and they would primarily end up in Nepal's larger cities
> or abroad -->Bangkok's Panthip electronics market.

What is the average wage of a person skilled enough to disassemble a laptop
in Nepal? Assuming that P_THEFT can be circumvented with an hour of physical
access to the laptop, will any sophisticated theft protection work at all?
Yes, it may discourage the casual buyer, but if a laptop is sold to somebody
skilled enough (a local crime syndicate will have someone handy), it becomes
a question of return-of-investment.

* Acquire the laptop from alcoholic dad - ($20)
* Pay somebody to remove P_THEFT - ($5)
* Sell the laptop - $80
-----------------------
* Profit - $55

Now please tell me how you want to stop that sort of business.
Remember that removing P_THEFT includes removal of any activation and phone-
home software.

Regards,
Carl-Daniel
-- 
http://www.hailfinger.org/


More information about the Security mailing list