GSM-based satellite tracking is becoming increasingly popular as a method of asset tracking, but thieves are becoming more innovative and security measures need to be continually reviewed.
This is according to David Marshall, marketing director at Marshall International, who maintains that organisations are not evaluating their surveillance systems regularly enough, putting their businesses at increasing risk.
He points out that, last year, 30 000 laptops were reported missing in SA, and 10 000 of these were reported as stolen.
"It`s important to realise that, for many companies, it`s not even the laptop that really matters, it`s the sensitive information that may be stored on it," Marshall says, adding that corporate espionage is on the rise in SA.
As a result, Marshall International is working on a project to fit GSM tracking devices to laptops that can be tracked via a radio frequency beacon. Unfortunately, due to the constraints of current technology and the size of the tracking device, laptops fitted with these devices cannot work, but simply become "dummies" used as bait for potential thieves.
RFID systems
"The location of a laptop fitted with a tracking device can be monitored via an ordinary cellphone, which receives messages from the GSM device through a cellular network," says Marshall.
This method of tracking, he claims, is a more practical solution than an RFID-based system, but can only be tracked as long as it is in range of a signal receiver. It is thus not possible to track an item through RFID once it has left a company`s building, he explains.
"This is especially significant when considering that it is often more important to determine where a stolen item is going, rather than simply catching the person who takes it," he adds.
As a result, Marshall explains, the project to fit a number of laptops with traffic devices is being conducted in conjunction with the South African Police Service, which is planning to carry out an operation targeting syndicates.
GSM-based tracking devices can also be successful installed in desktop PCs and many other items, such as money boxes and containers, says Marshall, but notes that many organisations still see security as a grudge expense.
Dedicated staff
"Security is seen as a cost centre, not a profit centre. Adequate security requires not only a commitment, but also dedicated staff, which means that many organisations are not investing sufficiently in this area," he explains.
However, Marshall believes this attitude is slowly changing, as surveillance technology becomes more cost-effective, available and accessible. He notes that most modern surveillance technology is PC-based, making it easy to use and install.
Internet Protocol cameras, he says, are fast becoming the more popular option for surveillance, and operators can monitor visuals on a PC via LAN or WAN.
Marshall says general statistics in the market show that 15% of the workforce is inclined to steal, 70% are undecided and 15% will not be swayed into stealing at all.
"It is the 70% that needs to be swayed into realising that the risks are too great. Advising this sector of the workforce that surveillance equipment is installed will discourage a large proportion of staff from considering theft," he says.
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