Australia Placed Second for Device Theft in Endpoint Security Report

Sydney, Australia:18 September, 2013– Absolute® Software Corporation (TSX: ABT), the industry standard for persistent endpoint security and management solutions for computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, has released its second annual Absolute Endpoint Security Report revealing mobile device theft data and trends in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, including Australia. Two of Absolute’s largest customers are located in Australia providing a data-rich view of endpoint security in this part of the world.

The report reveals interesting trends in endpoint security, in particular a significant increase in proactive data protection undertaken by Absolute customers in calendar year 2012. Data protection details include data recovered and deleted as well as the types of encryption employed. Absolute customers performed more than 6,440 data delete commands, an increase of 34 per cent from 2011. Additionally Absolute is seeing trends in the recovery locations, computer theft is not limited by geography; while the original crime may occur in one country, recovering the stolen device may occur in another country or continent.

While the United States continues to top the report as the number one country in the world for device theft, Australia is now second. Within the APAC region, the report identifies the top theft locations (in descending order) as schools, personal automobiles other than taxis, residential properties, transit stations, businesses, universities, retail outlets, taxis, hospitals, restaurants and airports.

“Absolute’s technology has made significant inroads into key Australian vertical markets - education, healthcare, corporate and government,” said David Trotter, Area Vice President, Asia Pacific & Latin America at Absolute Software. “But it is within the public education sector that Absolute Software solutions have been deployed more widely.”

“Providing laptops to our students allows them to access important online resources, resulting in improved collaboration and greater opportunity for personalised learning,” said David O’Hagan, Information and Technologies Assistant Director-General at Queensland Department of Education. “Absolute Computrace technology provides schools and students with the security of knowing their laptops can be tracked and traced should it ever be lost or stolen.”

From January to June 2013 the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services team assisted local law enforcement with 72 device recoveries in Australia. Many of the stories behind the recoveries were unique including a cross-border crime ring, device theft by a homestay provider and inside job scenarios. Police in Queensland recently recovered a laptop only eight days after it was reported stolen thanks to the help of the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services team. A student laptop theft was reported by a Queensland independent school to police. The student left for home and forgot about her school bag, returning the next day to find the laptop missing from the bag. Information gathered using Absolute’s forensic tools narrowed down the search. It was discovered that the thief was working as a security guard for a private security firm used at the school. The laptop was recovered, and the security guard was dismissed.

“As of September 2013, the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services team has successfully recovered more than 30,000 mobile devices from 103 countries around the world,” said Trotter.

In Australia, Absolute Software’s principal business alliance partner is inTechnology Distribution.

“inTechnology is pleased to say that the market is responding very positively to Absolute’s world-leading technology in tracking, managing and protecting digital assets for better data protection and managed computer theft recovery,” said Mark Winter, Founder and Director at inTechnology.

A copy of the report is available at:
http://www.absolute.com/en/resources/whitepapers/endpoint-security-report-2012