Chip and pin to stop laptop theft

About 100 laptop machines are stolen daily in the UK

A Derby computing student outraged at the theft of his laptop believes he has found a way to track stolen machines.

Arnold Briggs, 23, whose £900 notebook was taken from his home last year, has come up with a form of cash card-style chip and pin technology.

Mr Briggs collected police figures which show 34,678 laptops are stolen each year - almost 100 a day.

He worked with police and bank security developers on a system to detect when stolen computers are linked to the web.

His idea needs manufacturers to install a smart microchip to each machine's motherboard which would regulate access to the internet.

Track addresses

It would also store information - such as the IP address to help pinpoint the location - every time it is connected.

Mr Briggs, studying business information systems at Derby University, said: "The chip would store and transmit the information and allow police forces, after liaising with internet service providers, to track the actual address where a stolen laptop is being used

"It would allow people to recover missing computers and act as a deterrent to thieves.

"Even if a criminal is not able to access your files, he can still sell the laptop in good working order and receive hundreds of pounds for it."

Priceless data

Mr Briggs consulted the technical director of the UK Chip and Pin programme, who confirmed the system was feasible with current technology.

The government revealed in 2002 that 1,933 of its computers had either been lost or stolen.

Harjinder Singh Lallie, a computing lecturer at the university who previously ran a laptop repair business, said: "It is sometimes the third or fourth most expensive item that anybody ever purchases and, if we consider the value of data stored on a the laptop, it is often priceless.

"Anything which can be introduced to help tackle the problem is to be welcomed."