Using text messages to remotely disable Lenovo ThinkPads

Lenovo will be building an additional layer of security into the company's ThinkPad laptop range, by leveraging the popularity of text messaging. Available in 2009, users who have either lost or had their laptops stolen, can send a text message to remotely shut it down. Called Lenovo Constant Secure Remote Disable, this new feature is contained within the laptop's BIOS and was developed together with BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies.

For obvious reasons, Constant Secure Remote Disable technology will only be available for laptops with embedded cellular WWAN (wireless wide-area network) data cards for Internet access. Cellular subscription and coverage are also prerequisites for it to work. The beauty lies in the feature's simplicity of use.

According to Stacy Cannady, Lenovo's product manager of security, the lost or stolen ThinkPad is either disabled immediately or disabled after the laptop has been turned back on. The reason is to allow hard disk encryption to properly engage--since it doesn't work properly when a laptop is either running or in hibernation mode. Users who get their ThinkPads back are able to restore disabled laptops back to their original state by entering a password.

It is not known whether the laptop will be usable after swapping out the existing hard disk or WWAN card.

To read more:
- check out this article from eWeek

Related Article:
Lenovo takes aim at the MacBook Air