FireFound – Firefox Add-On to Find Stolen Computers
This website lets you get a free download of FireFound which is an add-on for the Firefox browser, and also the mobile version Fennec. It helps you locate your computer or mobile phone if they get lost or stolen. It works by sending a secure message to a central server each time your computer or mobile phone are moved to give the location, and you can log into the server and check up on them at any time. The geolocation data is approximate so the police need to be involved in tracking the equipment more precisely. The website warns not to try to retrieve it yourself.
The location data is encrypted and can’t be accessed by anyone without your password. If you realise your computer or mobile phone have been taken you can alert police and also clear your browsing history so that the thieves can’t access your private and financial information. FireFound can also alert you if your computer or mobile phone have been moved, so you would know quickly if anybody else had taken them. The code for the server is open source, so you could also run your own FireFound server.
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