Prey

My pc has never felt so safe.

Comments: Safety for my pc - I always know where it is and whether or not it's safe. Prompt emails and rapid response.

Pros:

They let me know as soon as my pc has been offline for a certain amount if time - ensuring that I know whether or not my pc is safe. They notify me the second I'm online again, the whereabouts of my pc, etc - so I know I'd have full control of finding it again. I'm very impressed with the prompt response of the Prey team.

Cons:

The sleek and modern branding may be too intimidating for some. I think marketing may be limited to pc-techs because no one else I know has heard of it...

Prey Project a simple solution to a complex sensitive problem

Comments: We were looking for a way to prevent any "Lost" device events from growing into bigger concerns. The installs are pretty easy and rarely have trouble connecting the software to the cloud. Once installed we can track where our laptops/tablets were last seen and get IP address/hardware information from them. If someone leave your company during this time of Covid Related Lockdowns it can be an issue forcing the device recovery process, but with Prey you can remotely wipe the device, turn on annoying unstoppable alarms, and lock out the device entirely. Essentially ensuring you get your piece of equipment back. In the event that it is stolen you can have the system set to do all this automatically if the device ever comes back online. You can also activate the camera so you can figure out more information as to where the device is and who has it. For instance you can figure out what coffee shop your salesperson left his laptop at.

Pros:

The software is very set and forget, it automatically updates, has a standard whitelisting for your antivirus, and has never caused a False Flag incident for Symantec/Cylance. Once installed you link up to the server type in the username and password and your device is protected. To be honest we really have never had to use it but we have successfully tested it multiple times. There is an amusing alarm function where you can make the device in question loudly alert people around you and it lets you keep track of where your devices are/ what is on them/ get back some data/ and setup a "If it ever comes back online it automatically deletes the device". This was exactly what we wanted incase a laptop is ever lost or is not returned in a timely manner.

Cons:

During the initial setup you have to be connected to the internet when you log in and allow the software to connect to the cloud. This sometimes fails but will eventually work once you reinstall. Also you have to install .net 3.5 before hand which can sometimes turn a 5 minute install into a wait while .net installs.

Discreet tracking software

Pros:

This location tracking software can be used on top of existing OS support (e.g. Find My Mac / iPhone), for a secondary way of locating stolen devices. Since it is less well known and more discreet than the built-in solution, the hope is that it is more likely to go unnoticed.

Cons:

At some point, the software update system was broken and one of my devices' tracking stopped working. I was only notified after a few days by e-mail that my device had not checked in with Prey's servers for a while, which prompted me to look into it. During that interval, the device was not protected.

Prey helps us keep our laptops safe

Comments: We started using it to track our tablets and laptops after one was stolen. We love that it is stealthy, and it really gives us peace of mind since we can keep tabs on our expensive computers at all times.

Pros:

Prey is stealthy (users don't even know it is installed) and it is super easy to install and setup. You can set your own boundary zone so it only alerts you if a device leaves the zone you set.

Cons:

Prey only tracks the devices when they are connected to wifi, but this is really a minor issue since that is basically how any tracking software works. We really don't have any complaints!

The best protection for non "fruit" users

Comments: Just make sure that the app is activated, and leave the rest to the prey

Pros:

You can manage and check all your devices with this software, it's also integrated with chilean police so it's your best chance to recover any stolen device (laptop, mobile, etc)

Cons:

Make sure that the app is activated and has the required permissions, if you forgot something it's like not having prey