GPS Units Help Thieves Find Jackpot

Tony's Network Security Blog

By Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP, About.com Guide to Network Security since 2003

GPS Units Help Thieves Find Jackpot

Friday July 25, 2008

When you go out shopping, or to a baseball game, or wherever, odds are fair that you lock your car doors when you leave. You probably want to protect your stereo system, or the CD collection you have in the vehicle. Maybe you left an expensive camera or even a laptop computer in your car. What you may not realize is that the most valuable thing in the vehicle from a thief's perspective may be your portable GPS unit. Most people have their home address pre-programmed into their GPS unit so they can 'return to base' from wherever their travels may take them. Thieves are starting to realize that they can target upscale looking victims in upscale looking cars, and rather than walking away with the camera and/or laptop from the back seat of the vehicle they can take the portable GPS that will lead them straight to the home of the victim and the motherlode of stolen treasure. Next time you leave your car, you may want to take that portable GPS off of your windshield and stash it in the glove compartment, or carry it with you if its portable enough.

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John Schneyer
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