Prey lets you keep track of your laptop, phone and tablet whenever stolen or missing -- easily and all in one place. It's lightweight, open source software that gives you full and remote control, 24/7. It helps you to find your stolen laptop by sending timed reports to your email with a lot of information includes general status of the computer, a list of running programs, active connections, Wi-Fi information, a screenshot of the running desktop and if your laptop has an integrated webcam it will include a picture of the thief also.
Salient Features of Prey:
1. 100% Geo-location aware
Prey uses either the device's GPS or the nearest Wi-Fi hotspots to triangulate and grab a fix on its location. It's shockingly accurate.
2. Know your enemy
Take a picture of the thief with your laptop's webcam so you know what he looks like and where he's hiding. Powerful evidence.
3. No unauthorized access
Fully lock down your PC, making it unusable unless a specific password is entered. The guy won't be able to do a thing!
4. Wi-Fi auto connect
If enabled, Prey will attempt to hook onto to the nearest open Wi-Fi hotspot when no Internet connection is found.
5. Watch their movements
Grab a screenshot of the active session -- if you're lucky you may catch the guy logged into his email or Facebook account!
6. Scan your hardware
7. Light as a feather
Prey has very few dependencies and doesn't even leave a memory footprint until activated. We care as much as you do.
8. Keep your data safe
Hide your Outlook or Thunderbird data and optionally remove your stored passwords, so no one will be able to look into your stuff.
9. Full auto updater
Prey can check its current version and automagically fetch and update itself, so you don't need to manually reinstall each time.
10. And many more…
How to Use it?
1. First of all download and install this software from here. It is also available for Mac users.
demo
2. Then open it and run. Now configure this soft with your name, device, email id and create a new account at Prey along with password.
3. All Done! Check your mail and confirm account respectively. After that, Login to your web panel and manage your settings as per your choice at prey.
How it Works?
prey-overview
Basically you install a tiny agent in your PC or phone, which silently waits for a remote signal to wake up and work its magic. This signal is sent either from the Internet or through an SMS message, and allows you to gather information regarding the device's location, hardware and network status, and optionally trigger specific actions on it.
What to do if laptop lost?
Just go to web panel and change the laptop status to missing. Select report timing, operating system and add webcam in modules. Then Save your all settings and check mail after 5 min.
Now Prey will try to hook onto the nearest open Wi-Fi hotspot when no internet connection is found, prey automatically communicate with web panel and check your status in panel. If panel showing missing status software automatically start working in your laptop. It will take details of your laptop like opened software details, network details, screen shot and take a picture of the thief with your laptops webcam so you know what he looks like and where he’s hiding and send to your email id already configured in this software. Pray also hide your Outlook or Thunderbird data from thief. Hence you will get the stolen details in your mail ID by which your laptop thief can be detected very easily. Enjoy freedom!
I Hope this article will be very helpful to the Hostel boys in their college. Please share and award proper credits to this blog.