Abstract: A method and apparatus with an integral security system. The apparatus includes an electronic device for sending signals to a remote station, such as a pre-determined telephone number, at spaced-apart intervals of time. The signals include identifying indicia for the apparatus. The identifying indicia may be a characteristic serial number. The apparatus may include a computer and software for providing the signals to a communication interface on the computer. Preferably the software is programmed on a memory device for the computer at a location not normally accessible to operating software for the computer such as a boot sector of a disk thereof. The system should contact the remote station without visual or audio signals apparent to the user. The remote station is able to determine the identification and location of the computer from the signals received including the identifying indicia and caller I.D. signals provided by a telephone company.

Abstract: A system for locating and monitoring electronic devices utilizing a security system that is secretly and transparently embedded within the software, firmware, or hardware of a computer. This security system causes the client computer to periodically and conditionally call a host system to report its serial number via an encoded series of dialed numbers. A host monitoring system receives calls from various clients and determines which calls to accept and which to reject. This determination is made by comparing the decoded client serial numbers with a predefined and updated list of numbers corresponding to reported stolen computers. Only calls from clients on the predefined list are accepted. The host also concurrently obtains the caller ID of the calling client to determine the physical location of the client computer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus with an integral security system. The apparatus includes an electronic device for sending signals to a remote station, such as a pre-determined telephone number, at spaced-apart intervals of time. The signals include identifying indicia for the apparatus. The identifying indicia may be a characteristic serial number. The apparatus may include a computer and software for providing the signals to a communication interface on the computer. Preferably the software is programmed on a memory device for the computer at a location not normally accessible to operating software for the computer such as a boot sector of a disk thereof. The system should contact the remote station without visual or audio signals apparent to the user. The remote station is able to determine the identification and location of the computer from the signals received including the identifying indicia and caller I.D. signals provided by a telephone company.