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Prey (software)

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Prey
Developer(s)Fork Ltd.
Initial releaseMarch 24, 2009 (2009-03-24)
Preview release(s) [±]
Written inBash, Java, Objective-C, Python, Node.js, Ruby
Operating systemWindows, Linux, OS X, Android, iOS
TypeLaptop tracking software
LicenseGNU General Public License; proprietary (Prey Pro)
Websitepreyproject.com

Prey is a freemium web service for tracking and monitoring laptop and desktop computers, smartphones and other electronic devices capable of running software applications, mainly intended to help in cases of theft. The service is hosted by servers on the Internet, to which an open-source software agent on the tracked computer connects. The host can signal the agent, prompting it to reply with information about its current location, and can trigger various other actions.[1] The user can log into the Prey site if the tracked device is stolen, and request information about its location.

Prey runs on most versions of Microsoft Windows (except Windows Mobile and Windows Phone), Linux, Android, OS X and iOS. The computer version of the Prey agent is written primarily in Bash, while the mobile counterparts are written in their native languages, Java and Objective-C.[2][3]

All of the client-side source code is published on GitHub and distributed under the GNU General Public License; the server code is proprietary,[4] although an open source version is available for public use.[5]

When the device is connected to the Internet after Prey has been asked for information, typically by the device's registered user after theft of the device, the Prey server asks the software agent to send location information which is, subsequently, made available to the registered user.

Company

Fork Ltd.[6] is a privately held software company with offices in San Francisco and Hong Kong. It was founded in 2009 by CEO Tomás Pollak and COO Carlos Yaconi.[7]

Location information

When a device is to be located, usually because it has been stolen and may be used by unauthorised users, the owner logs into the Prey site and reports it as missing. The Prey server then attempts to contact the device when it next connects to the Internet, asks for its location information and, optionally, submits owner-issued commands, e.g., to lock the device.

For devices with GPS capability, such as smartphones with built-in GPS (satellite positioning) capability, the GPS location is used.[8]

For devices without GPS capability, and for computers unable to connect to GPS (either because they do not have a GPS receiver or because they are located indoors and, as such, beyond the reach of GPS satellite systems), if it the device has a Wi-Fi interface, the device scans for Wi-Fi hotspots (it does not need to connect to any of them) and uses Wi-Fi positioning by means of the Google Location API to obtain location information[9][10]

On devices with neither GPS nor Wi-Fi capabilities, such as most desktop and some laptop computers, Prey provides the location of the Internet server the device is connected to; although such server's location may be far from the device and, as such, of little use in pinpointing its location.

Additional capabilities

In addition to obtaining location information and issuing commands to lock the device, it is also possible to issue other commands, including turning on a device's camera to view who is using the device at that moment.[11]

Versions

The first version of the agent was released for Linux and Mac OS X in March 2009 and for Microsoft Windows in April 2009.[12] Version 0.3 was available in September 2009.[13] Version 0.5.4 was released in December 2011;[2][14] on April 4, 2012, it was replaced by 0.5.3.[14] Version 1.6.1 was current as of June 2016.[2]

Prey provides Wi-Fi auto-connect, data securing, screenshot grabbing, webcam image capturing, hardware scanning, screen locking, remote messaging, and sonic-alarm triggering.[15] Each feature is managed as a module that can be activated on demand.

References

  1. ^ Purdy, Kevin (Sep 21, 2010). "How to track and (potentially) recover your stolen laptop or Android with Prey". Lifehacker. Archived from the original on 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-11-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Prey download page". Fork Ltd. Archived from the original on 2016-10-21. Retrieved 19 October 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); filenames indicate version, e.g. prey-windows-1.4.2-x86.exe
  3. ^ Pot, Justin (July 15, 2010). "Track down and recover your stolen laptop with Prey". MakeUseOf. Archived from the original on 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2010-11-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Terms of Service for Prey's Control Panel". Fork Ltd. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2012-07-25. The Control Panel … application is currently not licensed, and [is] maintained only by Fork. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Prey Standalone Control Panel". Fork Ltd. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2012-01-16. Simple app to trigger reports for Prey Standalone users. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Fork". Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 3 July 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "About our company". Fork Ltd. 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014.
  8. ^ "How to enable Geolocation". May 6, 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Prey 0.3.7: Now, locate your computer – Prey". 2010-03-22. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 4 December 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (16 November 2011). "How Google--and everyone else--gets Wi-Fi location data". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 4 December 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Karsten, Matthew (2012). "Prey Project: How To Recover A Stolen Computer • Expert Vagabond". Expertvagabond.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 4 December 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Pollak, Tomás (Apr 14, 2009). "Prey: Y rastrea tu computador robado (Prey: track your stolen computer)". Bootlog. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 19 December 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Wallen, Jack (Sep 17, 2009). "How do I use Prey to help recover a stolen laptop?". TechRepublic. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2012-08-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b "Prey Release Archive". Fork Ltd. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 15 August 2013 suggested (help) List of releases up to 8 May 2013
  15. ^ Mathews, Lee (Oct 28, 2010). "Prey tracks stolen Windows, Mac or Linux laptops, or Android smartphones, for free". Switched. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014.
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