Last week, Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services revealed a new online device that allows University students to register their laptop computers with CITES Security.

This online registration makes it easier for students to participate in the existing CITES program aimed at retrieving stolen laptops.

The CITES program has helped recover 20 percent of laptops reported as stolen, and the number is anticipated to grow with the online registration option. Since its launch, about 100 people have already registered online, said Brian Mertz, communications specialist for CITES Security.

“It’s not going to stop laptop theft, but I think it’s going to help give people a piece of mind,” Mertz said. “We’re not promising to recover every laptop that’s reported stolen to us, but one out of five is a good number, and we think that number could go up.”

Previously, to register a laptop with CITES, a student had to go to the CITES Help Desk or to the CITES Laptop Clinics that were held around campus. As of Sept. 10, 691 laptops were registered.

Mertz said registration should take only five minutes. The form requires a student to provide the make and model of his laptop, manufacturer, serial number, MAC address and a brief physical description.

When a registered laptop is stolen, a report must be filed with the Division of Public Safety first. CITES will then scan the campus network about every 10 minutes to see if the stolen laptop is connected online. When the laptop appears on the network, CITES can find its general location. The University police will be notified and sent to retrieve the laptop.

Mertz said a limitation is that it only works on campus. If a laptop is stolen and taken off campus, they cannot track it through their database.

“The CITES program is great for campus because if you have a stolen laptop and it shows up on campus again, they’re going to find it,” said Daniel Vander Ploeg, director of information services for the College of Law.

Vander Ploeg sent information to the Law community about registering their laptops with CITES. He said the College of Law requires its students to own a computer, and many choose to fill the requirement with laptops.

“It’s important because we have experience with laptops being stolen,” Vander Ploeg said. “This program is important because you can actually recover them.”

William Ridgway, senior in Engineering, said he the CITES program is a good idea because he knows people who have had their laptop computers stolen from their apartments and were not able to retrieve them. The CITES program could have helped because it’s “good protection” and “everyone will feel safer,” he added.

“It’s just an added layer of defense,” Mertz said. “There’s no certainties when it comes to keeping your computer safe, but the more layers of defense you can give your computer can add help up the chances that you’re going to keep your computer safe.”