Importance

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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 the electronic device. The security system may be embodied in internal memory devices such as ROM BIOS, ROM, Flash ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, electronic components such as modem, CPU, or hardwired circuits or integrated circuits of a computer. This security system initiates the computer to periodically and conditionally call a host system to provide unique identifying indicia and location information. In one embodiment, the security system calls the host through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and transmits the indicia in encoded form. In an alternative embodiment, which may be incorporated concurrently with the PSTN application, the security system calls the host system through the Internet and provides the host with indicia encoded within the DNS query sent. The host system is able to identify the calling computer from the indicia and is able to physically locate the computer through either caller identification or by referencing the Internet links which were used to connect the calling computer with the host system.

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First Claim