In the next couple months Lenovo will be rolling out a BIOS update for its Montevina laptop users which enables remote shutdown and subsequent encryption via text message. The tech relies on the laptop having a WWAN connection and activates when a custom string, defined by the user and sent from a single, paired phone, is received. In other words, you can choose whatever you want as the shutdown signal, from a cool “Kill” or “Self-Destruct” to a long, patronizing multi-part message about the thieving youth of today. Constant Secure Remote Disable, as it’s called, isn’t being touted as a first line of defense. In fact, quite the opposite: “This is kind of like a morning-after pill, I guess” said Stacy Cannady, Lenovo’s product manager for security and apparently the only person at Lenovo to miss the company-wide memo about not using awkward reproductive metaphors in PR. The update will be available as a free download for compatible laptops in the next few months. [Crave]
Privacy & Security
Lenovo Lets You Disable Your Stolen Laptop With a Stern Text Message
By
John Herrman
Reading time 1 minute
Cybersecurity Guides
- • How to Watch BBC iPlayer in the USA: Live TV, Shows, and Sport in 2026
- • How to Watch Sky TV in the USA: Sky Go, NOW, and Sky Sports in 2026
- • Best VPN With Ad Blocker in 2026: 5 VPNs That Block Ads and Trackers
- • How to Watch Belgian TV Abroad: VRT MAX, VTM GO, and Auvio in 2026
- • Best VPN for MLB.TV in 2026 Ranked for Blackouts and Travel
Explore more on these topics
Sign up for our newsletters
Subscribe and interact with our community, get up to date with our customised Newsletters and much more.
