This is honestly the best advice that there is. About 11 months ago, my MacBook Pro was stolen from my house. I didn't keep a password on it as any of my secur

This is honestly the best advice that there is. About 11 months ago, my MacBook Pro was stolen from my house. I didn't keep a password on it as any of my secure files were encrypted, so the theif did use it for a bit. I had installed Prey, similar to this author, and a keylogger on the computer, so I was able to collect copius amounts of information about the theif (name, address, picture, phone number, email, usernames, passwords, etc.). I had more than enough info to catch the theif including the address of where the computer was being kept. I relayed everything I had to the police officer in charge of my case. Basically, it was an open/shut case, he just need to go and get it. To make a long story short, he did nothing. He never pursued the case at all and I never got my computer back. After a few months of inaction by the police, I did the best thing I could and ssh'd into the computer and rm -rf'd it so the theif would have to reinstall the OS and I wouldn't have watch someone else use my computer. I would have retrieved the computer myself, but I was very aware of the theif's criminal record which mostly included assault, unlawful possesion of a firearm, attempted murder, etc. tl;dr - If your computer is stolen there is little to no hope for retrieval, so do everything possible to prevent its theft.