Locking down a computer

[BarTopDancer]

A buddy of mine needs some crack-proof parental control software. His soon to be 18 y/o is doing things he shouldn't be, and is cracking the passwords and attempts they are trying to lock the computer. Removing the computer, keyboard and mouse isn't an option.

This is not my area of expertise. Any suggestions for some locking software?

[Alex]

Does the kid have a separate machine or must it be something that blocks the kids and allows the adults through?

And disabling the computer isn't an option for the kid (that is he still needs to be able to go online) or it isn't an option if it disables it for everybody?

Is the thing he shouldn't be doing a very general thing (looking at porn) or a very specific thing (staying up all night playing WoW)?

[Ghoulish Delight]

What have they tried so far that hasn't worked?

[BarTopDancer]

I will find out tonight. All I got was a voicemail saying the kid is doing sh*t he shouldn't be. We put passwords on it but he stuck a disk in there and cracked them.

The "kid" is about to turn 18 and is going to be an engineer. I'm not sure they can keep him out, but I figured I'd give them some more options.

[Moonliner]

Almost 18?

I think they might be past the point of this doing any good.

Still you requested a solution not an opinion..

CyberCafe Software (http://www.nettimesoftware.com/nettime_solo.html) can do what you are looking for. (Note: That's just one example, there are a bevy of alternatives)

[Ghoulish Delight]

If they want true lock-down, BIOS password is the way to go (possibly in combination with physically locking the case if he is smart/determined enough to get to the motherboard to defeat that).

[Moonliner]

I will find out tonight. All I got was a voicemail saying the kid is doing sh*t he shouldn't be. We put passwords on it but he stuck a disk in there and cracked them.

The "kid" is about to turn 18 and is going to be an engineer. I'm not sure they can keep him out, but I figured I'd give them some more options.

Ah. In that case running a TrueCrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) full volume encryption might be all you need.


But the parent in me still says, if Moonie Jr. ever tired to pull sh*t like you're describing, then Pulling the plug would be an option. Like keys to the car and cell phones, computers are a privilege not a right.

[Pirate Bill]

Nothing is going to be 100% effective. As long as the kid has physical access to the machine, no amount of security will work. Anybody with the desire and some ingenuity can get around it. And if this kid is cracking passwords then it sounds like he's already outsmarting his parents.

That being said, on my home computers I use both OpenDNS to filter websites for the entire network, and K9 Web Protection (http://www1.k9webprotection.com/) for the Windows machines. I do this mainly to prevent my kids (or myself when kids are in the room) from accidentally stumbling onto unwanted websites.

Neither solution is 100% effective. And it's often annoying when it blocks websites I know are not inappropriate.

Here's where I get on my parenting soap box and complain about people leaving the nannying to electronics (or the government, or schools, or church, etc.)

1. Teach the kid. If what he's doing is personally (morally, physically, emotionally, etc.) destructive then the parents need to talk to him. Just putting chains around things doesn't solve the problem.

2. He's 18 for crying out loud. If he can't simply follow house rules then rights to the family computer should be revoked. I don't buy into the "removing the computer is not an option" excuse. That's always an option. If he needs a computer for school work he can go to the library. Or buy his own (and pay for his own internet connection too). He will be out on his own soon enough, then how are his parent's going to prevent him from getting into trouble? (Hint: see #1 above.)

3. No offense to these parents, but it sounds like they need to grow a pair and start being parents. No, I don't know them, but every other parent I know that has come to me with the same concerns is always the type of parent that is afraid to show the "tough love." It's not the fun part of parenting, but sometimes it's got to be done.

[Moonliner]

Nothing is going to be 100% effective. As long as the kid has physical access to the machine, no amount of security will work. Anybody with the desire and some ingenuity can get around it. And if this kid is cracking passwords then it sounds like he's already outsmarting his parents.

That being said, on my home computers I use both OpenDNS to filter websites for the entire network, and K9 Web Protection (http://www1.k9webprotection.com/) for the Windows machines. I do this mainly to prevent my kids (or myself when kids are in the room) from accidentally stumbling onto unwanted websites.

Neither solution is 100% effective. And it's often annoying when it blocks websites I know are not inappropriate.

Here's where I get on my parenting soap box and complain about people leaving the nannying to electronics (or the government, or schools, or church, etc.)

1. Teach the kid. If what he's doing is personally (morally, physically, emotionally, etc.) destructive then the parents need to talk to him. Just putting chains around things doesn't solve the problem.

2. He's 18 for crying out loud. If he can't simply follow house rules then rights to the family computer should be revoked. I don't buy into the "removing the computer is not an option" excuse. That's always an option. If he needs a computer for school work he can go to the library. Or buy his own (and pay for his own internet connection too). He will be out on his own soon enough, then how are his parent's going to prevent him from getting into trouble? (Hint: see #1 above.)

3. No offense to these parents, but it sounds like they need to grow a pair and start being parents. No, I don't know them, but every other parent I know that has come to me with the same concerns is always the type of parent that is afraid to show the "tough love." It's not the fun part of parenting, but sometimes it's got to be done.

Cracking an XP password hardly puts one in the elite zone of unstoppable H@ck3rz.

Your numbered points I got no beef with.

[Pirate Bill]

Cracking an XP password hardly puts one in the elite zone of unstoppable H@ck3rz.
True, but in this case he only has to outsmart the parents.

Bios passwords are easily defeated with a jumper on the motherboard.

Any other kind of security measure is defeated with a simple Linux desktop CD or bootable thumb drive.

[BarTopDancer]

You're right. I asked for options, not opinions. Not my kid, and it's not like I am going to pass on criticism of their parenting on to them.

Like I said, I don't know what he is doing and I don't know if it's my buddy's wife overreacting. I'll pass on the suggestions and find out more.

Locking it at the BIOS level may be the best idea. Of course that could also seriously fvck things up if they ever forget the password.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Bios passwords are easily defeated with a jumper on the motherboard.

Which is why I suggested pairing it with a physical lock on the box.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Locking it at the BIOS level may be the best idea. Of course that could also seriously fvck things up if they ever forget the password.
As PB points out, a jumper (or often just removing the battery) clears the password, problem solved. Which is why physically locking the system would be necessary if that's the route they go.

[Pirate Bill]

Which is why I suggested pairing it with a physical lock on the box.

It's a good suggestion. But it's not really a deterrent, just a speed bump.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Perhaps, but a far larger speedbump than any software solution.

[BarTopDancer]

Thanks GD. Appreciate it.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

In addition to the other suggestions, any option they choose which involves a password needs to be a secure password. Birthdates, pet names, dictionary words are useless. They need to get a strong password. A minimum of ten characters long (more is better) using mixed case letters, numbers, and punctuation. Absolutely no names, partial names, nor any word which appears in the dictionary.

Under no circumstances should this password be written down and placed near the computer! This "kid" sounds pretty sneaky, if they write down the password, he'll find it.

If they can't think of a good password on their own, go here (https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm) and get a "random" one-time-use password.

[Kevy Baby]

I got nothing to offer that much brighter minds than I have posted, but I am really curious what this kid is doing.


Locking it at the BIOS level may be the best idea. Of course that could also seriously fvck things up if they ever forget the password.Then just write the password on a Post-It and stick it on the monitor - I found that is very helpful for passwords I forget.

______________


The never-ending fun that is my boss and technology...

Since we are a small (7 people) company, we do not use an Exchange Server: we just use POP email from Go Daddy. Not the best solution, but it gets the job done. I am the one who does the minor maintenance (adding/deleting users, etc.), so I have access to our Admin on Go Daddy.

A while back, the ever-paranoid boss wanted his password changed for his email so that no-one would know what it was - even me. I didn't bother to tell him that I can see his email at any time I want through the Admin function.

He recently got an iPhone and wanted his work email synced with his iPhone. He completely forgot that he set his password to something opnly he knew and did not know what it was (and also claimed that he never did this). So I reset it for him.

[Morrigoon]

Might be easier to use software to TRACK what he does, rather than stop it. And use another form of punishment when he violates their "trust". They could probably put some sort of tracker on at the network level if they have it set up that way (the way companies do). But you'd know more about that than I do.

But in terms of teaching the kid something, forcing him to make the right choices (correcting him when he makes poor choices) rather than making the choices for him will teach him more.

[Kevy Baby]

If they can't think of a good password on their own, go here (https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm) and get a "random" one-time-use password.Now, HERE'S a frickin password:
ba^0e6uak-ZKKJWHwi)6=eWcG@nlsOy';>5^^yfOaV{TrbW~Xv&N.M3r1[@dStJ

[Kevy Baby]

Or there is this solution (http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/10/06/funny-pictures-doin-it-rathr-well-akshully/):

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/funny-pictures-actually-your-home-security-is-great.jpg

[Alex]

The BIOS password is only good if they're trying to keep him off the computer altogether. If they want him on the computer but blocked from doing what they don't like, that won't help.

If it is a very specific thing they want to block then switch to a wireless router if needed, block the thing at the router level and put it somewhere it is possible to lock the kid out of.

[Morrigoon]

If it is a very specific thing they want to block then switch to a wireless router if needed, block the thing at the router level and put it somewhere it is possible to lock the kid out of.

That.

[Alex]

It's still not foolproof of course, but at a certain point one imagines it will just become easier to go somewhere for his illicit computing needs. I hear public librarians like things like that that.

[Kevy Baby]

Too bad we don't know any to get their opinion on that

[BarTopDancer]

They are trying to prevent him from using the computer. Temporary restriction thing. The "kid" is 18 and it sounds like the motto is now survive until HS graduation. Locking the BIOS or removing the machine are their best options.

Thanks for the actual suggestions.

[€uroMeinke]

They should encrypt their sex tapes and move them off-line

[Pirate Bill]

If they go the route of a bios password then be sure they know that they have to shutdown the computer each time they're done using it.

[Kevy Baby]

Get the son one of these:

http://danielhilfling.com/index/image/menu%20bar/studio/etch_a_sketch.jpg

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Wow, if I ever have to lock something to prevent my 18 year old from using it... :(

[BarTopDancer]

Wow, if I ever have to lock something to prevent my 18 year old from using it... :(

I sincerely hope you never have to deal with it.

Anyway, since I requested info on locking down a system and not parenting advice or commentary on parenting skills (which seems to have taken over the thread) I will take the few actual tips and pass them along.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Sorry BTD, but in all fairness, it's like saying "I have a friend who needs some info on uncrackable combination locks for kitchen cabinets. His 18 year old son keeps smashing dishes on the sly. No parenting commentary, please!"

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm with BtD on this one. We have no idea what he's doing, what the home situation is, what they've tried, what has worked or not worked. You know nothing about that family, all that was asked was for some technical advice, the judgment was pretty unnecessary.

I would say that BtD might have avoided some of it by leaving the details about age off, but knowing that it's a tech-savy 18yo actively defeating security vs. an 11yo who just needs to be kept from stumbling on across stuff accidentally is germane to the kinds of strategies that might be suggested, so I don't see anything wrong with the level of detail she shared.

I was light years away from what you would call a "problem child" and my parents were light years away from what you would call "ineffective parents", but I sure as hell knew plenty of ways to do things I wasn't supposed to be doing on the computer, was far more knowledgeable about it than my parents, and my parents sure as hell would have appreciated some advice on how to deal with it without being condescended to.

[BarTopDancer]

GD said it better than I ever could. Thank you.

Talked to my friend and he said they just ended up removing the modem and none of their computers can get online now.

Thank you again for the actual advice. Since I haven't had to deal with this I had no idea where to start.

[Pirate Bill]

Anyway, since I requested info on locking down a system and not parenting advice or commentary on parenting skills (which seems to have taken over the thread) I will take the few actual tips and pass them along.

Since there's very little that can actually be done to really secure a computer from anyone tech-savy, a few actual tips is all you're gonna get. And since you got the answers you were seeking, why the whining about the side topic?

Family computer management and parenting go hand-in-hand.

You're an active participant on this board and are probably pretty familiar with how easily threads can branch onto tangents. To expect otherwise is foolhardy.