Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 27

Thread: Most Secure Laptop.

  1. #11
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    4

    open firmware bypassable

    unfortunately apple built in a way around the open firmware password. If you have physical access to the machine then all you have to do it add or remove some RAM and then zap the PRAM 3 times and presto instant access!!!!
    ---------------------------------------------
    Hardening Your Mac
    http://hardmac.blog-city.com/

  2. #12
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    5
    I've used ManIntosh since, well, before hard drives were popular. I remember begging dad to get the LATEST THING... Color. Theyve come a long way, but the one thing that disappoints me about Apple is compatibility. Apple's hardware is outstanding, the system is very robust, the graphics are amazing... But there is simply a lack of choices in software. The average user isnt as concerned with the raw power of the processor, but how many bells and whistles they can install, hence the popularity of Windows XP. Also, the average user these days couldnt tell you the differece between Unix and Eunuchs. I myself im admittedly no expert, and I plan to take that course in a few weeks at the loacl college.
    One thing that used to be a huge topic, at least in my household, was the nebulous rumor of a MacIntosh system, code named "Rhapsody" that was to feature "open architecture," so it would run "anything." A few years after this rumor was started, or at least it was mentioned by my father, the "PC compatibilty cards" were featured in the new Powermacs, and after reading about them, i was woefully disappointed. Of course, not being much of a power user, the next household fad was "softwindows." Immediatly, with allowance in hand, I trudge to the mall to stock up on a pile of PC games. And lo and behold, when I started the game, it was slllooooooooowww.
    No fault of MacIntosh. I think it was before it's time. And had MacIntosh never come about, we might still be doing everything via command line!
    Don\'t argue with a tech support technician with keyboard imprints in his forehead.

  3. #13
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Posts
    1,536
    Mac sux..
    tho that is my oppinion..

    Nightfalls_Girl

  4. #14
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188
    Hi, an interesting thread, so here is a little off-topic humour (A true one!!!):

    Q: What is the most INSECURE laptop in the world?


    A: The one issued to the senior MI5 officer (British Counter-Intelligence) who left it in a Soho (sleazy sex-den part of London) nightclub


    My "real" point , though, is that physical security is paramount. Give someone long enough with the actual box in their own lab environment and you are history. Laptops (by design) are highly portable and therefore, highly vulnerable? They are not very popular in the Defence Industry for this reason.......even though it was MI5 who positively vetted my security clearance

    What has been achieved, IS a major step forwards IMHO, but there is still that gnawing doubt about physical ownership/security?

    Anyway, some security is better than no security ?

    Just a few thoughts

  5. #15
    Banned
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    1,004
    Dumb laptop terminals using ideally line of site wireless connections are quite secure and very popular with the DOD.

    catch

  6. #16
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188
    Good point catch,

    You are way more up to date than me, or is it similar to using a thin client and Citrix to get you to an apps server?

    I remember the old 5250 emulation modules for PCs................got you to the midrange/mainframe, but did not record anything in the PC that might be a security compromise.

    Going wireless does raise a whole raft of other security issues though...NONESTOP an d the like?


    Cheers

    Johnno

  7. #17
    Banned
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    1,004
    Wireless can be very secure, line of sight using a spread spectrum signal is one example. This requires the attacker to physically be between the terminal and the access point as well as requiring them the pick up singals which are below the noise floor.

    If you are worried about threats that can break this, you are going up against some serious heavies. Kiddies, crackers, corporate spies, whatever will just look for another method.

    catch

  8. #18
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    United Kingdom: Bridlington
    Posts
    17,188
    Catch...........once again thanks.............

    yes it is "serious heavies" or better here

    the others would not understand the information.............believe me


    Thanks again..........you are a real asset to this forum IMHO

    Nice weekend to you and yours

    Johnno

  9. #19
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    4

    laptop security

    there's somthing to be said about dumb terminals that do not allow one to do more than the research they need to do... Keeps the problems to a minimum. Unfortunately most of us need and want more than just a dumb terminal to work and play with.


    Keeping a secure system does take a some work, you have to keep up on things and do them.

    Depening on you threat and security levels needed in your work encrypted disk/file systems my be needed. Along with physical security and data/system integrity tools to verify that nothing has been tampered with. Never writing sensitive files to an unencrypted disk and securely deleting them even on encrypted media...


    and on and on and on......


    th
    ---------------------------------------------
    Hardening Your Mac
    http://hardmac.blog-city.com/

  10. #20
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    11
    Yeah, right on.... OSX :-)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •