Novell/Usernet Question

On Novell/Usernet, which is commonly used at different schools, is it likely that where you go is being traced? Here is a scenario:

I go and take a look around in some of the schools' files. I find a way into their server, and by clicking up, I find myself into peel's server.

Now is it possible that the school has a program that watches where students go, folder-wise, that is? You see, if it does, this causes a potential problem for the administrators. If they went into the admin program on the computer, then someone that knows about the program could watch where they go, correct?

Thanks,

~Parr0t

Certainly anything is possible. In regards to the auditing features, I would imagine that it (Novell) has it. The question is: is it turned on and checked regularly? It's one thing to have it; it's entirely another to actually use it.

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Now is it possible that the school has a program that watches where students go, folder-wise, that is? You see, if it does, this causes a potential problem for the administrators. If they went into the admin program on the computer, then someone that knows about the program could watch where they go, correct?

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Why would it be a problem for the admins since they are supposed to be ethical about what they do? And, since the logs would be viewed only by the admins, then gaining access to the program won't allow you to see much other than the program itself (kinda like looking at event viewer as a regular user. You can see application logs but not security sensitive logs).

Unless perhaps I'm not clear as to what the issue is you are bringing up..

Most Novell shops will turn off auditing on their systems due to the HUGE amount of disk required for the logs. This said, there are third party products out there to perform auditing of Novell (e.g. Netvision ), even Novell itself uses this product. As for the average school, I doubt they have a product such as this because it's worth big $$$$$.

Now, having said all this, it might be a good idea to fess up to the admin what you did.


Cheers:

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it might be a good idea to fess up to the admin what you did.

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I would, if it weren't for the fact that I'm exploring any network problems for the admin's from a students perspective in a student account.

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Why would it be a problem for the admins since they are supposed to be ethical about what they do? And, since the logs would be viewed only by the admins, then gaining access to the program won't allow you to see much other than the program itself (kinda like looking at event viewer as a regular user. You can see application logs but not security sensitive logs).

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Why would it be a problem? If these logs were stored where a student could get them, they could easily watch the admin's actions. If the admins went to a program where you can edit accounts (Which, ironically, I found the other day), then this student could follow the steps that the admin took and find the program.

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third party products out there to perform auditing of Novell (e.g. Netvision )

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If that, however, is true.. then the chances that a student could get access is very slim.

Is there any way to find out if the admin's watch your folder browsing? It would be helpful for my report.

~Parr0t

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Originally posted here by Parr0t
If that, however, is true.. then the chances that a student could get access is very slim.

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Not really what I said, if auditing is turned off (which it likely is) then if a student gained access to a folder, the admins would not be able to trace it. Now if the student opened and change something in the folder, the properties on the file would be updated with the students information and they could get busted like that.

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Originally posted here by Parr0t
Is there any way to find out if the admin's watch your folder browsing? It would be helpful for my report.~Parr0t

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Again, and I am kind of repeating myself here, if auditing is not turned on, there is very little an admin can do to track the movements of a user around a Novell system.

BTW, which version of Novell are we talking about here?

Cheers:

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Not really what I said, if auditing is turned off (which it likely is) then if a student gained access to a folder, the admins would not be able to trace it. Now if the student opened and change something in the folder, the properties on the file would be updated with the students information and they could get busted like that.

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So even if auditing is turned off, and a student edits a file, the admins could see that the student edited it?

It really depends on the admin to be honest. Some admins do install spy programs on the workstations so that they can keep an eye out on certain students. Most the time school admins have a tendency not to check the log files and the ones that do only check that nobody deletes anybody else coursework/homework because thats when you get into trouble with the admins/headmaster.

Okay then. I know that a lot of students can just double click on one of the folders in the start menu, and get into different folders. Thats how I found the NetWare Administrator program..

Does anyone else know about potential bugs in Novell or Usernet?