Re: OT - elder parent-proofing a computer

On 23/06/12 2:27 PM, Kris Kirby wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Jun 2012, Michael Hyman wrote:
>>> He's on a MacBookPro.  I got him to get a Mac because it would
>>> provide some protection from the plethora of viruses that are
>>> (primarily) aimed at Windows systems.  Before he got the Mac he was
>>> always getting viruses on his Windows laptop.  We had to wipe and
>>> reinstall the OS at least 3 times in the years prior to getting him
>>> on the Mac.  He was problem free on the Mac for over 3 years (it's
>>> no longer under warranty), until 1 month ago.
> Just wait until the Mac gets seriously targeted....


Oh please, not this FUD.  Not on inet-access.  Please!  Can't I count on 
THIS group to have more sense than this?


The Mac OS is inherently more secure (a UNIX multi-user system where a 
regular user - even with "administration privileges" has to authenticate 
as super-user to do certain things) and thus harder to hack.  When bugs 
are found, the default state of the OS is that access is prohibited 
unless a specific permissions were changed to allow access.  This is the 
opposite from how Windows does security - where by default access is 
allowed, unless a specific rule has been added to prohibit access - 
which is what makes Windows bugs so easy to exploit.  Because of this 
underlying OS architecture, Windows will NEVER be more secure than a 
Mac.  Sure, Macs can be targeted, and they can (sometimes) be 
exploited.  But not nearly as easily.


>>> I have him using Firefox on the Mac.  I can't find any way to lock
>>> Firefox so that he can't add any new Toolbars.  The solution needs
>>> to be transparent to him - it can't mess with his regular computer
>>> use. (Although if it prevents him from accessing one of these sites
>>> because it won't let him proceed until the toolbar is installed,
>>> I'll accept THAT as a consequence.)  Some form of noscript where the
>>> user needs to use careful consideration before allowing scripts
>>> won't work because he's lost the ability to make that type of
>>> careful consideration - he will just click "OK" or "next" in the
>>> same manner as he did to allow the toolbar install.
>>>
>>> If it's easier to lock-down a different browser, we could do that.
>>> But he's been using Firefox for about 10 years, so if we can stay
>>> with Firefox that would be easiest for him.  (Having him already
>>> using Firefox and Thunderbird before I moved him to the Mac was how
>>> I was able to convince him that he could use a Mac just as easily as
>>> a Windows machine.)
> NoScript.

NoScript is not a solution to being asked "do you want to do this?" and 
the user clicks OK.  I need to Prevent The User from allowing any 
toolbar add-ons while allowing all the other normal browser activities.

I added the PublicFox FireFox extension, and set it to lock his toolbar 
and not allow anything to change his search engine.  So far, this has 
worked to protect against the specific problem (a site that kept adding 
a toolbar and changing his search engine and home page) but I'm still 
concerned about the larger issue of protecting him from "bad" sites.


>>> I also need a one-and-done solution, as I'm 1000 miles away and I
>>> can only login to his computer remotely via pre-arranged steps.  (I
>>> have him disable the remote login option unless I call him and tell
>>> him to enable it before I login, then I have him disable it again as
>>> soon as I've finished.)
> Alix 2d2&  pfSense: OpenVPN. The Alix is $150 on eBay.
>
> Also, the Mac already has built-in VNC support. You have to go into
> System Prefs ->  Sharing ->  Remote Management
>
> And you can ssh to it as well, enable Remote Login.
>
> It may be better to ssh to it first and setup a side-channel using a
> fast cipher (i.e.: blowfish) and compression. VNC isn't fast, and Macs
> typically have big screens.


He's using a MacBook Pro - a laptop.  (Re-read the first sentence quoted 
at the top of this post.)  Can't add the Alix d2d to a laptop.  Etc.

I don't have any problems or difficulties with logging into his computer 
- the solution we have works well.  The problem is that I needed 
something that gets setup and then runs by itself, doesn't rely on a 
router (because he's on a laptop which is connected thru many different 
networks - he travels).

jc

-- 
Eat sushi frequently. - Avi
[email protected] is the human contact address.
[email protected] is the list posting address.
See below URL for subscribe/unsubscribe and list options:
http://inet-access.net/mailman/listinfo/list