Ubuntu Security :: Lock PC With Flash Drive?
Nov 6, 2010
Is there a program like BlueProximity but works with a file on a flash drive which will lock up the computer if it does not detect a file on a flash drive. What I am wanting to do is make certain features inaccessible if the flash drive is removed so if anyone uses my computer they can't hurt anything.
View 1 Replies
ADVERTISEMENT
Feb 13, 2010
I recently got a new Lenovo netbook and I want to make sure that what happened to my last laptop doesn't happen to this thing. I got the idea from some Windows software called Predator, that uses a flash drive to lock a computer. I also know that most Linux distros already have the required components to facilitate this (i.e, they know when you plug in a flash drive). My question is, how do I get my netbook to run scripts or programs when a flash drive is unplugged? This is how I want it to work: The flash drive would be tethered to my wrist with a short strap (or a piece of fishing line, maybe a chain). When someone yanks the netbook away from me (i.e, a thief), they would rip the drive out of the USB port in the process. The netbook, immediately sensing that the drive is no longer plugged in, runs miscellaneous programs or scripts in an attempt to thwart the thief, like activating the screensaver, adding a password to grub, sounding an alarm, and whatever else I want it to do.
I would eventually like to expand this to bluetooth headsets, and other devices that Linux can keep track of. It also has to fit in with my current setup. I installed Xubuntu 9.10 on the netbook and set it up to use an ext3 formatted flash drive as /home. I then installed truecrypt and created two file containers, one for the flash drive (small files, like assignments for college and app config), and one in a hidden directory on the hard drive in the netbook (large files, like my VirtualBox images).This way, the system won't work right without the flash drive, and I can even switch flash drives in the future, when the one I'm currently using dies. Ideally, the system locking program/script would only check for a USB connected device with a special file on it. If I can get this set up, it would be one of the coolest Linux tricks ever pulled with a netbook, and possibly the basis for an awesome new security tool for mobile users.
View 9 Replies
View Related
May 27, 2010
I have just burned the latest CD using infraRecorder, as per the instructions on this site, however when I boot from this CD, it spends about 5 minutes moving the red balls across my screen, then all of the sudden it just freezes, and my caps and scroll lock lights start to blink. I've had a look in the forums already but there's nothing about this happening on Boot of the live CD.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Feb 16, 2010
I loaded Ubuntu desktop onto my flash drive with the USB Installer For Ubuntu from [url]
I'll be placing sensitive data on the drive & need to figure out how to encrypt it. From what i've read so far, the easiest way will be to encrypt the swap, /home, tmp, temp files. Not quite sure how to do this. I'd prefer to encrypt the whole drive, but this seems quite complicated.
View 5 Replies
View Related
Jul 31, 2010
A while back I had been using ubuntu on a live cd after my windows partition had been taken over by a virus, which at the time I thought had been removed by my anti virus (and then took out winlogon) and I did a system repair instead of a complete reformat because I didn't want to lose all of my files. After repairing, I noticed some things like what looked like fake "this page has been blocked based on your security preferences" on major sites like ....., myspace and facebook. I ran another virus scan with a different AV and strangely it detected a behavioural software keylogger, which after looking it up seemed to be something that could only be installed with physical access to the system, which confused me. Anyway, this is when I started to use the live CD to copy some of my music, videos, pictures etc. onto my flash drive. From what I can remember, I used this USB on my main computer without problems, but the last time I used it (few months ago) I ran a virus scan afterwards, just to feel safe and it came up with a couple java exploit trojans. This was probably just coincidence and I hadn't ran a scan in a day or two, possibly even a false positive as I noticed no decrease to system performance or any odd happenings.
So, my questions are: Is it even possible for a virus from a windows partition to copy itself to a USB flash drive on an ubuntu live cd; and is it possible (if the virus was even capable of this) if I insert the flash drive into my ubuntu computer, it could do anything like transfer across my WLAN to my windows computer, or even copy its files onto ubuntu but be unable to do anything? Which brings me to another question: if I visit a website that may contain drive-by malware or a virus of any type, is it capable of acting at all, such as even trying to transfer itself into my home folder, or does it not even recognize ubuntu at all and do nothing?
View 2 Replies
View Related
Apr 18, 2010
Folks:What can I use to encrypt all data on my USB flash drive? If possible, could I use something that has a public Key, so I do not have to type in a password to access the information when I plug the drive into my machie, but will not open or display contant if the drive is plugged into anyone else's machine, unless they have the public key?
View 7 Replies
View Related
Jan 23, 2011
What should I do if I want to allow access to USB flash drive selectively - Say for e.g. All permissions for "root", "Read/Write" for user "A", Only "Read" for user "B" and user "C" shouldn't be able to access or mount (no permissions) the USB flash drive at all.Also I want to do it by modifying entries in some files or by some commands (so that it can be done programatically if needed)
View 5 Replies
View Related
Jun 4, 2010
I want to run Debian as a live version from my USB flash drive. Does this provide the same amount of security from hackers as installing Debian as the only OS on my netbook. Windows ce would still be on my netbook?
View 5 Replies
View Related
Dec 15, 2010
I have two questions regarding auto mount function of Truecrypt. First question:
I want to automatically mount my flash drive encrypted by Truecrypt using a keyfile whenever I plug the drive. How can I do this? I use Ubuntu 10.10.
Second question:
As I do not know the answer of my first question, I currently use following command in a startup script to mount my encrypted flash drive automatically at every system start-up.
Quote:
/usr/bin/truecrypt -k ~/keyfile --auto-mount=favorites
My problem with this method is, Truecrypt always search for the drive in the same path saved in favorite drives list, e.g. /dev/sdb1. However sometimes there are more than one flash drive plugged to my computer and my encrypted drive's path changes. In such cases Truecrypt cannot mount my encrypted drive because it cannot find the drive in its path.
As a workaround I tried "auto-mount=devices" parameter. It is slow because it checks every mounted drive, and some of them external hard disk big in size. Moreover it does not recognize any mount point parameter. I'd like to mount the drive to the same mount point every time.
Quote:
/usr/bin/truecrypt -t --auto-mount=devices -p "" -k ~/keyfile /media/MyMountPoint
The command above mounts the drive however it is slow and to the destination of "/media/treucrypt1".
View 3 Replies
View Related
Mar 29, 2010
I made a persistent install of Ubuntu on a flash drive. I made changes to that installation. The software (Unetboontin) sets this all up. I think it partitions it for you. How do I image that flash drive to another flash drive?
View 9 Replies
View Related
Oct 18, 2010
I'm fairly decent Linux admin (ok, i've been paid to do it for the last 10 years now, maybe better than fair), however this problem has me stumped. Ever since i dist-upgraded to 10.10 playing flash videos longer than a minute will *sometimes* lock up my window manager. I am unable to click on other windows, or links in current window. If i open a terminal after starting the video i can still run commands in the terminal after its locked up, but not use the mouse in any form at all.
I can get to tty1 or any other console, kill flash, kill the browser, etc. Until i restart gdm or kdm it is still locked up however. I have tested with both kde and gnome. Tested with kdm and gdm. Tested with firefox and chrome (both use different installs of flash plugin - chrome brings its own). I created a new user on the system to test enviroment, no luck there. I eventually reinstalled yesterday with a fresh 10.10, and still I am having this problem. It *often* happens, but not always. Always on videos longer than about a minute at a guess, i have not timed it. Only ever happens on flash videos - ie ..... etc.
View 3 Replies
View Related
May 7, 2010
i tried to make a recommendation ( ups that link ain't comes from me - i only looked for a word in a dictionary ) about traveling around with a laptop. i talking about my own experinace ( sitting in a train go to dinner - chain my laptop but - DVD-drive?? ) for GUI user i think it will be a nice option in the screensaver setup to lock the CD/DVD drive and thus should be very easy to implement by the "eject" command. just have another buttom "lock/unlock" the drive in the menue. think it's usefull and easy to implement.
--> ecject -i 1 / 0. i use this on my sony - works. i know it possible to bypass this - but this will take some much more time.
View 3 Replies
View Related
Jul 27, 2010
I have a ext hdd..seagate go. And my 14 yr old son likes to get into it without asking me; of course i dont care when he asks but i don't really want him to get in there and erase anything. I am about to leave for training for 18 weeks with the military. Is there a way i can "secure" the drive for the amount of time that I can't take it with me?
View 8 Replies
View Related
Jul 28, 2011
I had a buddy that swore he was such a linux guru he could bypass the lock screen easily but refused to elaborate. Was he just being faseeshis or was he legit. I don't accept starting a new X session using the terminal or restarting and using recovery tool to change password as an answer.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Jan 12, 2010
how do i modify the ubuntu firewall to let in certain ip addresses but lock others out.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Mar 12, 2010
Is there anyway to make the lock screen password (accesible when clicking the power icon) different from the username password ?Or to lock the screen, with a different, User defined password, seperate to the Default one ?
View 3 Replies
View Related
Apr 22, 2010
I recently set up a family computer for a friend, and now his son is "experimenting" with the terminal (randomly entering commands). since he could accidentally do something bad, I am supposed to prevent him from using terminals, but only as hi user. I tried vlock and away, but with vlock it says 'this terminal is not a virtual console', and away can't seem to lock all consoles.
View 9 Replies
View Related
Aug 14, 2010
is there a way to run flash and java securely? stupid question i guess. i'd like to use a couple of sites that require them but don't want to open my box up to the bad things that can happen with these. videos, pandora etc. i don't know linux security well and just wonder what the ramifications of this will be?
View 9 Replies
View Related
Aug 15, 2010
I'm using Linux. I want lock a folder. Way for each use To request password. And end use. In the first case to go back again. (Sorry if I wrote bad. I'm not English speaking)
View 2 Replies
View Related
Feb 13, 2010
Is there a way to lock down the Grub loader so that no one can edit it at boot-up, unless they have a password?
View 3 Replies
View Related
May 12, 2009
Is there a way to lock out logins at the console? I ask this because I can not login at the console but can remotely login to the system via ssh. I'm guessing I blindly implemented a security option and didn't know what I was doing when I did it.
View 2 Replies
View Related
Aug 30, 2010
Is there a way to set Linux to automatically log in to a specific user account and at the same time lock the screen? I want to save time and trigger various software that always should start up on boot, while leaving the computer unattended during startup (extra important and practical for remote control boots), by enforcing a 'screen lock' so that no-one can see what happens behind the login screen without entering the login credentials.
View 4 Replies
View Related
Oct 2, 2010
Let's imagine this can be done in Firstarter, as there already is a fine lockdown option there: A kind of RULE: on [program/service] exit/completion of download - then lockdown connection [usually the eth0].
[Edit:] Or for that matter, put a lockdown action on any premise like inactivity on port 80 or such (all the rest),
View 4 Replies
View Related
Jan 14, 2010
I noticed (the hard way) that enabling a guest session under 9.04 does not lock the source user. I enabled a guest session for someone and came back to find them rooting through my files. By quitting the guest session, it goes back to the source user's desktop without requiring a password. Shouldnt it go to gnome-screensaver automatically? Can this be changed? Is it a bug?
to replicate: log into source user's account use the menu to start a guest session quit the guest session root through files un-opposed.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Apr 3, 2010
Is there a program that allows me to password lock a single file or folder?
View 5 Replies
View Related
May 25, 2010
I'm trying to lock an account after a number of failed login attempts in a RHEL5.
This is the relevant configuration in /etc/pam.d/system-auth
In the logs I can see how the count of failed logins increase and exceeds my deny option but the account isn't locked
Do I need any other option in the PAM file? Is there any other way to lock an account?
View 5 Replies
View Related
Nov 5, 2010
I installed Pessulus on my workstation and I'm not able to lock other users profiles? I see the little wooden shield when I click on them, excpet it isn't blocking anything?
View 1 Replies
View Related
Jun 8, 2010
I am trying to disable accounts after 5 unsuccessful login attempts. I am following the guidelines in this article:
[URL]
This is on an Oracle Enterprise 5.4 box, which is essentially RHEL 5.4 Here is what my /etc/pam.d/system-auth looks like:
--------
#%PAM-1.0
# This file is auto-generated.
# User changes will be destroyed the next time authconfig is run.
[code]....
Unfortunately, the account does not seem to be locked or disabled. As root, runninng 'su test2 -c <some-command>' always sucessfully runs <some-command>, and leaves the failed attempt count at 6. /etc/shadow does not have an * or ! anywhere in the encrypted password for the 'test1' user.
What am I doing wrong? I thought that with the max attempts set to 0 in faillog, that the deny= parameter would be used. I thought I should be using su <user> -c <command> from the root account to test if the disable feature is working.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Jan 23, 2010
I wanted to know if i can install 9.10 onto a usb flash drive--without using my computers hard drive at all when running ubuntu off the flash drive-
View 3 Replies
View Related
Jun 11, 2011
Back in Febuary, my wife bought a Toshiba Satilite from Wal-Mart and a few days ago the hard drive got toasted. So now I'm using an 8gig usb drive as the boot drive. I also have 2 other flash drives for downloads and such but overall I am very pleased.
I'm running 11.04 32 bit and was wandering if 64 bit made a difference. I've got 4 gigs of ddr3. It's slow to boot, but once it's running, it's faster then Windows 7. Very nice.
Is there anything I should chage, use, since I'm running it off a flash drive??
I have 3 seperat drives, 2 x 16 gigs and an 8 gig, and was wandering which one would be best for booting off of? What do I look for??
Here's what I got:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS880 Host Bridge
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems Device 9602
00:06.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS780 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 2)
[Code]....
View 5 Replies
View Related