On Apr 13, 2009, at 11:08 PM, Clark Martin wrote:

> Setting a Open Firmware password lets you prohibit booting from  
> anything
> but the designated drive.  This prevents using the CD or USB to boot
> from.  I think it also avoids the single user hack above.  The only  
> way
> around the OF firmware is to open the case.  If it's a tower you can
> lock it.  I don't know if there is any hardware out there to lock down
> an iMac though.
>

Fundamentally this is not a technical question at all.

Remember the three rules of getting pwned (the rules are for servers,  
but apply equally to a home system):

1) If you let the bad guy have physical access to your computer, it's  
not your computer any more.
2) If you let the bad guy run programs on your computer, it's not your  
computer anymore.
3) If you let the bad guy convince you to run his programs on your  
computer, it's not your computer anymore.

This is why the vast majority of hacking is inside jobs...rules 1 and  
2 are already broken. Further lockdowns only provide an incentive to  
evade them for a determined hacker.

This is actually an issue of discipline and trust completely separate  
from the computer.

-- 
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs



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