On 01/29/14 19:57, Jonathan Wilkes wrote: > On 01/26/2014 08:12 AM, Guido Witmond wrote:
>> >> BigFix: the missing package manager for Windows. What every self >> respecting unix/linux/bsd/etc system already has. Good. > > How is a centralized service that requires the user to download and > install a binary from the web anything like apt? > > Don't get me wrong, nearly anything is better than just bare Windows. > > But an honest, courageous approach would actually encourage the oddball > student who runs Debian Wheezy or whatever else that is lightyears ahead > of Windows in terms of security. Does this security mandate do that, or > does it merely hope that the ideal of academic freedom will just get fed > up and go find some other domain to bother? I fully agree, being Microsoft free since 1999, myself. However, the apt-package manager doesn't upgrade anything compiled into usr/local, hence, the need for a scanner. The important thing is that BigFix can report to the user of the PC, or to university sysadmins. What matters is how they deal with any findings. That's a classic case of "Who watches the watchers". Quoting the Stanford policy: "Other personally-owned devices used at home or on the wireless Stanford Guest Network are encouraged to follow these mandates, but not required to at this time." "Other devices" stands for those not used at campus or at home for use with PII-information. Translated: "Other (for non-work related) devices, used at home ... are not required ... at this time" That suggests that private devices are next. I stand corrected. It has feeling of control for the sake of control. My suggestions to mr Altman (from a private message): Buy some time and use Linux/FreeBSD or Qubes-OS for your private computer use, their scanning programs are not available on these platforms yet. Use these only for personal use. Leave these computers at home. Use a dumb phone to keep contact for family business, like picking up children after school, etc. It teaches the kids that when you are at work they can't expect an immediate reply if it is not an emergency. Keep a strict separation between work and private life. Laptops are cheap. Use a separate, university controlled laptop at home for work-stuff, such as collaboration with researchers and so. Tell everyone that you maintain that separation and spread the word amongst colleagues. It's hard, but I believe it's the only way to sanity. Regards, Guido Witmond.
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