Nick Rout wrote:
I won't argue that you should have a plan B. But Rik, get used to thisNo dispute there. Using only the equipment you (own,) know and trust is one's surest safeguard - we all know that here, and maintain it. Discussion has travelled into the service environment, however.
idea: if you use someone else's computer, the owner may have installed a
keylogger or something else that compromises your security. This
includes a computer in a net cafe. You cannot trust the computer unless
you trust it's owner. This is a fact whether the computer is windows,
*nix or a terminal session to a mainframe. It is not a sign of general
insecurity in linux or any other OS.
The question is, can a reliable Linux service company offer any (conditional) guarantee to a cafe owner, that the Linux stations they may choose to set up will protect their clients' privacy, now, any better than Win/dos can?
I would have thought the main issues were ensuring 'cafe' user had a very tough root password to thwart them, and minimised system freedom including no ability to install keylogger, or any other, software. But Steve is saying that as long as a standard PC is the platform, it can still quite easily be cracked (aside from methods of box and boot access). Are we looking at an opening market for a cutdown net device, consequently? R&D?..
"Kiosk" PC setup options may already have the security sorted out to support commercial responsibility, but I'm not so sure about that yet.
-- Richard Tindall InfoHelp Services
