Idiot users + becoming a security hole

[fac3less]

What do you feel about people who 'barge' into secure networks with their insecure systems.

Mainly what I mean is possibly open networks.. 'open' as in a university or school, business, etc. One 'open' machine means death to them all (there are ways to prevent this yes)

Do you feel there should be a 'license' required to operate one of these beasts? :)

I know.. stupid.. but there should definately be a few 'apps' that are required to even be allowed to connect to the net. We don't need no more open relays.

[intricate]

Ya I agree exactly with that. Good opinion. lol

[Fuzzylogic]

Well ideally a network would be secured and not dole out IPs to anyone who wanders over.

However, yes, it would be nice if users would do more to protect themselves.

On campus here we had a issue where students would bring back their laptops over break, plug them into the dorms and spread (I can't recall what the virus was that was spreading at the time, anyway it was over open network shares or unpatched machines running XP....) viri like wild fire.


However, part of the problem was that the network administrator while preventing the computers from seeing the outside world did NOT segregate the "clean and approved" computers from the rest.

Had they been unable to talk to ANYONE other than the registration page there wouldn't have been a problem.

[fac3less]

Same thing happened at a lot of universities. One of my friends at Rollins here in florida was netless for 6 weeks because of someone on the network with a worm, it spread, etc etc etc, admins didn't cut the infected off the network and here you are with a destroyed network for a few weeks.

Quite idiotic if you ask me, quarantine the ones that need it and let the other people survive.

(and of course run security tests before you let the net in.. proxies will only do so much :b)

[vanselus]

And 1/2 of that problem is that companies and universities hire 3nd rate admins and techs because the people that know what they're doing are "too expensive". That and business loads IT down with so much work, that when a disaster comes, they're not prepared and don't have time to deal with it. People just don't realize what they're asking for.

[fac3less]

Well - they're definately asking for trouble for hiring a second rate person to do a job that requires a first rate person. Then again the 'second rate' person can handle the job if they'd just THINK things through.

I wouldn't consider myself high up on the tech ladder at all - but I'd quarantine users off in a second.

Its just common sense.

[vanselus]

not thinking things through is a hallmark of a second-rate admin.

[Tammy]

Network security is something nobody seems to care enough about. I think it's amazing that hospitals near me and banks also have networks I can get on with almost no trouble. Very trusting, but very scary.

[fac3less]

Oo! where do you live I'm bored and I enjoy browsing networks in my spare time..

I don't think they spend enough time on network security.. its more or less they don't understand what people can do..

Sooner or later they all learn though.

[Fuzzylogic]

I have several clients like that.

One of them is a small company, about 30 employees who handles realty, propery transactions, etc.


They all have laptops, wireless, and refuse to secure their network or wireless shares.

They don't want to be bothered with having to remember passwords, I've tried several times to explain to them the danger of it all.

They get hit by a new virus at least once a month that spreads over unprotected shares, but they don't seem to mind calling me to fix it.

I've tried, oh how I've tried, but when it comes down to it they own the hardware it is up to them.

Oh well, job security I guess.

[vanselus]

That's one of those situations where you feel like infecting them once a month on purpose, you know, for lunch money.

Of course, WE are all too ethical to do things like that.

[fac3less]

whats with that 'we' stuff? :) I didn't volunteer to be ethical.

on the other hand... that would be scamming and of course I wouldn't get involved.. hey van.. you still up for buying that oceanfront property in arizona?

[vanselus]

You know it!

[Unicorn2]

While I don't wardrive (the term for driving around looking for internet access via open wireless connections) I have no problem with people who do. I feel that if you have a wireless network, and you leave it open, it's your own fault in this day and age.

People like to think of the analogy as 'leaving your front door wide open when your not home'

I think that's perfect. The law says that if you do that, and someone rips your house off, then they are still a criminal. But.. My take is... if you do that, then you are ASKING to be victimized. In this day and age, YOU DON'T leave your front door unlocked (actually.. I stopped doing that only 2 years ago)

So, you ALSO shouldn't leave your network unlocked.

[Viper007Bond]

My school (Oregon State) did an excellent job without forcing everyone to use their computers 'n such. Nice speeds (well, only 10 mbps in the dorm so that 'caused some lag) from dual DS3 and with the packet prioritization, nice game pings and quick loading websites. :D

Very well done network IMO.

[fac3less]

Well - to tell you the truth if I had a nice wireless net setup and had a way to allow some people to use my bandwidth/connection for free.. then I probably would. Of course I'd have to sort of 'secure' off the rest of my network from it and leave their 'traffic' as 'unsecure' and flagged/watched.

But if its just some guy who wants to read some news or check his e-mail - power to him

(he should also know I'd be checking his e-mail too :b)

[Unicorn2]

You could do that.. put a wap on the DMZ of your hardwired firewall :-)

[vanselus]

Sounds like a lot of work for no benefit. I mean, more power to you for being a standup guy and all... but I got way too much to do to setup a network just for fun!

[fac3less]

Well I love tinkering with things.. I learn tons from tinkering..;)

Guess thats why I'm considered bad! Of course I don't have bandwidth to spare.. and the evil guy would end up shelling out porn or something..

oh well.. guess being nice isn't all that great.

[Albert Lewis]

I think we might see a repeat of Sept. 11th just in a tech form.

No one did squat about homeland security before Sept. 11th even though the signs were there and people were warning about it.

It took a great disaster for anything to happen...

I feel that the same will happen with the security of the majority of the networks in the US...

[vanselus]

Well then....

Go Beagle Go!!

[fac3less]

LOL VAN.

ah. so mean!