3 ms·

If your students can physically remove the hard drive, you should consider physical security rather than software security.

• Someone1234 12y ago
  What exactly are you suggesting? Those dumb case keys everyone now has? Or security screws? CCTV likely won't help as you cannot realistically get 100% coverage of every lab on site. So while it might stop someone walking out with a tower (or ID them), it wouldn't stop anyone doing this... Honestly software security is the optimal solution. It solves a whole host of threat models (alternative boot media, repair tool, HDD removal, stolen machines, HDD warranty data leaks, lost laptops, etc). All physical security does with that in place is stop someone stealing your internal components, but it is expensive to do well and relatively easy to defeat with just a screwdriver or paperclip (and "unlimited" time).
• discreditable 12y ago
  These are laptops that the students take home with them. The lab computers are physically secured.
  • driverdan 12y ago
    If the student knows enough to boot Linux and remove admin passwords why don't you just let them have admin access?
    • discreditable 12y ago
      Because they use it to circumvent restrictions on our network and devices. Our early years we had some students do this. They used proxy software, installed games, cheated on tests, etc. It was a giant mess and made staff question the effectiveness of our laptop program. I don't doubt that some students would use admin access responsibly, it's the other 90% of kids that won't that are the problem.