Security for Public Macs, redux

[Marlene A. Harris]

>Return-Path: <j-klock at evanston.lib.il.us>
>X-Sender: klock at ellington.evanston.lib.il.us
>Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 18:24:53 -0500
>To: m-harris at evanston.lib.il.us
>From: James Patrick Klock <j-klock at evanston.lib.il.us>
>Subject: Fileguard
>
>You might want to pass this info back to Web4Lib--
>
>I've just compared SmartStuff's FoolProof
>(http://www.smartstuff.com/fpmac.html) and ASD's FileGuard and DiskGuard
>(http://www2.asdsoft.com/asdsoft/showroom.html).  At a glance, ASD's
>FileGuard and DiskGuard products appear to be MUCH less optimal for
>securing a public-access Macintosh.  (For the record: DiskGuard and
>FileGuard are basically the same product, except that FileGuard handles
>multiple users, while DiskGuard only allows one user and one administrator).
>
>First, ASD's products are much more expensive-- $129 to $249 for a single
>user license, as compared to $69 for a single-user of FoolProof.  ASD also
>lists "approx street prices" of $149 for FileGuard and $79 for DiskGuard,
>but since the two vendors I buy most of my software from (CDW and Elektek)
>haven't heard of ASD, I suspect the list prices are what you're likely to
>actually find it for.
>
>In terms of functionality, the products are apparantly quite similar.  I'm
>assuming that, for a public-access machine, it is desirable to have only
>two "modes of operation"-- secure and administrative.  That said, I will
>drop FileGuard from this discussion, since DiskGuard will do these two
>modes...  
>Between FoolProof and DiskGuard, then-- both products will allow you to
>selective limit access to files accessable to the local disk.  Both will
>allow you to select what programs can be run.  Both will allow you to
>prevent changes to control panels.  Both will ignore attempts to turn off
>extensions during boot.  DiskGuard also purports to prevent booting from an
>unauthorized start disk (ie the user can't bring in a boot floppy to get
>around the security).  Curiously, DiskGuard does NOT prevent programs on
>floppies from being launched (FileGuard does).  FoolProof can be set to
>either allow all programs on floppies or prevent all (there's no in
>between).  DiskGuard requires a password at startup, even when entering
>"secure" mode.  FoolProof doesn't prompt for a password until you try to
>change *its* settings.  This is, I think, in FoolProof's favor-- with
>DiskGuard, somebody needs to know the password every time the machine is
>booted...  FoolProof is more "configure and forget".
>
>I haven't actually installed DiskGuard, so I can't speak for how it
>compares to some of my favorite features of FoolProof (which has a 60 day
>demo-- I installed one today), like the option to prevent Get Info (which
>also means that locked files STAY locked!)  
>
>If you're looking for a way to lock down your public machines, I think
>FoolProof is worth looking at...
>
>James
>--
>James Patrick Klock                           j-klock at evanston.lib.il.us
>Evanston Public Library                               Technical Services
>
Marlene A. Harris
Technical Services Manager
Evanston Public Library
1703 Orrington Ave.
Evanston, IL  60201

"Life is what happens when you're making other plans"