[WEB4LIB] security programs

[Kyle Harriss]

Advocating the abandonment of aftermarket "security"
programs:  

Just before reading Deanne's post, I read one from Paul Dean
who was trying to troubleshoot a configuration problem between
a security program and other software he was adding.

We have taken a different route, and have never had cause
to look back.

a. We dumped our security software.  (Which was conflicting
   with a "must have" piece of software.)

b. We now lock down our PCs "more or less" with the built 
   in policy editor in Windows95.

c. We set up our PCs so that all of them rebuild 
   to a standard hard disk configuration at bootup.  They 
   also can be rebuilt on demand.

   The rebuild restores missing files, deletes files that
   shouldn't be there, replaces files that have changed,
   and does the same for Win95 registry keys.

No more conflicts between our security software and the
applications we want to install for public use!

Essentially all calls to "fix" broken PCs involve
hardware failures.

If someone uses a web browser to change a PCs wallpaper,
a simple reboot (or a click on the "rebuild" command we
placed in the Win95 StartMenu) fixes it. 

When we set up new software on a PC, we propagate it
to all the others by copying the hard drive contents and
registry settings of the first PC onto our network server.
When the other PCs rebuild, they have the new setup.

It took a while to figure it out, but now I am really
impressed by the software that allows us to do this!
PCRdist from www.pyzzo.com.

=======================================================
Kyle Harriss		      voice: (218) 726-6546
UMD Library		      email: kharriss at d.umn.edu
10 University Drive
Duluth,  MN  55812

On Wed, 31 Mar 1999, Luck, Deanne wrote:

> I'm preparing for a presentation on securing public access computers in
> which I'll briefly describe the commercial programs available for this
> purpose.  I'm interested in knowing if anyone uses (and likes) programs
> other than those listed below.
> 
> CybraryN http://www.cbdusa.com/
> WINselect KIOSK and POLICY  http://www.winselect.com/ 
> Bardon's WinU and Full Control http://www.bardon.com/  
> CARL's Everybody's MenuBuilder http://www.carl.org/pubaccess/mb1.html  
> FoolProof  http://www.smartstuff.com/  
> Fortres Grand's Fortres 101 and Cooler http://www.fortres.com/ 
> 
> Thanks,
> DeAnne Luck
> Electronic Resources Librarian
> Austin Peay State University
> LuckDL at apsu.edu
>