[WEB4LIB] Re: help (addidas-net or sneaker-net)

[Michael L. McEvoy]

Yes. As a tech for a library cooperative, on numerous occasions I have
seen floppy drives used to manipulate and hack into public workstations.
This is why I recommend using floppy drive locks on any public exposed
system.

In one case, a clever user used a floppy to log in and create a "boot"
file that was designed to delete the hard drive (simple stuff... add a
line to the autoexec.bat file that says "del c:\*.*"). Fortunately, the
clever student forgot the colon (:) and the command didn't run.

In another case, a patron used a floppy disc to download a program which
replaced the default Windows starup screen with an obscene image. He then
used this floppy disc to spread the obscene start up image to all
computers.

Theer are numerous ways the "sneaker net" can be exploited... and the
stuff I've listed above are only minor exploits. Any public network system
should have floppy locks and cd-rom locks on them, IMHO.

On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, Jacque King wrote:

> All,
> I've heard that I should disable the floppy drive many times and I know
> of all the reasons why....
> 
> But:  has anyone ever *experienced* any foul play with the floppy drives
> in their library?  I'd like to hear of real life situations and not just
> scenarios.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Jacque King
> Library Technical Support Specialist
> Fort Collins Public Library
> 201 Peterson Street
> Fort Collins, CO  80524
> (970) 221-6716
> king at julip.fcgov.com
> 
> 
> On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Andro [iso-8859-1] Gagné wrote:
> 
> > Janis:
> >
> >          At 04:34 AM 7/14/02 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> > >Could you tell me what this means? Does this impact on libraries?
> >
> >          "Sneaker-net" is humorous geek-speak referring to the way people
> > share files between two computers when the computers are not connected to
> > each other through a computer network:  copying files to a removable
> > storage medium--usually a floppy disk--on the first computer, then removing
> > the removable medium from the first computer, taking it over to a second
> > computer, and inserting it into the second computer, thus making one's
> > footwear the "network" connection between the two computers.  I haven't
> > heard "Adidas-net" used before, but it's not too difficult to see that it
> > must be a synonym, since Adidas is a brand name of athletic
> > shoes.  Sneaker-net could be an issue in libraries accessible to the public
> > if their computers' diskette drives--or other removable storage media--are
> > not disabled for public use by a security program, as invariably some
> > library users will be exchanging files between a library computer and a
> > computer not owned by the library.  Sometimes this is done for reasons we
> > would all consider legitimate, and sometimes it's done for less-than-noble
> > reasons.  Either way, sneaker-net use can lead to inadvertent or deliberate
> > viral infection of a library computer (potentially multiple computers,
> > since sneaker-net can be used between library computers, also since most
> > library computers are networked), and it provides an entrée into a library
> > computer (and potentially a library network) for those who believe they
> > have a better or more entertaining way to use a library computer and/or
> > network than what was envisioned by the library's staff.  Ultimately,
> > sneaker-net makes it necessary for libraries which are accessible to the
> > public to consider how they need to balance user convenience (keeping
> > computers' removable media functioning for users) against the library's
> > need to keep its computers functioning properly for all users all of the time.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Andro Gagné
> >
> >
> 
> 

+---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Michael L. McEvoy               | Northville District Library     |
| Electroic Suppoprt Services     | http://www.northville.lib.mi.us |
| e-mail: mmcevoy at tln.lib.mi.us   | 212 W. Cady St                  |
| Chair, TLN Technology Committee | Northville, MI 48167            |
| http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us       +---------------------------------+
| icq: 4607376			  |If it was so, it might be, and if
| MSN: mcspoo at hotmail.com	  |it were so, it would be, but as it
|      \\|//            \\|//     |isn't, it ain't! That's Logic.
|     [.] [.]           (o o)     |- L. Carroll
+-oOOo--(_)--oOOo---oOOo-(_)-oOOo-+
"I'm actually a Knight of the ergonomic table - It's like the round table, 
only more comfortable to sit at."