Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    You could certainly modify the startup command file to require a
    password.
        John Sauter

	Of course, CTRL-D would get around it pretty easily.

Mark

Re: .0

Whatever you do, I doubt that you could keep anyone but the biggest
neophyte out of your machine.  Something as simple as turning off the
machine and booting with a different boot disk would defeat you.

The military has a policy that the best computer security is a locked
door (with all access to the machine on the other side).

    Re: .2, .3
    
    You could by the "insert another boot disk" trick by setting the
    boot priority of your HD above the floppy...
    And while you're at it, attach a nice little password routine to
    your FastFileSystem stored within the RigidDiskBlock structure at
    the start of your HD. The password could be stored in the same
    structure. 
    
    But Randy is perfectly right, the best and most secure way to keep
    someone to fondle your system :-) is to restrict access to it.
    
    <CB>

    Re: .5
    
    I obviously had to many beers last night, my English starts breaking
    apart again. :-)
    
    It should have been "could <get> by" and "someone <from fondling>
    your system".
    
    Oh well, such is life...
    
    <CB>

Ok, <cb>:

	1. Change boot priority?
	2. RigidDiskBlock

Is this "hardblocks" stuff???

John

    Re: .6
    
    Yup, this is "hardblocks" stuff. The terminology is somewhat uncertain
    in this area, but several CBM fellas refered to it as "RigidDiskBlock"
    stuff. It's defined in "hardblocks.(h/i)".
    
    You can do such thingies as changing the boot priority with HD
    controllers that fully support the RigidDiskBlock protocol, like
    the HardFrame, A590, A2091 (not yet released) and hopefully the
    newest versions of the Supra and GVP software.
    
    Did that enlighten you? :-)
    
    <CB>

This month's issue of Amigo Times (v1.6) has a piece of
PD software that will password protect a running system
and lock out the keyboard and screen until the correct
password is given.

...of course re-booting with a different disk still defeats it!

I think the source to the program is also included.

-Jeff

> This month's issue of Amigo Times (v1.6) has a piece of
> PD software that will password protect a running system
> and lock out the keyboard and screen until the correct
> password is given.

> ...of course re-booting with a different disk still defeats it!

	But, if you autoboot from the DH0: then there's no way around it,
right?

--mikie--

    Here's one protection idea.
    
    Use the Kickstart ROM and make an duplicate to EPROM then put
    the extra code also in to the EPROM (the password check) and when you 
    start up your machine it checks for the password ...
    
    I can't say that this is easy but I think it could be done... In Germany
    they are selling Kicstart ROM v1.2 and v1.3 wich include copy programs in
    the EPROM ... 
    
    This could be experimented on the A1000's  Kickstart Disk but that
    ain't fool proof because you can change the Kickstart Disk.
    
    -Kari
         

    Re: .9
    
    Nah, won't work, since the first thing an autobooting DH0: would
    do is to execute the startup-sequence, which could be interrupted
    by control-D.
    
    
    .10 would work, but my approach is much more flexible, although
    not suitable for everyone... ;-)
    
    <CB>

    Re: .11
    
    But if you have that an Autobooting HD and you use those boottracks,
    could the booting be overrided by bootdisk in DF0: ?!?!
    
    So that could eliminate the HD based password protection, but if it's
    in the ROM and you modify the Kickstart then it could not be eliminate, 
    unless you change the ROM(ie. EPROM) having the Kickstart and the
    password code.
    
    This would be far more secure way to protect the computer.
    
    -Kari 

    re: .12
    
    NAAAAAHHH, read the whole topic, you can set the "right" HD controllers
    to have a boot priority higher than the floppy.
    So no booting of a disk...
    
    <CB>

    re: .13
    
    Sorry, my miss!
    
    But then you should have Autobooting HD's and Kickstart v1.3 or higher
    to use that kind of system otherwise it doesn't work at all.
    
    -Kari

    The protection strategy has to depend on what you are trying to
    protect.  If I have unsupervised physical access to your machine,
    I can take it home, remove your HD and attach it to my system, and
    learn anything I wish about your data.  To defeat this form of attack
    you would need to either prevent unsupervised physical access (as has
    been suggested earlier) or arrange the disk drive to self-destruct if
    it is removed.
    
    On the other hand, if you want to prevent me from using your computer
    to do my data processing, even a self-destructing HD isn't
    sufficient---you must arrange to self-destruct the whole machine.
    
    If you are trying to prevent a denial-of-service attack, then the
    self-destruct isn't good enough either, and the only remedy is to
    prevent unsupervised physical access.
        John Sauter

	I was just looking for an easy way to keep non-Amiga proficient 
people away.  The actual situation is:  I'm going to be in a dorm this year
and I want to protect some of my stuff from being looked at.  I suppose I'd
like to know how to get around Ctrl-D anyway, because someone might figure that
out.

--mikie--

    
    
    	I suggest a keylock power switch. There are many companies that
    can sell you a replacement power switch that requires a key. All
    DEC equipment comes with these switches ( DEC's all use the same
    key, but this can be changed ).
    
    
    		Steve
    

    re: * (has this been mentioned?)
    
    How about one of those locking computer centers.  That would also
    prevent crumbs, beers, etc from finding their way into your system.
    Also, watch out for people using your 3 1/2" disks as coasters.
    
    Steve - I'm not kidding :^)

    Re: .14
    
    Yup, that would be the neccessary parts.
    But keep in mind that this scheme will allow you to change you password
    at your own will and does not include surgery in the ever tighter
    spaces in ROM.
     
    I guess I'll ask Steve Beats to provide me with a hook for such
    a thingie in the next FFS release.
    
    <CB>