[OLPC Security] olpc security - wetware issues

[Simson L. Garfinkel's Treo 700p]

what 'logs' are you thinking there are to review?
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...... Original Message .......
On Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:43:04 -0500 "alien" <alien at MIT.EDU> wrote:
>
>Sure. Reviewing logs doesn't prevent attacks-- but it can tell you
>when someone else has been using your computer without your
>knowledge. It needn't be required, but it should be trivial for
>interested users to discover and peruse system logs, and it might be
>nice to include system maintenence guidance for children who are
>interested.
>
>As you suggested, keeping a history of when shared files are accessed
>might be handy, too.
>
>
>Ka-Ping Yee writes:
>>On Thu, 8 Feb 2007, alien wrote:
>>> >I couldn't disagree more. That normal users would ever have to know 
what
>>> >logs are, let alone check them frequently, is nothing but a gross
>>> >failing of our field, and a failing that Bitfrost is partially trying 
to
>>> >remedy.
>>>
>>> Don't you want to know when someone has been in your house? You can't
>>> rely on machines to take care of everything, especially when the
>>> machine may be compromised. Occasional log review is the safety net,
>>> the opportunity for a human to notice that he or she may have been
>>> burglarized, or that something else is not functioning proprerly.
>>
>>I doubt that log review is a good thing to require of users.  Any
>>system that is capable of logging the fact that an attack occurred
>>is capable of preventing the attack in the first place.
>>
>>I'm not against providing history and feedback in the context of a task
>>(e.g. if the user has voluntarily shared a file, the ability to see
>>when it has been accessed is useful) -- but i don't think it should be
>>relied upon in order to prevent attack.
>>
>>
>>-- ?!ng
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