Trojan Horses
Weighing the risks
19/02/10 11:56 Filed in: Noteworthy
News
I've been
keeping a close eye on the story concerning the law
suit filed against the Pa. school district that is
accused of crossing privacy lines by using web cams
on laptops to spy on their students with. The
school finally did issue a statement stating they
use the remote feature only in the case of a stolen
laptop, and at no time have they ever violated
privacy laws. I'm not much impressed with said
statement though given the fact that I keep reading
where a student was accused of inappropriate
behavior in his home, and apparently presented with
a photograph as evidence of that behavior that was
taken with the built in web cam. So far, there has
been no indication that the student's laptop was
ever reported stolen.
Even with privacy safeguards like the school claims it has followed in place, isn't there a risk that a hacker could gain control of the remote feature on those distributed laptops via one of their Trojan Horse or other programs? And isn't there a terrible irony in the possibility that a hacker could possibly gain control of computers given to students to work on via such a Trojan Horse program? When one considers just how sick and vicious some of the hackers and trolls roaming the internet today are, I think the question of just how safe the laptops given to students really are, most definitely needs to be addressed. Should the answer to that question be not 100% safe, then when one considers what could happen if a hacker with pedophile tendencies gained control of one or more of those distributed laptops, it is enough to chill the blood of any loving parent.
Giving laptops out for students to work on is a wonderful idea. However, given the possible potential for misuse by the schools themselves, as well as by hackers, it is a wonderful idea that needs to be carefully thought out and well studied to insure that those gifts do not themselves become Trojan Horses that could wind up biting the givers and receivers of those gifts in the butt in some very sad and savage ways. What the school in Pa. has been accused of, could wind up only being the tip of the iceberg where that matter is concerned. Think about it.......
Even with privacy safeguards like the school claims it has followed in place, isn't there a risk that a hacker could gain control of the remote feature on those distributed laptops via one of their Trojan Horse or other programs? And isn't there a terrible irony in the possibility that a hacker could possibly gain control of computers given to students to work on via such a Trojan Horse program? When one considers just how sick and vicious some of the hackers and trolls roaming the internet today are, I think the question of just how safe the laptops given to students really are, most definitely needs to be addressed. Should the answer to that question be not 100% safe, then when one considers what could happen if a hacker with pedophile tendencies gained control of one or more of those distributed laptops, it is enough to chill the blood of any loving parent.
Giving laptops out for students to work on is a wonderful idea. However, given the possible potential for misuse by the schools themselves, as well as by hackers, it is a wonderful idea that needs to be carefully thought out and well studied to insure that those gifts do not themselves become Trojan Horses that could wind up biting the givers and receivers of those gifts in the butt in some very sad and savage ways. What the school in Pa. has been accused of, could wind up only being the tip of the iceberg where that matter is concerned. Think about it.......
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