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One more computer question, on security this time.
EvilMuffin
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I am looking for a device that utilizes some sort of security that would keep anyone from powering on my computer without a key or some such thing. I have looked around on new egg and a couple of gadget sites and I cant seem to find anything that would work in that manner.
EvilMuffin on
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My bigger question is why do you want to do this? Who are you trying to prevent from turning your computer on? Typical login and bios passwords are probably a better method of securing your data.
Probably not what you want to do, but this http://www.overclockersclub.com/guides/keylock/ ends up looking nice and the key actually is the power switch. But really more of a novelty than anything else.
Off the top of my head I don't know of any locks that are designed to be used for this. Generally I think people who want a locking case take that into account when buying the case.
I know... I'm not much help.
However, you can always just take the power button off the front of the case and relocate it (those wires extend pretty far in most cases) to the back of the computer, or under the desk or something, if you're good enough with splicing wires (it's just two leads, almost like stereo cable) you can even extend the wires to map the button anywhere in the room really.
Yeah, I mean the only way they could get into it at that point is if they opened your case or manually found and traced the power switch, and if it's that big of a problem you need new guests/friends.
Out of curiousity though, why does simple password protection and bios locking so that they can't boot into safe mode not work?
You can bypass BIOS passwords by resetting the BIOS, and Passwords are easy to reset with boot discs (I have one, I use it when my parents forget their account passwords).
To be fair, though, a BIOS reset does involve opening the case and locating a particular, often unlabelled jumper. At which point the "needing new guests/friends" part kicks in.
Yes, and if someone is going to/able to figure this out, they can just open the case and manually short the power connection to turn the computer on, so adding a lock to the power button isn't doing anything more than putting bios/login passwords. Which was what I said.
None of these methods are true security. They're simply to keep out people who don't know or don't care enough to get by them.
If you do it with temporary on/off switches (depending on the computer) you can make it so you need to press both buttons at the same time to turn it on.
Unless things have changed radically and I missed it, it's actually much easier then finding the jumper. Pulling the CMOS battery will reset the bios settings including passwords.
I don't know if they're widely available in the fashion ou want them.
But honestly, turning the computer on is the least of your worries.
Why not use a program like PGP Desktop to perform Whole Disk Encryption and integrate an Alladin eToken or other smart card as two factor authentication?
That way, unlesss they're going to break your known strong passphrase and break the Alladin eToken ciphers they can turn your PC on all they like, but they're not getting past the boot loader.
EDITL Yes, I do this for a living.
Attach to the leads that go to your boot switch, turn key, press button on the computer.