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Re: how?

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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Le 2011-06-03 23:42, Jeffrey Goldberg a écrit :
> On 11-06-03 10:05 PM, Priam wrote:
>
>> Of course not! Who has ever heard of thieves reformatting a drive?
>
> This was my first questions when I heard about such system, but it turns
> out that casual thieves really are pretty stupid.

Casual thieves, people who first a laptop left on a desk, maybe.

> If they don't have access to an OS X install disk, that adds one barrier.

Not that hard to find.

> Another is if you use a firmware password (these can, of course, be
> defeated, but it takes some expertise).

2 minute search:

"You can bypass the password by changing the amount of physical RAM 
inside the computer and then resetting PRAM during the first boot 
immediately after the RAM change. In other words, if you change the 
amount of RAM in a Mac, it will start up normally one time to give you a 
chance to reset the PRAM; if you don’t reset the PRAM during that boot, 
firmware-password protection will be restored the next time you boot."

http://www.macworld.com/article/145418/2010/01/unbootablemini.html

Getting to an iMac's RAM doesn't require "some expertise".

> Finally, OS X comes with a
> "Guest" account that users of such systems are encouraged to enable. It
> means that someone can use the machine as a guest without needed a password.

If Macs work this way, it's pretty stupid. Privilege escalation is one 
of the most common security flaw. Ubuntu ask for a password before a 
guess account may be defeated. Of course, the user/root password is easy 
to defeat.

> Windows users are used to reinstalling the OS frequently when the
> registry gets corrupted or they've accumulated to much malware.

Windows users are dummies just like M&Ms but I wonder if having registry 
problems and malware is that common in Windows 7. Miller considers its 
security system stonger than OS X.

> Linux
> users enjoy reinstalling the OS as part of their fine tuning and
> learning experience.

:) Fine tuning does not need reinstalling and there is very little you 
can learn installing Linux, nowadays, except on partitioning. Of course, 
installing Linux from Scratch is another matter.

> But Mac users rarely reinstall the OS,

Less often that Linux users who try this and that distro, for sure.

> so maybe
> these schemes are more effective for Macs.

Is installing OS X that complicated? I recently installed Ubuntu on 2 
USB keys and it's a cinch. It takes a while to update thereafter, but 
you don't have to sit beside teh computer. Then, you must configure it 
to suit your taste, but you'd have to do this anyway if you bought the 
computer.

> We will never know the exact numbers, but machines do get recovered
> through these systems.

The best protection is to buy a bottom of the line laptop that won't 
arouse envy. People usually don't use Photoshop with their laptop. So, 
what's the point. If you can watch a movie, it's powerful enough.

And leash it to your neck :)

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Thread

how? RichD <r_delaney2001@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-03 15:13 -0700
  Re: how? nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2011-06-03 15:15 -0700
    Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-03 23:21 -0400
      Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-03 21:58 -0700
        Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-04 09:57 -0400
          Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-04 07:44 -0700
            Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-04 11:32 -0400
              Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-04 09:10 -0700
                Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-04 12:21 -0400
            Re: how? Walter Bushell <proto@panix.com> - 2011-06-15 15:57 -0400
        Re: how? RichD <r_delaney2001@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-05 20:40 -0700
          Re: how? Jeffrey Goldberg <nobody@goldmark.org> - 2011-06-05 22:45 -0500
          Re: how? Chris Ridd <chrisridd@mac.com> - 2011-06-06 08:30 +0100
          Re: how? Wes Groleau <Groleau+news@FreeShell.org> - 2011-06-06 07:43 -0400
          Re: how? Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2011-06-06 08:31 -0500
      Re: how? George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2011-06-04 09:30 -0500
      Re: how? dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2011-06-04 19:38 +0100
        Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-04 14:44 -0400
          Re: how? dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2011-06-05 12:05 +0100
            Re: how? Tim Streater <timstreater@waitrose.com> - 2011-06-05 15:48 +0100
              Re: how? dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2011-06-05 21:56 +0100
            Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-05 10:55 -0400
      Re: how? Calum <com.gmail@nospam.scottishwildcat> - 2011-06-10 19:44 +0100
        Re: how? Chris Ridd <chrisridd@mac.com> - 2011-06-10 21:31 +0100
          Re: how? your.name@isp.com (Your Name) - 2011-06-11 09:36 +1200
        Re: how? Abu Yahya <abu_yahya@invalid.com> - 2011-06-12 00:00 +0530
  Re: how? George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2011-06-03 18:30 -0500
  Re: how? "robin" <robin51@dodo.mapson.com.au> - 2011-06-04 09:32 +1000
    Re: how? George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2011-06-03 18:45 -0500
  Re: how? Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2011-06-03 16:42 -0700
    Re: how? George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2011-06-03 18:50 -0500
      Re: how? Priam <priam@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-03 23:05 -0400
        Re: how? Jeffrey Goldberg <nobody@goldmark.org> - 2011-06-03 22:42 -0500
          Re: how? Priam <priam@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-04 01:01 -0400
          Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-04 10:05 -0400
        Re: how? George Kerby <ghost_topper@hotmail.com> - 2011-06-04 09:29 -0500
          Re: how? Priam <priam@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-04 14:38 -0400
            Re: how? Priam <priam@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-04 14:54 -0400
  Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-03 16:57 -0700
  Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-03 17:01 -0700
    Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-03 17:08 -0700
  Re: how? Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob@remove.Smith-Harris.us> - 2011-06-03 20:23 -0400
    Re: how? Tevvin <Tevvin@walksincircles.com> - 2011-06-05 11:44 -0500
      Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-05 18:44 -0400
  Re: how? Jeffrey Goldberg <nobody@goldmark.org> - 2011-06-03 22:28 -0500
  Re: how? dividebyzer0 <dividebyzer0@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 00:16 +0000
    Re: how? Gandalf  Parker <gandalf@the.dead.ISP.of.Community.net> - 2011-06-05 12:51 +0000
      Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-05 15:39 -0700
  Re: how? RichD <r_delaney2001@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-05 20:33 -0700
    Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-06 13:40 -0700
      Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-06 15:55 -0700
        Re: how? Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> - 2011-06-06 16:14 -0700
          Re: how? Wes Groleau <Groleau+news@FreeShell.org> - 2011-06-06 23:52 -0400
          Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-07 12:05 -0700
        Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-07 12:04 -0700
          Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-07 13:17 -0700
            Re: how? Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2011-06-07 16:36 -0400
              Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-07 17:46 -0700
            Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-07 14:02 -0700
              Re: how? Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2011-06-07 17:44 -0700
                Re: how? JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2011-06-07 22:09 -0400
                Re: how? your.name@isp.com (Your Name) - 2011-06-08 18:31 +1200
            Re: how? Paul Debrowski <pdebrowski@shitiou.org> - 2011-06-07 21:18 -0400
              Re: how? Big Bad Bob <BigBadBob-at-mrp3-dot-com@testing.local> - 2011-06-11 12:56 -0700
                Re: how? your.name@isp.com (Your Name) - 2011-06-12 09:30 +1200
                Re: how? Howard Brazee <howard@brazee.net> - 2011-06-11 18:44 -0600
  Re: how? AD <isquat@gmail.com> - 2011-06-27 06:38 -0700

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