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Re: Help: explanation of secure flash?

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On Tue, 6 Jul 2021, at 23:37, rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:
> I've seen warnings (against hacks) that say (among other things) to enable 
> "secure flash".  I've been googling to learn more about that, but I haven't 
> found any good explanation.
> 
> I'm beginning to get hints that it is not so much a thing (to be enabled), but 
> more the (a) process to update the computer's BIOS.  (e.g., "'Unable to start 
> a Secure flash session' error message.")

It might be a suggestion that you use your BIOS or UEFI to disable the 
machine's ability to boot off a USB stick ... because that - if it's on - allows
anyone to reboot your machine with the OS and tools of their choice.

So, you go into the BIOS, find the right option(s) and disable them, then
make sure you have passwords set to control access to the BIOS if you 
didn't already have them set, then save & exit.

If YOU ever need to boot from a USB stck you enter the BIOS again, 
supplying its password, and turn the option back on.  Don't forget 
after that to disable it again.

As to what the options(s) are actually called in your machine's BIOS, 
who knows?  In my experience BIOS options normally have very 
terse names and the "help" text is only marginally more useful.  But
you should be able to google on the option name and the BIOS
supplier's name and the BIOS version to find out more.

-- 
Jeremy Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

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Help: explanation of secure flash? rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-07-07 00:40 +0200
  Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? "Jeremy Nicoll" <jn.ml.dbn.25@letterboxes.org> - 2021-07-07 01:10 +0200
    Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-07-07 22:10 +0200
      Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-07-08 03:00 +0200
        Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-07-08 04:20 +0200
  Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? "Rick Thomas" <rick.thomas@pobox.com> - 2021-07-07 03:10 +0200
  Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? "Rick Thomas" <rick.thomas@pobox.com> - 2021-07-07 03:10 +0200
  Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? "Kevin N." <kevin@notscheduled.eu> - 2021-07-07 05:10 +0200
    Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? rhkramer@gmail.com - 2021-07-07 14:50 +0200
      Re: Help: explanation of secure flash? Polyna-Maude Racicot-Summerside <debian@polynamaude.com> - 2021-07-07 16:10 +0200

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