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Re: firmware password

From me@home.spamsucks.ca (Király)
Newsgroups comp.sys.mac.system
Subject Re: firmware password
Date 2012-08-10 18:14 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <k03j1q$4d3$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <1komcau.a6j0ko7lmxv8N%dcohenspam@talktalk.net>

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Daniel Cohen <dcohenspam@talktalk.net> wrote:
> I am considering setting a firmware password on my Mac.
> 
> Using Montain Lion, if I want to change startup disks using the option
> key at startup I can do it provided I enter the firmware password.
> 
> From various discussion forums (it does not seem to be mentioned on
> Apple's site) I get the impression that other things one might want to
> do at startup (verbose mode, single-user mode) are not possible at all
> when a firmware password is set, it isn't a matter of having to enter
> the password to continue.
> 
> Am I right in this? If so, what actions are prohibited sompletely and
> which trquite a password?

Setting the firmware password has one useful purpose - preventing users 
from gaining unauthorized admin access, by preventing them from booting 
into single user mode, or booting from DVD.

It does not, as many seem to believe, make one's data more secure from 
being stolen.

The firmware password is also easy to defeat, by adding or removing a 
RAM module and then resetting PRAM. So it's rather useless protectionif 
the intruder has physical access to the machine.

A useful scenario is an institutional sysadmin who manages a fleet of 
laptops, who doesn't want users to have admin access. He can set the 
firmware password, and then put a label over the RAM hatch that says 
"break this seal and you're fired/expelled."

Beyond that, there are few advantages to setting a firmware password.

-- 
K.

Lang may your lum reek.

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Thread

firmware password dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2012-08-10 19:01 +0100
  Re: firmware password me@home.spamsucks.ca (Király) - 2012-08-10 18:14 +0000
    Re: firmware password Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2012-08-10 11:26 -0700
      Re: firmware password Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2012-08-10 20:20 +0000
        Re: firmware password Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2012-08-10 13:27 -0700
          Re: firmware password nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-08-10 16:37 -0400
          Re: firmware password Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2012-08-11 03:54 +0000
            Re: firmware password Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2012-08-10 21:03 -0700
              Re: firmware password J.J. O'Shea <try.not.to@but.see.sig> - 2012-08-11 06:23 -0400
                Re: firmware password Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> - 2012-08-11 07:39 -0700
                Re: firmware password J.J. O'Shea <try.not.to@but.see.sig> - 2012-08-11 15:24 -0400
                Re: firmware password Wes Groleau <Groleau+news@FreeShell.org> - 2012-08-11 13:41 -0400
                Re: firmware password JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> - 2012-08-11 14:12 -0400
                Re: firmware password Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2012-08-11 18:38 +0000
              Re: firmware password nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-08-11 10:57 -0400
    Re: firmware password Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2012-08-10 14:37 -0400
      Re: firmware password me@home.spamsucks.ca (Király) - 2012-08-10 23:46 +0000
        Re: firmware password Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2012-08-11 13:21 -0700
      Re: firmware password J.J. O'Shea <try.not.to@but.see.sig> - 2012-08-11 06:23 -0400
    Re: firmware password nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-08-10 15:11 -0400
  Re: firmware password Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2012-08-10 20:15 +0000
    Re: firmware password dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2012-08-11 12:18 +0100
  Re: firmware password Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-08-11 14:12 -0700
    Re: firmware password Wes Groleau <Groleau+news@FreeShell.org> - 2012-08-11 18:39 -0400
    Re: firmware password Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2012-08-12 02:22 +0000
    Re: firmware password billy@MIX.COM - 2012-08-12 03:55 +0000
      Re: firmware password dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2012-08-12 14:27 +0100
        Re: firmware password billy@MIX.COM - 2012-08-14 03:06 +0000
          Re: firmware password dcohenspam@talktalk.net (Daniel Cohen) - 2012-08-14 15:49 +0100

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