4.0885 Responses: PC Security (2/39)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 14 Jan 91 18:25:04 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0885. Monday, 14 Jan 1991.
(1) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 91 00:22 EST (21 lines)
From: MORGAN TAMPLIN <TAMPLIN@TrentU.CA>
Subject: RE: 4.0882 Queries: Toshiba Security
(2) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 91 17:21:26 EST (18 lines)
From: Jose Igartua <R12270@UQAM>
Subject: Re: 4.0882 Queries: Toshiba Security
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 91 00:22 EST
From: MORGAN TAMPLIN <TAMPLIN@TrentU.CA>
Subject: RE: 4.0882 Queries: Toshiba Security
Regarding passwording programs and the security of portable PCs, there
are a number of commercial and public domain passwording programs
available. Software security can be circumvented. Hardware is better.
The old Epson Geneva laptops (remember CP/M?) had a password option in
its dynamic memory which could only be bypassed by resetting the system
and erasing everything previously stored.
Some of the more expensive NEC portables (386 with hard drive) have a
password in ROM which appears to be quite secure. There was a report of
some in Canada stolen from a government office which were brought to
dealers shops for "repair" by their possibly unsuspecting new owners who
had bought them at a bargain price. Perhaps Toshiba has a ROM-based
password option. Be warned though, if you forget your password, you may
have to return your machine to the factory.
Morgan Tamplin
Trent University
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------26----
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 91 17:21:26 EST
From: Jose Igartua <R12270@UQAM>
Subject: Re: 4.0882 Queries: Toshiba Security
One of the reasons I like my NEC ProSpeed 386 is that it has password
protection in ROM as an option in its Setup utilities. I had a tense
moment some months ago when I resumed working with the machine and
had forgotten the password, but it came back to mind.
I have written on the machine that it is password-protected in ROM.
There have been a few cases of such machines being retrieved after a
theft here in Canada when the thieves called NEC asking how to get
aroung the password protection...
For other machines, there are ways to write autoexec.bat files that
will make the characters the same color as the background (and thus
unreadable) unless a password is provided. But of course one can
boot with a floppy and get around this form of protection.