RE: Public-Access Computer Security

["Robin Hastings" <hastingsr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

3/18/03
Hi Everyone,
This is slightly off-topic as it involves public access to the
internet, but I hope someone an help.  We are trying to devise a
public-access computer security policy.  Problems arise when we try to
balance network security with the public's desire to have complete
access to the internet and the ability to download every file they
see.  Due to an onslaught of viruses and the the incredible amount of
time debugging a computer entails, our network administrator has been
increasing security on the pcs, therby limiting, to a certain degree,
the ability of our patrons to download certain files. We would greatly
appreciate hearing from anyone who has already walked this tightrope,
and has come up with a security policy for public access pcs. Thanks
in advance.
Janet Fine
Great Neck Library
159 Bayview Avenue
Great Neck, NY 11023

We use Centurion (sp?) here. This is a hardware solution that prevents
any writing to our computers. Patrons can download anything anywhere,
then when we reboot the computers, they are wiped clean and back to
the original configuration. If we get a virus or if somebody deletes
all of our fonts or the attached network printers (both of which has
happened) we can just reboot the computer and all changes are rolled
back. We still have a policy of not allowing downloads to our
computer - but it is really a holdover from before the Centurion was
installed. However, if people download something to the hard drive by
mistake, then come back the next day to retrieve it, they are out of
luck!

--
Robin Hastings
Public Computer Center Coordinator
hastingsr@xxxxxxxxxx
(573) 634-6064 x242