How To Practice Physical Computer Security BySydney Butler-October 13, 2018.662 We spend a lot of time (rightly) worried about protecting ourselves from digital threats. Malware viruses report hacking and a hundred other threats lurk only outside our Ethernet ports. That means it’s easy to forget that someone can just walk up and tamper with your machine. Hacking it personally. Otherwise they just can pick it up and walk away with it! A personal computer’s failure is more than mere financial hit. If the person who gets their hands on it succeeds in getting at your data you might be in real trouble. The worst case is if somebody really wants to destroy your privacy and your tamUse the Physical Security Key
.664.664 Figure 1 Gizmodo Photo Courtesy You can build your own Google Titan Usb Security Key. This is a highly secure precaution when paired with encryption, against in-person device tampering. Try to avoid the options of biometric unlocking. Biometrics have many flaws which make them unsuitable for serious safety purposes. If someone compromise your biometric signature by copying your fingerprint to a capacitive material then you need either a more sophisticated sensor or separate fingerprints! While that’s a little far-fetched, the main reason to avoid biometrics is the possibility of pressuring the machine to unlock itself. For example, law enforcement might simply put your finger on the scanner. But they can not use a password to do the same. You should also realize that an authentication still has to be combined with a password so even if anyone gets your key they still have only half the keys needed.
.665.665 The real treasure for privacy attackers is your hard drive. This part can be removed in minutes, with physical access to your computer. So, you need to encrypt your hard drive. That way even if stolen, it’ll be useless. It’s pure gibberish without your password. You should also set a Bios password to prevent anyone from using a Usb boot disk to access your computer data in that way.
Taking the habit of checking your Usb ports when you return to your device is a good idea. There are keyloggers of hardware and other dangerous anti-privacy tools which can track you while using your Pc. Check which apps you don’t know. Also search if there’s something unusual about plugging your current computer. Some of these devices function as pass-throughs and go to the ends of Usb devices that exist. When you find something like this delete it and search for malware and viruses on the computer.
This is the lowest-tech approach but may be the most appropriate one. You may want to padlock the casing for desktop computers, so that no one can open it and remove components such as the hard drive. Safety cables can also be provided for both laptops and desktops. Those attach to a special connector that is inserted or attached to your desk in a nearby wall. The cable is bolt-cutter resistant, and very hard to detach.
Download a Tamper Alarm
Having it on you is the best way to physically protect these. You can lock them in a cabinet or some other safe place if you can’t. The rule regarding biometrics is also applicable here. Instead you depend on a passcode. Finally, some new phones and tablets can unlock within a certain Gps zone or another trusted Bluetooth device when in the range. Both allow this as it means someone can control your hardware while you’re close by. But not where to see them.