This happened at our company a few years ago. 3 workers were warned repeatedly. They thought they were too valuable. A downsizing came along and all 3 were let go.
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- Thread starter catchin_zzz
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No you dont need to install any OS on the laptop, because the alternative OS, including the programs it runs, all run FROM / BY / WITHIN the USB stick.catchin_zzz said:
The USB stick is a "drive" (with memory storage, input / output etc.) just like the hard drive of the laptop. The USB stick does use the processor and RAM of the laptop to do the processing work, the screen for display, the wifi module for internet etc etc.
However, as long as the hard drive of the laptop is not used in any way, it will leave no trace there.
If you are interested in the tekkie stuff, come HERE and HERE to do some more reading.
As I said, the major problem is slow speed - no matter how fast your USB stick is, the system run from a USB stick is not even as fast as the average low end netbooks using Atom processors.
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Thanks nofrill. I get it! I recall playing with Linux for a couple weeks and running it from a boot disk (CD) or something. It wasn't too bad from what I recall. I'll experiment over the holidays and see what works.
CheerZ
In all honesty it's far safer to use a smartphone to do this sort of thing. I'm part of my companies IT department and we deploy a webfilter that captures all traffic. The logs show us all IP / MAC Address / UserID of the system so if we wanted to we can see what you've browsed even though you may have used Portable Firefox etc. If your company deploys anything like a Barracuda / Irongate etc then they'd have this feature also.
I think everyone who would like to leave a comment should first read CAREFULLY and THOROUGHLY what catchin_zzz is trying to do.
He is NOT surfing through the company network, he is trying to tether his work laptop to his cellphone to access the internet.
Since it does not go through the company network, they cannot monitor his internet traffic. However, he is concerned that using his work laptop leaves traces on the hardware, which can be uncovered.
After so many readers overly concerned about his internet traffic being nailed, he already explained once that it has nothing to do with accessing internet through the company network.
Still the same comments pour in.
So please guys, read (I mean "read" not just scan through) everything FFS!
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Now back to Cz:
Yes that's it, the live CD is what I was talking about! There are guides on putting everything on a USB stick and use it as a boot "disk".Much more convenient and faster than using CD-ROM. I have Knoppix on a boot CD but have never tried to make a boot USB stick. I remember the Knoppix disk takes forever to boot, it is just like going through all those initial steps of installing Windows!!
He is NOT surfing through the company network, he is trying to tether his work laptop to his cellphone to access the internet.
Since it does not go through the company network, they cannot monitor his internet traffic. However, he is concerned that using his work laptop leaves traces on the hardware, which can be uncovered.
After so many readers overly concerned about his internet traffic being nailed, he already explained once that it has nothing to do with accessing internet through the company network.
Still the same comments pour in.
So please guys, read (I mean "read" not just scan through) everything FFS!
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Now back to Cz:
Yes that's it, the live CD is what I was talking about! There are guides on putting everything on a USB stick and use it as a boot "disk".Much more convenient and faster than using CD-ROM. I have Knoppix on a boot CD but have never tried to make a boot USB stick. I remember the Knoppix disk takes forever to boot, it is just like going through all those initial steps of installing Windows!!
I made a couple USB boot sticks with Ubuntu on it. It worked good and boots up in a couple minutes if you have a fast CPU and of course slower with a slower CPU. Generally it runs the OS a bit slower than if installed but on a fast PC it is not that much slower running off the USB stick. It is kinda nice, like being able to carry your PC on a key chain.
That's the best solution presuming he has accesss to the boot up selection menu. With ubuntu you can be pretty sure it's not sneakily writing anything to the system hdd unless you mount it. i'd get a patriot rage usb stick. they're the fastest afaik.
Lost my job because of surfing sites the employer didn't like (Craigslist and local paper escorts ads and using yahoo to contact) Luckily, I had enough years for a full pension and they cut me some slack to 'resign'. Lesson learned: DON'T SURF AT WORK ON THE EMPLOYER'S EQUIPMENT
Spoken as one who clearly has no idea what he's talking about.
The company's ability to monitor what the machine is doing is in no way hindered by changing the network through which that machine connects to the Internet.
Monitoring the machine is completely independent of monitoring the corporate network. They may be complementary, and there may be some companies which monitor one without monitoring the other, but the manner in which any PC is used can be monitored very ably by any competent corporate IT department. And an employee may be disciplined for misappropriating corporate resources after such behaviour.
Since you're concerned with the money first and foremost, why do you care whether you're fired for inappropriate behaviour?because that's one less session for me.
Either you care, or you don't, about being caught. If you care, you wouldn't blink about spending a few bucks to save your job. If you don't care, then why bother spending hundreds of dollars worth of your time hiding your behaviour?
Well "corporate IT guy" please enlighten me - I have already mentioend you can monitor your employees through netowkr connection and from traces left on the hardware (I guess including reviewing pattern of software use, though this is not hard evidence), what more can you do?Anynym said:
Or is it such a trade secret you are not willing to share with fellow terbites? like planting keyloggers? Wow you must be working in a HUGE company who has all the resource and manpower and time to screw-tinize your employees instead of fighting off viruses and hackers!
Or are you just scaring us little shittypanties off??
P.S Maybe after this thread you are going to shut off the boot menu access of all your corporate laptops?
