The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

TL9.1Larry 22 Ontario School Library Association IN FO R M A TI O N T EC H N O LO G Y T L one or two computer-savvy hackers who will delight in trying to get around any block. If you're lucky enough to identify the students behind all the changes, you have two choices - ban them or try to co-opt or employ them to "help" you keep the computers consistent! SSEECCUURRIITTYY CCAANN GGEETT IINN TTHHEE WWAAYY!! Up to this point, the applications mentioned have focused on a "lock down" approach - with the goal to restrict user access tightly. This approach does not work, however, when a teacher's aim is to teach students about manag- ing the computer itself. When the course con- tent covers the operating system or computer set-up, students need the ability to manage sys- tem level changes. A different approach to desktop security is taken by applications like Clean Slate and Deep Freeze. These work by identifying a core set of drives or directories and freezing them so they can not be altered, then protecting them inside a hidden kernel. The student using the comput- er finds it is apparently wide open. Changes can be easily made and even attempts to modify or trash protected files will appear to be success- ful. In the background, however, any changes are simply caching to another hidden file, separate from the protected core. Upon reboot, this tem- porary cache file is wiped, and the original com- puter settings are completely restored. Any trace of the previous student is gone. Erased files are miraculously back, installed software is gone, and all preferences are back to your cho- sen settings. Even downloaded viruses get wiped - the nasty changes they appeared to make at the system level were merely cache file changes, gone at reboot. Our network computer technician swears by Deep Freeze as a great way to explore safely the potential harm a virus could cause! Ilike this kind of desktop security best. Itdoes not impede the functionality of thecomputer for the student, and a simple reboot ensures that the next student sits down to a perfect workstation. Now I can spend my valuable time doing more impor- tant things. At last, a cure for the computer gremlins! z http://www.smartstuff. com/fps/fpsinfo.html Fool Proof is a powerful, full-featured desktop security software, PC security software and Macintosh security soft- ware solution that's still the easiest to use. The leading desktop security solution: allows multiple Security Groups, locks applications and Control Panels, directs file saving, provides internet access security, is fully network- manageable. http://www.fortres.com /products/fortres_101. htm Fortres 101 is an innova- tive security agent that resides invisibly between the computer and the user. A computer sen- tinel, Fortres 101 moni- tors each action the user makes and determines if that action is legal or not. As a systems administra- tor for one or one thou- sand machines, software security is a must. Fortres 101 offers you the ability to restrict/block local hard drives and removable floppy disk drives as well as any local file, folder, or appli- cation.