[Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites andindividualuseraccounts

Tue Dec 19 15:42:10 EST 2006

Thanks for the post Steven,

We have a local proxy server, but as I have previously mentioned, students simply click on cancel at the username and password request window, type in the URL of the proxy avoiding site, click cancel once or twice and Bob's their uncle . . . . thereby not leaving anything readily identifiable that gives away who they actually are/were. Perhaps you could trace this back through a proxy log if network logon info. was associated with the URL request info. in the same log. Does your proxy log do this? If the association is purely by local IP address, then the degree of difficulty (sounds strangely like Olympic diving) in retrospectively 'catching' an offender increases dramatically.

Interestingly, I have just read the 'New Enhancements Release Announcement' from Editure that suggests that Service Pack 55 (sounds very MS-like) will have enhanced capabilities built into it to deal with proxy avoiding (anonymisers) amongst other things . . . though I suspect there'll still be an element of catch up. Hopefully this is a major step forward over the quite ordinary service that Editure currently offers . . . . as mentioned by Bryan Whelan . . . . though I, perhaps pessimistically, suspect the issue will roll on and intensify further with time.

Cheers,

Kim

---
Kim Gration
ICT Manager
Myrtleford Secondary College
http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au

"Stephen Digby" <digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au> on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:55:55 +1100 wrote:
> This is a good reason to have your own proxy server on site.
> Students cannot get any internet info without local proxy authentication at
> our school, thus they may be able to get naughty business, but they are
> charged and leave tracks (even if they are only the records of the proxy
> avoiding site (leading to a prima facie guilty verdict !)....
> 
> ============================================================================
==========
Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager 
> mailto:admin at cheltsec.vic.edu.au  
> Cheltenham Secondary College www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx:
> 9555 8617
> ============================================================================
==========

> 
> ...the myth of socialism is far stronger than the reality of capitalism.
> That is because capitalism is not really an ism at all. It is what people do
> if you leave them alone.
> Arnold Beichmen, Hoover Institute Fellow 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au] On
> Behalf Of Bryan Whelan
> Sent: 18 December 2006 10:31 PM
> To: 'Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management
> Teachers'Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites andindividual user
> accounts
> 
> The issue here is not the big budget blow out so much, it is the fact that
> these sites bypass your security protocols. If you aren't sure try accessing
> one of these sites  (mentioned below) as a student. If you can get in your
> internet security is vulnerable.
> 
> We at Drouin, have been dealing with this problem for some time. Editure and
> SINA have really done nothing about it and it is high time they and others
> address this problem. They can collectively block porn and racist sites, why
> not these?
> 
> Our current reaction to students caught using these sites is to treat it as
> criminal activity because it is. We send letters home, contact parents and
> in some cases suspensions have been issued. That is, we treat it very
> seriously. So far the message has gotten through to the students
> 
> My hope is that a technological solution is out there
> 
> 
> Bryan Whelan
> 
> IT MANAGER
> DROUIN SECONDARY COLLEGE
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au] On
> Behalf Of Cameron Bell
> Sent: Wednesday, 13 December 2006 4:08 PM
> To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'
> Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites andindividual user
> accounts
> 
> PS - I am not associated with Bright Sparks in any way. ;) (We use SINA too,
> but looked at the BS option to keep costs down as well)
> 
> Cameron Bell wrote:
> > Why not switch to Bright Sparks unlimited-download plan for $550 per
> month?
> > What sort of traffic plan are you on currently?
> >
> > Laurie Savage wrote:
> >   
> >> Can you log the indivdual students and kill their accounts? We had a 
> >> budget blow-out in 2005 because of a sudden upsurge in downloads of 
> >> videos and songs. We threatened and then hit the kids with an 
> >> Internet levy and told them why. This year, with reminders, we are on 
> >> track budget-wise.
> >>
> >> As a last resort kill the Internet for a while - that works wonders.
> >>
> >> Laurie
> >>
> >> kgration at myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au wrote:
> >>     
> >>> Dear List,
> >>>
> >>> During the last few months our wonderful students have discovered 
> >>> treasure troves of proxy avoiding web sites (e.g. vtunnel, kproxy, 
> >>> flyproxy etc. etc. etc.) with multiple variations of each of these 
> >>> and numerous others as the URL. Most of these sites are secure (i.e.
> >>> https:// rather than http://) so are difficult to block or usually 
> >>> totally unblockable using the SINA front end. The Year 10-12 
> >>> students are particularly notorious for this kind of behaviour.
> >>> Blocking the source IP address appears to be the only rather 
> >>> fragmented solution to this problem . . . but this essentially 
> >>> amounts to a game of catch up . . . and without a full time tech.
> >>> usually means a call to Editure . . . who aren't always 100% 
> >>> successful
> either.
> >>>
> >>> Not surprisingly our Internet budget has basically been blown as a 
> >>> result. I am now considering taking away individual user accounts 
> >>> for student Internet use and having Learning Area, Year Level or 
> >>> some other account structure where teachers enter the password for 
> >>> students in their care.
> >>>
> >>> Does anyone out there have any gems of wisdom (bright ideas) or 
> >>> perspectivesto share in this area?
> >>>
> >>> Cheers,
> >>>
> >>> Kim
> >>>
> >>> ---
> >>> Kim Gration
> >>> ICT Manager
> >>> Myrtleford Secondary College
> >>> http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>>       
> >
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