[K12OSN] OT: Stopping P2P sharing

Fri Apr 20 22:35:56 UTC 2007

I have read a lot of what I would call heavy handed technical aproaches to this.  What I still don't understand is exactly what kind of file sharing you are trying to prevent, and why.

  _____  

Steven Santos
Director, Simply Circus, Inc.
Email: Steven at SimplyCircus.com
 Mail: 14 Pierrepont Road
       Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-527-0667
  Web: www.SimplyCircus.com <http://www.SimplyCircus.com>  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com]On
> Behalf Of John Lucas
> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 6:12 PM
> To: k12osn at redhat.com
> Subject: Re: [K12OSN] OT: Stopping P2P sharing
> 
> 
> On Friday 20 April 2007 10:02, Mel Wade wrote:
> > This is what I was thinking.  I can effectively block P2P from 
> the outside
> > by blocking ports.  The real problem is getting a handle on the large
> > amount of file sharing going on within the network.  I would 
> really like to
> > have something that would require monitoring software be in 
> place in order
> > to have access to the network.  I'm guessing this would have to 
> integrate
> > into the switches themselves.
> >
> 
> There are several technical approaches that come to mind, but 
> they may create 
> more problems than the solve. In order for your users to exchange content 
> then they need to be allowed on the net, so you need to either 
> prevent them 
> from connecting altogether, or you need to be able to allow 
> access only to 
> authenticated users access and be able to monitor them. 
> 
> The first case can be accomplished by "locking down" each switch 
> port by MAC 
> address (for school computers) and disabling open ports (to 
> prevent student 
> computers from being able to connect). This will reduce the 
> usability of the 
> net (student computers can't use the net) and adds to the operational 
> difficulty of moves adds and changes. It also assumes that your 
> switches are 
> "managed" instead of "dumb".
> 
> The second case assumes that you have an affective acceptable use 
> policy that 
> that clearly identifies what may and may not take place on the 
> network and 
> enforcing any violation. Many managed switches can be set up to 
> require IEEE 
> 802.1X authentication against a RADIUS server and can perform 
> accounting so 
> you know what user is using which port at what times. Many switches also 
> allow any port to be mirrored to a "monitor port" to which you 
> can attach a 
> protocol analyzer (allowing you to spot the "illegal" traffic). 
> This requires 
> active monitoring and enforcment and may not be a good use of 
> your time. If 
> you invested in expensive Layer 3 switches, it might be possible 
> to prevent 
> inter-subnet P2P traffic (in a manner similar to that suggested for the 
> perimeter firwall above), but you would still be faced with intra-segment 
> sharing.
> 
> Wifi can be implemented using the same IEEE 802.1X authentication and 
> accounting as managed switches. 
> 
> Once the perimeter is controlled (at the firewall) the other 
> measures provide 
> diminishing returns due to the personnel time required for monitoring and 
> enforcement. I can't emphasize enough the vital importance of a clear and 
> enforcable Acceptable Use Policy, without that being understood by all 
> parties, you won't be able to enforce anything. Not all solutions are 
> technical.
> 
> I don't think there is a "silver bullet" to techincally solve 
> this problem. If 
> ever there is, I predict it will be expensive.
> 
> > Mel
> >
> > On 4/20/07, EJBoshinski <mistrz.linux at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > Depending on the physical topology of your network, without a complete
> > > network admission compliance policy it may be nearly impossible to
> > > implement.  Firewalls typically sit at the network edge and do not
> > > mediate internal traffic, thus anything on your local subnet will pass
> > > unabated unless a firewall is placed at each congregation point (ie -
> > > read switch - however even this is incomlete as any traffic 
> internal to
> > > the switch will not encounter the firewall).  The only 
> complete solution
> > > is to have NAC in place that stipulates rulesets that must be 
> met before
> > > access is granted to the network.  This is where you can enforce your
> > > network policies.  If you don't meet our standards, you don't 
> get on.... 
> > > I did some work on this about a year ago with a MAJOR network gear
> > > manufacturer's first step into this market - suffice it to 
> say that the
> > > solution at that time was incomplete and convoluted.  However in the
> > > interim I believe that the technology has improved sufficiently to be
> > > able to achieve your desired results.  The major hurdle is to get the
> > > 'powers that be' to buy into the project and the underlying 
> policies of
> > > network access control....
> > >
> > > HTH,
> > >
> > > -ejb
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: Mel Wade <mel at melwade.com>
> > > To: Support list for open source software in schools. 
> <k12osn at redhat.com>
> > > Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 7:55:47 AM
> > > Subject: [K12OSN] OT: Stopping P2P sharing
> > >
> > > We are looking for a solution to stop file sharing on student owned
> > > computers on our network.  Anyone have a solution?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Mel Wade
> > > "The real problem is not whether machines think but whether 
> men do." - BF
> > > Skinner
> > > http://www.melwade.com _______________________________________________
> > > K12OSN mailing list
> > > K12OSN at redhat.com
> > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
> > > For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------
> > > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
> > > Check out new cars at Yahoo!
> > > 
> Autos.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48245/*http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.
> > 
> >html;_ylc=X3oDMTE1YW1jcXJ2BF9TAzk3MTA3MDc2BHNlYwNtYWlsdGFncwRzbGs
> DbmV3LWNh
> > >cnM->
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > K12OSN mailing list
> > > K12OSN at redhat.com
> > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
> > > For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
> 
> -- 
>         "History doesn't repeat itself; at best it rhymes."
>                         - Mark Twain
> 
> | John Lucas                          MrJohnLucas at gmail.com       
>         |
> | St. Thomas, VI 00802                
http://mrjohnlucas.googlepages.com/ |
| 18.3°N, 65°W                        AST (UTC-4)                         |

_______________________________________________
K12OSN mailing list
K12OSN at redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>