[K12OSN] OT: Stopping P2P sharing
Mel Wade
mel at melwade.com
Fri Apr 20 23:33:26 UTC 2007
We have movies, music, etc being shared across the network.
I found this product but it starts at about $22k with discount and runs up
to about $100k for our application.
*http://tinyurl.com/2cqt6y
*Great product but too much money. I wish there was an open source solution
for NAC.
On 4/20/07, Steven Santos <steven at simplycircus.com> wrote:
>
> 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>
> > > >
> > > >
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> >
> > --
> > "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)
> |
>
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--
Mel Wade
"The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do." - BF
Skinner
http://www.melwade.com
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