Questions tagged [physical-access]
The best security measures can be rendered useless if you don't physically protect your systems. An intruder can steal a computer, server, or smartphone, then crack the password at his leisure. (Source: "Physical access". Wikipedia. Citing: Michael Meyers. ISBN 978-0-07-225345-0. McGraw-Hill Education.)
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Is the Windows PIN sign-in option good protection in case of device theft? [duplicate]
I've been hearing stories about people suffering apartment break-ins. This made me think about what might be stolen from my apartment if something similar happened, and the desktop computer certainly ...
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Evil maid attack after my iPhone disappeared and returned 2 days later [closed]
My partner who knew my pin to my iPhone 14 took off with my phone for 3 days and when it was returned it was appeared off like it appeared a smaller screen resolution and inspecting it I noticed 2 ...
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Since JTAG can be authenticated and encrypted, which key is used? I read that Secure Boot is used, but what is the key?
Since JTAG can be authenticated and encrypted, which key is used? I read that Secure Boot is used, but what is the key? Me, owner of this laptop, how can I know the key to use to access my own laptop ...
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Storing APFS password in Apple's Keychain for Time Machine
If you are using an encrypted APFS container, for example, to encrypt the Time Machine, whenever the physical disk is plugged in, MacOS asks for a decryption password with an option to store it ("...
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Laptop Repair vs. Evil Maid
Suppose you need a laptop repair, so you bring it to
A big box store where you have some sort of coverage (who will have the computer for 2-3 weeks)
A small chain of repair shops
a small independent ...
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How to protect a local server if someone has physical access to it?
I've gone through a related question on how to protect data in case of unauthorized physical access to a server, where the consensus seemed to be that preventing data access when someone has physical ...
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How to safely use dm-crypt as overlayfs uper partition?
Context
I'm working to make an embedded devices safe against physical access. (publicly accessible device and can be easily stolen)
I already made the following action :
secure boot is enabled on cpu,...
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How to check if someone used my desktop or any other device
What can I do to check a potential "evil maid attack"?
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How to protect files in use on a system powered on from physical theft or tampering?
I'm in the process of figuring out an encryption strategy for a personal Linux system.
My laptop is almost always on, or in sleep mode, except for longer travels.
My main threats are theft of my ...
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Theoretical unbreakable security for a single compute instance/machine [closed]
UPDATE : i know i modify the post significantly, will try to not do that anymore. Please read from scratch
Let's imagine we have a machine that holds customer private keys to various crypto assets, ...
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Preventing low-skill physical access by creating fake desktop environment
How can I create a fake desktop environment and file system, that automatically starts as default when booting up, and may be exited out of by doing a specific action? (Like a keystroke) to prevent ...
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Shred, cut, melt, smash, grind, then flush, is it secure disposal of a security access id card?
I had a card like a credit card that I used to use for work. It was an ID card, and it had an access code, a swiper, a barcode, my picture, my name, my rank, my license, the name of the company, and ...
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What can an attacker do with physical access to a Linux server?
I have physical access to a Linux computer (Ubuntu 20.04). My colleague asked me what an attacker could do if he had physical access to this computer?
I would like to know if, by default (after a ...
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What type of attacks can be carried against an OS with FDE, if we assume OS and FDE are implemented correctly?
The question is mainly stated in the title. I was wondering what kind of attacks can be launched on such a setup, where someone has access to a running OS with locked screen (needs password for the ...
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How hard is it to modify UEFI nvram if the device is off and the UEFI is locked?
This assumes that:
Machine is powered off
No UEFI backdoors
No Reflashing the firmware
No clearing the NVRAM (The point is to modify/read a small amount of NVRAM, instead of resetting it)
Device ...
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How can I properly physically secure my devices from border inspection? [duplicate]
I am travelling soon, and my country has passed tyrannical laws that allow them to demand passcodes to devices, and I believe that they are increasingly beginning to violate privacy rights.
I would ...
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Does Windows 10 read/run/care about USB devices plugged in "Lock Screen" mode?
Whenever I leave my computer for the bathroom or anything inside the living space, I press WinKey + L to enter the "Lock Screen" mode. (If I go outside, I turn it off completely.)
Let's say ...
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What tools currently allow to retrieve Windows 10/11 password hashes, given admin rights or physical access to unencrypted disks?
I was wondering what Windows/Linux/Live tools allow to retrieve user password hashes of modern 2021 Win10/11 installations. I am not sure if password storage differs in these cases (e.g. different ...
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What are the best steps to take to secure a LINUX PC from physical attack? Evil Maid, Boot Sector Malware?
What would be the best security practice to protect a device from physical attack? For instance an Evil Maid or boot sector malware?
For this question we are going to go with a UEFI boot debian linux ...
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Encrypted drives and non-interactive use
I would like to protect the data on my backup system, in case it gets (physically) stolen. I would encrypt the hard drives where the data resides.
Since the backup system typically acts non-...
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After EOL, can safety-critical systems be secured when connected to internet-connected components? [Automotive]
NOTE: This was originally asked on the main StackOverflow site, but now moved here because of the security nature of the question.
Since internet-connected Infotainment Systems are now connected with ...
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Does Intel's vPro TME make a locked screen more secure?
This post seems on point but I didn't understand the answer enough to answer this question.
Intel's vPro offers "Total Memory Encryption" (TME), which encrypts RAM and system bus data while ...
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Prove someone entered and exited a room at specific times without any biometric authentication [closed]
There is a room. There is a lot of incentive for people to enter this room. This room allows you to enter and exit whenever you want, but for each minute you stay in the room, you get a dollar. ...
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How good/bad are these transparent Linux consumer FDE setup options? (e.g. for auto-unlocking LUKS)
UPDATED Summary: I'm looking at Linux FDE options that are transparent to the user (my parents) in that the user doesn't need to enter 2 passwords. I found/thought of several options and tried to ...
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Options for Integrating or developing a physical security solution (physical access control via in-house mobile apps [NFC/Bluetooh])
Our team is looking to either integrate or develop a physical security solution for a rather large campus.
Requirements:
Ability to either integrate (with reader/electronic lock hardware) from our ...
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Security against local attack for remote FDE decryption?
Is there any remote FDE decryption that is resistant to an attacker that has local physical access?
Tools like dracut-sshd need to store the private key used for the sshd server on the unencrypted ...
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In an enterprise environment, should developers/maintainers be able to look at production logs by accessing the application servers?
I came across this practice, from a big company handling personal customer data, of not allowing developers/maintainers to look straight at the application logs (e.g. good old tail | grep) by ...
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Thoughts on Vaccine Security
Are there any recommendations for the physical security of COVID-19 vaccine?
I recently watched this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoqMA9vAOrQ on covid-19 vaccine distribution. At the 0:40 ...
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Will using super-glue on the screws of my laptop prevent it from being opened unnoticed?
I know someone can break open the case, but what about opening it without leaving evidence?
Are there any seals available for securing your laptop from unauthorized access?
And sealing the sides of ...
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Does UHF RFID implement any security at all?
Feel free to correct my below logic.
As far as I can tell, HF RFID tags (specifically I've tested MiFare Classic 1kb) have a 48-bit encryption key (default to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFF or something) to protect ...
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Can a BIOS password along with a HDD password prevent evil maid attacks?
By definition evil maid attacks involve altering a device in an undetectable way. So if I lock the BIOS, set the HDD to boot first and put a HDD password will this prevent it?
Access to the computer ...
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Is a BIOS password enough to prevent someone from hacking into my laptop if they have physical access?
Would my laptop be secure against physical access if I set up a bios password and full disk encryption ?
If not then is there any way to secure your laptop from someone with physical access?
How hard ...
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Is there any write-once USB stick/pendrive? [closed]
Is there any Write-once USB stick/Pendrive?
I need to submit some files to Authorities and I don't want them to modify on whatsoever.
Any suggestion?
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Does authentication for USB keyboards exist?
I think bluetooth has an authentication measure. As a user, when I get a new bluetooth keyboard, I have to:
Go to my computer, search for bluetooth devices
Put my keyboard in "pairing mode"
My ...
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Does the saying "physical access = game over" apply to smartphones, too?
I was surprised to read in the responses to this popular question that it's considered nigh impossible to secure a computer system if intruders have physical access.
Does this apply to smartphones ...
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Is there a way to "lock" a YubiKey after a period of inactivity?
I have a YubiKey 5c nano attached to my laptop used for 2FA, etc. It works great and is unobtrusive, but I feel like the small form factor encourages leaving it plugged into the laptop all the time, ...
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How long does it take to have spyware installed on a laptop?
During my commute from an airport located in a country whose government is known for intrusions into the privacy of its citizens and non-citizens, I had my laptop taken from me during a routine ...
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When they make physical locks, do they really just make a few variations of the keys and then mix them together and sell? [duplicate]
I always assumed that each lock is unique and can only be opened with the keys it was sold with (or any copies made later from those originals). But the truth seems to be that they just make "a few" ...
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What are the potential risks of leaving a device in public, but locked? [closed]
Let's say you're in a public café, or conference, where you trust your device won't be stolen if you go to the bathroom for 5 minutes, but you don't trust it might not be tampered with.
What are the ...
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If password expiration is applied, should door-lock expiration be applied too?
After reading some topics on here about password expiration, and also after reading this comment, a question arose in my mind: if we apply password expiration for the safety of users, should our door ...
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What is it called when someone glides through a building's external door behind you? [duplicate]
One form of social engineering is the practice of running up to a building's external door just as an employee is entering. The employee often holds the door open for the intruder, bypassing security ...
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How far can a malicious USB device get you on a server?
If the device is plugged in when the user is already logged in, then of course the device can just pretend to be a keyboard, open a terminal, and run a compromising command. (shortcuts for terminals ...
user2796
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What is the purpose of the rotating plate in front of the lock?
I am now in Poland and see these everywhere:
The plate can rotate freely,when you insert the key, matching the groove, you rotate the key so it is aligned with the lock and then insert the key.
What ...
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Stolen MacBook: should I worry about my data?
Unfortunately, someone stole my laptop (a MacBook) and I did not realize that for 48 hours. Now, this was a work laptop and my company's security team is going to wipe the laptop remotely as soon as ...
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Interpreting this F-Secure Video of a DMA-Attack
I'm trying to interpret this video demonstration by F-Secure of the big cold-boot attack discovered last year.
What is happening at the 50-second mark?
Why does he insert the USB boot-device before ...
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Is it Possible to Prevent a Physcial Attack on Server in Remote Data Center?
I've been using Amazon Web Services to run my Java application. However, due to high costs I'm looking into getting a dedicated server from Hetzner, a company based in Germany, which costs about 10-...
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Selecting a secure PIN for building access
What are the general criteria for rejecting an insecure PIN to access a building?
There has been a lot of discussion about password selection security. Minimum length requirements, mandatory classes ...
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I am a political activist, its likely that my computer will be compromised in the future, how can I secure my data?
I have sensitive data to secure. My computer may likely be compromised physically in the future. How can I secure my date from various attacks like Evil Maid attacks and so forth. I have some basic ...
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Device security in IOT
I am working on an IOT device that sends data to the server after authenticating itself to the server. Is there a way to safely store my device's credentials for logging onto the main server and ...
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Could it be possible to diminish the damage of having one's VPS inspected by the host?
I'm planning to run/have some quite sensitive data on a VPS, however, knowing well that the host could at any time access the data (rare but as long as it could happen in theory, I would very much ...
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