Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Ubuntu VM's virtual hard disk is right there for the taking, though.
An encrypted home directory will help some with that.
That won't work since escapologybb can't type a password at the OS X lock screen.
Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
71–80 of 172 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#72Forgive the off the cuff suggestion here, it's the quickest and simplest thing I can think of though not an optimum way to use your laptop and you're probably hoping for a more elegant solution. What if you install virtual box w/ some free OS (like ubuntu). Store all your personal information within the virtual machine which is configured with a secure login. Then you can leave the laptop unsecured so you can use you…
That's just punting. How does he login to the secure VM?
You're jumping the gun a bit... the main problem is that they can't secure their main computer, since they require dictation to work in order to enter passwords. For the main login screen, the dictation software isn't loaded yet.
If they can password-less auto-login to the main computer, then use their dictation software to load up a VM, that VM could be considered secure.
As a side note, can't you also run Mac OS X as a VM guest from a Mac OS X host? I thought that Apple made that license change a while back. If that's the case, they could keep it all Mac, if they'd like.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#73someone could build a login sequence that uses yes/no questions that only you know the answer to. Then it would just be a matter of how many bits of protection you want. eg: 32 questions would be something like 32 bits of entropy. Kind of laborious but also fairly secure because the order and selection of questions could be randomized, so someone would have to shoulder surf many questions in order to break in.
eg: Is this your mom? (with a picture). Is this your favorite color (a color showing). Is this your phone number? Is this your house? Do you like cheese? Do you like candy crush (ok, no entropy there, the answer is always "yes") .
now, does someone want to make this product?
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's just punting. How does he login to the secure VM?
You're jumping the gun a bit... the main problem is that they can't secure their main computer, since they require dictation to work in order to enter passwords. For the main login screen, the dictation software isn't loaded yet. If they can password-less auto-login to the main computer, then use their dictation software to load up a VM, that VM could be considered secure. As a side note, can't you also run Mac OS X…
This certainly seems to be allowed: http://stackoverflow.com/a/39247
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#75Just a thought but would a inverse keylogger work? I would guess something like this- an arduino hooked up to something you can operate (BigBuddy?). This could then ask you for your PIN code (2 taps, 3 taps, 2 taps) Once arduino is happy it will quirt a pre-stored key sequence into the USB port, acting as a keyboard, and unlock what you need. I have no idea if it is really viable but its the best I have.
I remember reading in MAKE about a gumball machine that only dispenses gumballs when a secret knock is performed. I'm sure something like that can be adapted for this purpose.
http://grathio.com/2010/05/secret_knock_detecting_gumball_ma...
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#76Forgive the off the cuff suggestion here, it's the quickest and simplest thing I can think of though not an optimum way to use your laptop and you're probably hoping for a more elegant solution. What if you install virtual box w/ some free OS (like ubuntu). Store all your personal information within the virtual machine which is configured with a secure login. Then you can leave the laptop unsecured so you can use you…
You know, I hadn't actually considered that! That certainly could solve quite a lot of the security problems, but as you say it adds a layer of complexity to an already complex method of using my computer. Excellent idea though :-)
If you think OS X offers better dictation/accessibility support than Ubuntu does you can also virtualize OS X on OS X using VMWare Fusion. I'm sure there are other ways of doing this but I know that VMWare Fusion supports this [1]. I don't believe that you will even have to pay for licensing OS X since it is already on an Apple manufactured hardware.
[1] http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=di...
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#77We have patented something called PassRules which does not disclose your secret during normal use. It's the perfect solution for you but unfortunately we don't have a version for Mac -- only Windows. But if there's sufficient interest we might just develop one. Check us out at www.itsmesecurity.com
Good thing you have a patent. Now, if you can't be bothered to make a Mac version, no one can! (maniacle villian laughter goes here, don't forget to twirl your mustache)
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#78When I messed with army radios - these being the made-by-the-lowest-bidder-and-not-secret analogue variety - they were throat-operated. You spoke silently, and the microphone - pressed to your throat - sent speech over the radio. It took practice to talk perfectly clearly, but it could be mastered. Google "throat microphone".
If I had one of them, I would totally be able to pretend I'm in the SAS on some secret mission!:D Obviously a mission that didn't involve any stairs, and nothing above 6 miles an hour (top speed of my chair!) With lots of ramps and extrawide doors :-) Seriously though, I'm connected to this computer with a ton of cables and if that could be made to play nice with Dragon, and it wasn't too tight across where the break…
Throat mic available at DX.com and other Chinese online retailers last time I checked
EDIT: You can even pick colors: http://dx.com/s/throat
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
From what I've read a lot of them can be spoofed with either a printed picture, or a video playing back.
So I guess the next step in the arms-race would be twin cameras (kinect?) to build a 3D image of a face. Then the bad guys would make a sculpture. Then the good guys could add some kind of mannerism detection (smile?, wink?). Then the bad guys would work on latex masks. ....I quite want to see how this evolves tbh.
Cloning. The end-game is cloning.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#80Does DragonDictate still work if you switch users? If so, you could encrypt your home directory, add a second user, and set OSX to auto-login to that user (and auto-launch DragonDictate).
If not, I think your best bet is a Bluetooth solution or some hardware token. For instance, an Arduino or Teensy ($20) programmed with your login/master password, and with a small microphone connected would be able to respond to certain voice commands and act as a regular USB keyboard, typing in your pass phrase.
You could also have some software on the Mac to automatically lock the screen or shutdown the computer if the Arduino is removed.