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Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#91

Post by raverbashing »

walrus01 wrote: post #87

give them a desktop that is basically xubuntu amd64 (xfce4 desktop on xorg) + firefox + chrome, and then install all of the best adblock extensions in both browsers. Even the most clueless parents can't successfully download and run windows binary malware/ransomeware/viruses on that. the xfce4 GUI is close enough to traditional windows98/windows2000/winXP models that most older non technical users have no problem wit…

This would be my suggestion as well

Also might be useful to get a hosts file mapping bad domains to localhost

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#92

Post by jonwachob91 »

Raphmedia wrote: post #58
ShaneOG wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> She asked how she could download wallpapers, we introduced her to torrents and file sharing But... why?

Ever been to those "super-awesome-hd-wallaper.com" websites? They are FILLED with ads, popups, etc. Instead, you can safely download one of the top wallpaper torrent package on Pirate Bay and get thousands of good quality wallpapers.

Or ya know... Google Images...

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#93

Post by tbyehl »

1) No local Admin rights.

2) Chrome + uBlock Origin w/ Malware filters.

3) Sophos Home[1] which has the bonus feature of being cloud-managed and not providing any control to the local interactive user.

4) Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition[2] on whatever $100-ish hardware the pFense crowd is currently in love with. Web filtering for Advertising and Threats, AV scanning.

5) Backups!

[1] https://www.sophos.com/lp/sophos-home.aspx [2] https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-xg-f...

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#94

Post by [deleted] »

thomaskcr wrote: post #77
danieltillett wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does it cost? The faronics website seems to avoid minor details like pricing.

$45, I believe there are alternatives I just don't really know anything about them. You're right about their site though, every single time they've changed it the site has looked more scammy/crappy and been harder to get where I need to go. If I hadn't used their product before I would go to that site and immediately leave.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#95

Post by ZenoArrow »

protomyth wrote: post #74
thomaskcr wrote: post #9

Use Deepfreeze or something similar. You'll mark a their documents directory as excluded and then every time they restart their machine it'll be back to the exact state it was in when you first set it up. You don't want to have to support them using a new OS for the first time - you'll be in for a headache. I use Deepfreeze for anyone who is a "problem user" and most don't even realize they have it if it's set up rig…

We run Deepfreeze in our library and its cut out all of the problems we were having. Very solid product, but a little spendy. We will probably deploy it a bit more widely when we go to Windows 10.

Maybe I'm being dumb, but couldn't you just lock down the level of user access on the machine?

As another option, assuming you can use Linux, could go down the route of using Tails or another live distro:

https://tails.boum.org/

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#96

Post by peterwwillis »

Florin_Andrei wrote: post #82

> He has even clicked through on a "You have been chosen to win an iPhone 7" link recently - he saw no harm in at least seeing what might happen. Show him one of those videos with deep-sea fish that use a luminescent lure to eat smaller fish. The pop-up is the lure. The small fish is him. The Internet is like the deep sea, and it's full of lures like that. One simple criterion I give non-technical people: if it's uns…

Plus these:

* If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

* If anything related to it says Nigeria, run screaming.

* Nothing is free and you will never win anything.

* Never enter your social security number at any time for anything.

* Surfing the Internet is like walking down a back alley in Hong Kong. They claim to have everything, but you probably aren't going to like it when you get it.

* Illegal software and marginally legitimate sites are breeding grounds for viruses.

* Even if it seems legitimate, make sure it comes from a source you have heard of.

* Always check the URL bar. Just because the website looks like Paypal doesn't mean it is Paypal.

* Get on all of the 2nd factor auth.

* Never download anything.

* Never run anything.

* Learn to close windows without clicking on anything (Alt+F4 or similar)

* If you enter your credit card anywhere, just assume that number is now compromised.

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#97

Post by xd1936 »

walrus01 wrote: post #87

give them a desktop that is basically xubuntu amd64 (xfce4 desktop on xorg) + firefox + chrome, and then install all of the best adblock extensions in both browsers. Even the most clueless parents can't successfully download and run windows binary malware/ransomeware/viruses on that. the xfce4 GUI is close enough to traditional windows98/windows2000/winXP models that most older non technical users have no problem wit…

That eliminates Lightroom support, however.

Re: Ask HN: How do I protect my parents from the internet?

#98

Post by walrus01 »

raverbashing wrote: post #91
walrus01 wrote: post #87

give them a desktop that is basically xubuntu amd64 (xfce4 desktop on xorg) + firefox + chrome, and then install all of the best adblock extensions in both browsers. Even the most clueless parents can't successfully download and run windows binary malware/ransomeware/viruses on that. the xfce4 GUI is close enough to traditional windows98/windows2000/winXP models that most older non technical users have no problem wit…

This would be my suggestion as well Also might be useful to get a hosts file mapping bad domains to localhost

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