Linux

49366 readers

973 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

150

How to set up laptop for corporate usage, so contents can be erased. (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

49 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi all, we are hiring a remote worker and will be supplying a laptop to them. The laptop will be running a Debian variant of Linux on it.

We are a small shop and this is the first time we have entrusted somebody outside of our small pool of trusted employees.

We have sensitive client data on the laptop that they need to access for their day-to-day work.

However, if something goes wrong, and they do the wrong thing, we want to be able to send out some kind of command or similar, that will completely lock, block, or wipe the sensitive data.

We don't want any form of spying or tracking. We are not interested in seeing how they use the computer, or any of the logs. We just want to be able to delete that data, or block access, if they don't return the laptop when they leave, or if they steal the laptop, or if they do the wrong thing.

What systems are in place in the world of Linux that could do this?

Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated? Thank you.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

use a non sudo user for the user
somehow get the IP address of that laptop all the time. There are dynDNS solutions like this where the client just needs to automatically download a certain file daily and you know his IP, my implementation is here.
have ssh access to root with a ssh key. The usual hardening, fail2ban, block using passwords
open the port for ssh on the clients system

If something goes wrong, login via ssh (you know the dynamically changing IP) and remove a directory or the entire user.

You cannot avoid that a user would copy files from there to a usb stick. Well you could, by using usbguard. Works really well in my experience, just prevent nonsudo users from adding new devices.

And then you need to prevent the user from booting another system, or taking out the SSD and reading it. TPM and boot lock is the right thing here, what Max-P wrote.