Safer Internet in a Virtual World /

Virtual Internet for a SAFER world

Sotiris Karagiannis

IT Consultant

Space Hellas S.A.

skar@space.gr

Thessaloniki

September 2006

How Many of you Are Parents?

We care for our children

Safer Internet (one tech’s view)

The technology challenge(s):

– Safer Browsing, collaboration, chat, games for Kids

– High immunity in Worms, Viruses, Malicious software that the kids cannot handle

– Secure Environment, easy to backup, easy to monitor, easy to carry around

– Kid Safe Desktop with Games, Learning Tools

– Safe for the Parents also . Not much knowledge required.

Safer Internet (many views)

Many Solutions, other speakers have

already covered and will cover..

ONE NEW TECHNOLOGY APPROACH :

Virtualization

What is virtualization?

Virtualization is a HOT topic worldwide

The Leaders :

– VMWare,

– Microsoft,

– XEN,

– QEMU

And many are following

A new CONCEPT

The CONCEPT:

• We create a VIRTUAL APPLIANCE

• We install a safe (as it gets) OS inside.

• We install additional software (Kids Oriented)

• We secure it / harden it with appropriate software (firewalls, antivirus, web & mail filters, etc)

• We add our Proprietary Monitoring software (Space Hellas .pulse IT Monitoring Platform)

• We ensure ONE-CLICK Restoration and Safe Integration in the context of HOST machine

The Result

What we now have :

A new (virtual) appliance that can:

– Be carried around in a USB stick (parent can be able

to unlock it / U3 technology)

– Is safe enough for the Kid and the Parent Machine

– Malicious Data is not saved, Safe Appliance can be

restored with a click

– It can be continuously monitored for “bad behavior”

– It can be Viewed / Controlled

from Anywhere (parent can help,

control the Appliance on demand)

– NO-one is hurt, like in the POLO

terror-proof experience

(going there…)

The Components

What we have used: • Virtualization Technologies:

– VMware Player (free), VirtualPC (free) or QEMU (free)

• Linux Appliances OS (free): – PuppyLinux, Ubuntu, ZenWalk

• Applications (free): – Mozilla Firefox, AbiWord, Gaim, Thunderbird, Various Games,

Mono (.net apps), VNC Remote Control

• Applications (proprietary): – Space Hellas .pulse Monitoring Platform

• Space Hellas Software and a lot of Know-How

in more Depth.. More Technical:

• In WindowsXP, or Linux Host a new account (kid account) in the PARENT’s machine is created.

• The Default Shell is changed to run the VA on logon. – OR The VA can boot from USB stick

• The Host PC is made unreachable from the VA

• The VA can run only in memory and NOT write anything to the HOST PC Hard Disk.

• The whole VA can be as small as 60Mbytes !!!

• The whole VA can be Locked and carried around with U3 technology USB Flash sticks (www.u3.com)

• More functionality is going to be added with cooperations between Space Hellas and ISPs / Government Bodies

A little Demo (VMware/puppy)

The Opportunities

The Opportunities:

• For ISPs: provide their

customers with a safe VA

in their ADSL / Internet Offers

• For Government: provide the School

Network with Safer Kid Desktops, easy to be

monitored, easy to be restored.

• For Parents: to know that their kids

are safer while using the Internet

• For Private Schools: Build a safer

Infrastructure for their children

The Risks Ideas / Problems / Open Discussion

• Privacy concerns (from the child’s perspective)

• Ease of Use (from the Parents’ View)

• Total Security Solution (?)

• Virtualization may be used in many ways (good and bad)

• Intel and Symantec are using it as a Hardware based solution (Intel VPro technology)

The Future (is now?)

What Now ?

– We will explore the possibilities further

(Fully Hellenic Virtualization, TCO for a

Virtual Unit)

– We are in search of (Research) Partners in

other areas (e.g. Safety Filters)

– We are going to explore the U3

technology

– We may produce a stable release

tailored for the Hellenic Market

References – VMWare Virtual Appliances

(www.vmware.com)

– QEMU, a generic open source processor emulator (www.qemu.org)

– PuppyLinux (www.puppylinux.org)

– One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC) (www.laptop.org)

– U3 Technology – Portable Software (www.u3.com)

– Space Hellas .Pulse Platfrorm (http://www.space.gr/pages.php?langID=1&pageI

D=217)

Thank You

Questions / Ideas / Discussion Space Hellas S.A.

http://www.space.gr

North Greece Branch Office

Tel: +30 2310 502050

Fax: + 30 2310 502025

Contact me at :

Sotiris Karagiannis

Email: skar@space.gr