[LinuxBIOS] PC protection

is it possible to put in linuxbios an option that protect your pc to be
stolen. for example:

ping one time an wan ip adress when ethernet interface if up ?

is this idea is possible ?

bst regards.
Frederic

[Ceri Coburn]

[e-mail] wrote:
> is it possible to put in linuxbios an option that protect your pc to be
> stolen. for example:
>
> ping one time an wan ip adress when ethernet interface if up ?
>
> is this idea is possible ?

It's possible to write code to do most things, but what would stop the 
thief loading a normal proprietary BIOS?  What exactly would you want to do.
> bst regards.
> Frederic

> [e-mail] wrote:
> > is it possible to put in linuxbios an option that protect your pc to be
> > stolen. for example:
> >
> > ping one time an wan ip adress when ethernet interface if up ?
> >
> > is this idea is possible ?
>
> It's possible to write code to do most things, but what would stop the
> thief loading a normal proprietary BIOS?  What exactly would you want to
> do.

when pc start and bios is launch, i would that bios if special option is
active to get an ip with gateway (if some dhcp runing) and try an ping to
an given ip or wget and special ip address.

if something stay resident when pc OS is running to try only one time a
smooth ping or wget.

like this if the computer is stolen by someone and this computer will be
use somewhere with internet (today is high probality), we can trace the
computer and retreive it...

if this possible to include that kind of script (up network interface,
dhcp,ping and boot) when linuxbios is used and installed on a motherboard
(in my case is Intel D946GZIS). I am interesting to do that.

bst regards.
Frederic
> > bst regards.
> > Frederic

[Ceri Coburn]

[e-mail] wrote:
> > [e-mail] wrote:
> > > is it possible to put in linuxbios an option that protect your pc to be
> > > stolen. for example:
> > >
> > > ping one time an wan ip adress when ethernet interface if up ?
> > >
> > > is this idea is possible ?
> >
> > It's possible to write code to do most things, but what would stop the
> > thief loading a normal proprietary BIOS?  What exactly would you want to
> > do.
>
> when pc start and bios is launch, i would that bios if special option is
> active to get an ip with gateway (if some dhcp runing) and try an ping to
> an given ip or wget and special ip address.
>
> if something stay resident when pc OS is running to try only one time a
> smooth ping or wget.
>
> like this if the computer is stolen by someone and this computer will be
> use somewhere with internet (today is high probality), we can trace the
> computer and retreive it...

So I take it the machine would do this ping of some kind every time the 
machine boots, regardless of it being stolen or not.

Etherboot already has the functionality to retrieve an IP via DHCP 
etc...  If you were interested in adding the functionality you are 
talking about, I personally would start there.

C
> if this possible to include that kind of script (up network interface,
> dhcp,ping and boot) when linuxbios is used and installed on a motherboard
> (in my case is Intel D946GZIS). I am interesting to do that.
>
> bst regards.
> Frederic
> > > bst regards.
> > > Frederic

[Peter Stuge]

On Mon, Aug 06, 2007 at 09:53:34AM +0200, [e-mail] wrote:
> is it possible to put in linuxbios an option that protect your pc
> to be stolen. for example:

It's open source so anything is possible, as others have said. Ceri's
advice about looking at Etherboot is a good idea.

However, so far this discussion is only of academic interest, since
no laptops are supported by LB yet.

Once laptops are supported we can have lots of fun. :)

//Peter

[popkonserve]

what if no network card is installed? what if an installed network card 
is removed? what if another network card (with another chip) is installed?
what if the pc isn't connected to any network? (okay, you ruled that 
out..) what if you have the ip? how do you get the person/place that ip 
belongs to? ask the isp? do you think that they would give away their 
customers' name/address? what if the network doesn't belong to the 
thief(university, internet cafe, hacked/open wlan)? what if the device 
was already sold to someone else? even if they would be forced by law to 
give out the address..what would you do then? go there by yourself and 
kindly ask them to give the hardware back? ask for a house search (that 
the police would have to do)? i doubt that some network card pinging 
something is a proof for anything.

there are special programs and firms that include data destroying 
software into the os and bios. if a stolen device is connected to the 
internet (and the software is still installed and the ports it uses are 
not blocked (that's what those firms don't like to talk about)) it 
connects to a server. now the destruction routine could jump in..an ip 
detection routine, too. but still they won't have a name or a place.

technically however it is possible as long as the nic remains in place 
and there is a connection to what's called the internet.
Holger