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WebArtz - The Web Design Forum
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Sanket

Sanket
Administrator
Administrator
Many young people are using 'proxy servers' to get round their schools' internet security systems. The free services offer instant access to banned websites, including online games and social networking. Figures suggest the use of proxies has risen sharply in recent years. Security experts are warning that pupils who log on put themselves at risk of cyber crime.

It sounds like an obscure, techy area of computing that only geeks would know about.

But when we asked pupils in one secondary school classroom who had heard of proxy servers, every hand went up.

These 'secret tunnels' to the internet are a way of life for teenagers across the UK.

As schools employ increasingly sophisticated software to stop them accessing 'non-educational' websites, the proxies offer a quick, easy way to bypass those restrictions.

“It's just a box that says 'type in the website that is blocked'. You type it in and it brings it up,” said a senior pupil, who wanted to remain anonymous.

Web-based proxy servers disguise a user's activity from school monitoring software.

'Cat-and mouse' game

A student will appear to be visiting only one site, that of the proxy itself. Any internet surfing they do after that is effectively invisible.

Ironically, what pupils are usually trying to work-around are other types of proxy servers, commonly used in schools to protect their machines from online threats.

Schools can take action against web-based proxies, by blocking them. However because of the sheer number that exist, it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse.

“When the blocked proxy server you were using got banned, you had another one ready and everyone had at least four that they knew and everyone shared them about,” said one pupil.

Statistics on the use of proxy servers are hard to come-by. One useful measure is the number of them being flagged-up by proxy-blocking systems.

'Security risk'

M86 Security monitors such sites. In 2006 it was tracking 7,111 proxies. By 2009 that had risen to 91,490.

There are fears that the use of proxy servers amongst school pupils may be putting more than their education at risk.

Some can carry viruses, malicious software, and may even be under the control of cyber criminals, according to security experts.

Con Mallon from Symantec carried out a scan on a random selection of free proxies.

“There is a site which is hosting what we call a trojan. It may invite you to install some software onto your machine.

“Once that is installed, it allows the bad guys to come back to your machine at any time... what they would probably then do is install something called a keylogger.

“It will sit there and monitor what you are typing-in. What they are really looking for is passwords and logins.”

Proxy 'problem'


Such information, once harvested, can be sold online.

Amongst our school pupils, the news comes as a surprise: “I didn't have a clue that people could get my information if I was putting it in,” said one girl.

“I kind of had an idea that it stays there. But I didn't know it was that big – that it could log everything,” added her classmate.

The problem of proxies is recognised by most of the bodies responsible for providing schools with internet access.

A spokesman for JANET, which carries data traffic between many local school networks, said: “I would agree that proxy servers to get around security systems is indeed a problem.

“Technical solutions need to be used as one aspect of a wider approach to protecting users, including educating children, teachers, and parents in how to use the web safely.”

BECTA, the government agency that looks after school ICT, said: “...currently there is no single technology or method that can address this issue fully”.

However, it seems newer security systems are helping schools catch up with the proxy users.

Most of the young people interviewed for this article agreed that monitoring systems had made it harder for them to find usable proxies, but said their efforts to get round school security would continue.

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karna

karna
Registered Member
Registered Member
When I was in school, I never knew about such proxies and security holes Razz

Mario

Mario
Registered Member
Registered Member
Its because the school's don't update their software which lead to getting around everything. I can still get to MySpace, Facebook and Youtube without any problems when I was in High School and still have the teachers watch me do it cause they know they do it too. I tell them off saying if you can do it then I can do it. I don't give a crap. Make rules that are fair and don't allow teacher do it themselves and then tell students they can't.

Sanket

Sanket
Administrator
Administrator
hahaha....true. Rules should be for all, if there is bias no one would want to follow them.

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Fred100

Fred100
Registered Member
Registered Member
Woah that's pretty cool i wish i knew how to do that one!

http://www.art-castle.biz/forum.htm

ViKtory

ViKtory
Registered Member
Registered Member
That's fine enough. I once had a keylogger at my PC. To my surprise, it hid itself from Control panel, start menu and everything! I found that I could access it and uninstall it through my taskbar and uninstall it. It was uninstalled all right. But, it did leave a backdoor trojan.
TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NUTTY COMPs OR IS NOT GIVING IT'S BEST, PLEASE HAVE Malwarebytes' Anti Malware INSTALLED ON YOUR COMP. (Sorry for the caps, but that is really effective)
And yeah, NEVER HAVE ANY SOFTWARE CALLED "utorrent", "limewire", "Ask" toolbar or any of that thing, "Mywebsearch"or any of that thing.

And be safe from the net, there are also some fake login pages, or phishing sites, once when password is entered, h4ck3r5 access your page and make a big hell outta it. Some times, it might appear as a pop-up at sites.

Edit : Lol, I thing I've gone too off-topic Razz

Sanket

Sanket
Administrator
Administrator
I have had run that Malwarebytes & anti malware to remove the malware, but that turned out to be horrible decisions for me twice. Twice i formatted my computer.

I definitely don't think it helps, cause those programs can cause many changes in the system that cannot be retrieved even when you are taking help from a professional.

Its better to avoid these programs in my opinion. Best is to have data stored in DVD's on regular intervals. If you find that you have been infected, just format the computer. Its the best & easiest way to get rid of it.

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ViKtory

ViKtory
Registered Member
Registered Member
Lol, I don't think, I din't have to, in fact it helped me a lot! Very Happy

LH Justin

LH Justin
Registered Member
Registered Member
Ah, good old proxies. Razz

http://lhjgraphics.net/

Fred100

Fred100
Registered Member
Registered Member
WTF!?
Utorrent if unsafe!?
Holy Sh*t Now what should i DO!?!

http://www.art-castle.biz/forum.htm

ViKtory

ViKtory
Registered Member
Registered Member
^^
Uninstall it?
(Lotsa sh*t use illegal things, incleding me Razz )

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