Ubuntu safe pc.

trebor28

hi all,

so i work for a small it firm.
and lately with all the viruses that have been knocking around we are having trouble with transference over to the computers in the workshop etc.

we were thinking of setting up an ubuntu pc and using that as the main pc for dealing with all infected machines, and when putting software onto usb sticks etc.

i am not that well up on ubuntu and only know a small bit about it in theory.
would anyone here recommend this?
have any of ye a similar set up??

any info would be great thanks.

ps.
mods,
sorry if this is in the wrong place.
move as you feel necessary.

bhickey

trebor28 wrote: »

....we are having trouble with transference over to the computers in the workshop etc.

......the main pc for dealing with all infected machines

Not sure what you mean here. Anyway, Ubuntu itself is surprisingly simple to setup and use but I don't know how exactly you intend to use it. How, for instance, do you see it "dealing with all infected machines"?

trebor28

sorry.
we wouldnt have the best system in place i suppose, but what i mean is, we get in pc's every week which to whatever extent are corrupted from viruses, so we find it easier to back up the data and wipe the machine and then reinstall it.

we would like to set up a ubuntu pc as the "safe" machine that would act as the gatekeeper for all data transference so as not to be transferring viruses on usb sticks etc.

maybe i have got this all wrong, thats why i am asking.

does that clarify it better?

aidan_walsh

If you move an infected file to a Ubuntu system and then move it back to Windows, it's still infected. It just won't be able to do anything while on Ubuntu.

trebor28

aidan_walsh wrote: »

If you move an infected file to a Ubuntu system and then move it back to Windows, it's still infected. It just won't be able to do anything while on Ubuntu.

yes i understand that, but as i said we want to set that up as the gatekeeper to clean all viruses, or at least as much as possible so that there wont be any transference.

is this a good idea or not?
would ubuntu be suitable for this or is there a better os out there for this type of activity?

chin_grin

Would you not just chuck in a live cd to the infected machine. Run a scan to ensure nothing is wrong and then transfer the files? Would save time transferring to an intermediate.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/bitdefender-rescue-cd-removes-viruses-fails/

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/14434/scan-a-windows-pc-for-viruses-from-a-ubuntu-live-cd/

trebor28

chin_grin wrote: »

Would you not just chuck in a live cd to the infected machine. Run a scan to ensure nothing is wrong and then transfer the files? Would save time transferring to an intermediate.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/bitdefender-rescue-cd-removes-viruses-fails/

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/14434/scan-a-windows-pc-for-viruses-from-a-ubuntu-live-cd/

these seem like good links, but how does the antivirus update to the cd?
or do you have to update it every time?

chin_grin

trebor28 wrote: »

these seem like good links, but how does the antivirus update to the cd?
or do you have to update it every time?

Just got this one in my feeds now.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/38889/how-to-use-the-avira-rescue-cd-to-clean-your-infected-pc/

I've used the BitDefender one and you need to have the machine connected to the internet as it downloads updates itself. I'm not sure if there's an offline mode to update it. But you should find out more in those links.

trebor28

chin_grin wrote: »

Just got this one in my feeds now.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/38889/how-to-use-the-avira-rescue-cd-to-clean-your-infected-pc/

I've used the BitDefender one and you need to have the machine connected to the internet as it downloads updates itself. I'm not sure if there's an offline mode to update it. But you should find out more in those links.

i presume though that it only updates in running and when you use the disc in another machine it has to update again, plus after awhile the updates could get very big.

ED E

You should work on the premise of prevention rather than reaction.

Run all machines though a decent firewall, and have software protection on all machines. If people bring in personal laptops I'd recommend you consider excluding them from the LAN. Have all the machines update and do a full scan nightly(weekly). In the morning when you come in if a threat is detected and you're unsure if the AV software has dealt with it completely, disconnect it, burn off a LiveCD(downloaded recently) and use it to ensure the machine is clean. Once you're happy thats done, reconnect it.

Dr_Phil

trebor28 wrote: »

i am not that well up on ubuntu and only know a small bit about it in theory.
would anyone here recommend this?

I would.

Up until a while ago I was only using Ubuntu on a virtual machine but I decided to go for it "full-time" and currently Ubuntu 10.10 is my main operating system. Samba server, remote access, remote desktop, virtual machines, Open Office, internet communicators, web browsing, mail, ftp - everything I use works just fine, it's a very stable, fast OS. No problems syncing iPod, converting videos, using camera software while working with RAW photos, using external USB drives... At the moment I can't imagine going back to Windows (however I have it still running on another 2 computers in the home network), whatever I would need from XP, I'll be doing via the virtualised system running on my Ubuntu as well.

bhickey

trebor28 wrote: »

i presume though that it only updates in running and when you use the disc in another machine it has to update again, plus after awhile the updates could get very big.

The Bitdefender CD image is itself updated occasionally so you might download a new version a few times a year.

The online updates before scanning only take a few minutes which is a tiny fraction of what the scan itself might take. If you're looking to save time then the most important thing is to do a good cleanup of junk on the machine BEFORE scanning.

hearny

What I usually do is clone the hard drive first for the backup.

I have a wireless router that has a guest network for connecting to the net.
The guest network cannot access other PC's on the network and I run necessary scans on it then.

jenningso

The question itself raises many more questions!!! I've started messing around with the many linux OS out there such as ubuntu, mint and pinguy. Man, how did we all become so 'MS window-ised'! There is such a wealth of free OS and software out there which offer serious usabilty and rock solid security, that I can't understand how they haven't taken off supernova style. It's so fast too. I know drivers can be a bit of a pain, but there is such a great community out there to help you. +1 for ubuntu anyway, never retire your old hardware without giving linux a shot on it. There are many old laptops sitting gathering dust in people's homes and offices which could be given a new lease of life with a linux OS (and these could be sent out to the 3rd world, instead of being thrown away)