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.
I second the idea that this is a bad idea, but…
Maybe a remote desktop solution is what you want, keep your data local or in your cloud account and provide remote access to a machine that can use it?
You could roll your own self destruct script that will wipe the machine on boot if it hasn’t phoned home in a while. You would want to lock the bios and use secure boot. Qubes may have some relevant features.
Also, consider getting a Chromebook instead. ChromeOS is already a walled garden and I think they are remote wipeable and they can run a Linux vm supported by elgoog.
You need a legal solution, not a technical.
What you’re asking for is an mdm solution, but once a user has access to data, that user can copy it whether you like it or not, whatever mdm solution you use.
Even if you lock down everything, break the USB ports physically, I can photograph the screen, for example.
This has been an age old problem and honestly mdm tools are kind of a hammer where you need a screw driver. It advertises a lack of trust on your end, adds a lot of complexity and potential usability problems and in the end will still never be able to protect you 100%
Go for a legal option and find people you can trust. Also know that 100% security does not exist. The only 100% secure computer is off and on fire.
You need to find someone you trust. There’s no technology that can prevent someone disclosing data if it’s their job to work with that data.
If you treat people with respect and pay them well, you will be amazed at what they give back. Especially autistic people, they tend to have high personal integrity.
Jesus fucking Christ. You are either up to no good or have no business in role you currently occupy.
MacOS + JAMF or similar
Jamf doesn’t do anything for this problem, besides costing you a fortune in both license and maintenance/operation. Especially if you are not a Mac shop.
MDM at most can be used as a reactive tool to do something on the machine - as long as the one with the machine in their hand leaves the network connection on.
There are much cheaper solution to do that for 1 machine, and -as others correctly pointed out- the only solution (partial) here is not storing the data on a machine you don’t control. Period.
