The Conference Problem

When you are away at a conference how do you check back to a secure account?
  1. Use Laptop + modem + 1800 ISP number. Slow, but most secure.
  2. Use VNC. Works in any java capable web browser. Does not use encryption (though an unintegrated SSL patch exists). Does use challenge-response authentication. Assumes the machine you connect from is not compromised.
  3. Mindterm. Ssh in a java applet. Works from modern web browsers. Public key encryption and good authentication. Assumes the machine you connect from is not compromised.
  4. A magic boot disk. The major drawback is that you have to configure the booted OS for the local environment (time consuming), and most providers of free access machines get nervous when you start rebooting on purpose.
jcl@cmu.edu