Mac Laptop = security risk > IT department > advice?

[diddykiddy]

Hello all

I work at a fairly large university in the UK.

The IT department have just stipulated that those of us who use macintosh laptops must stop plugging them in to the network directly (via ethernet RJ45 cables) due to the 'security risk' that laptops pose.

This means that we must use wireless connections to the network, and also Desktop Anywhere and/or Citrix for email, browsing, access to shared drive space etc.

Would I be alone in thinking that this is utter madness? I have done this before and can say that the experience was completely awful, often slow, unstable and often requiring me to login again and again to the Citrix systems.

Does anyone else have experience of this kind of situation? What evidence or data, whitepapers etc might there be to disprove their paranoia? It is rumored that the senior IT managers are anti-mac but have had to put up with them for certain departments.

The annoying thing is that we effectively pay for their IT service and often find that it is unhelpful, obstructive and at-odds to what we need to do (just like any other IT dept I suppose ! - LOL)

I would greatly appreciate any comments / support / advice

thanks,

diddykiddy

(long time reader and infrequent poster)

 

[jeremybuff]

If there is a problem with "laptops" the reason would stand to say any computer would present the same problem. I vote this as madness, but I would definitely like to see what they use to back this up with..

 

[weez999]

My two cents is that it doesn't matter if you physically plug in the computer or connect it wirelessly because it is connecting to the school network regardless of method. This is completely insane.

If you are not allowed to connect with a wire, you shouldn't be allowed to connect wirelessly either. Whoever told you that needs to go back for more certifications...

Hello all

I work at a fairly large university in the UK.

The IT department have just stipulated that those of us who use macintosh laptops must stop plugging them in to the network directly (via ethernet RJ45 cables) due to the 'security risk' that laptops pose.

This means that we must use wireless connections to the network, and also Desktop Anywhere and/or Citrix for email, browsing, access to shared drive space etc.

Would I be alone in thinking that this is utter madness? I have done this before and can say that the experience was completely awful, often slow, unstable and often requiring me to login again and again to the Citrix systems.

Does anyone else have experience of this kind of situation? What evidence or data, whitepapers etc might there be to disprove their paranoia? It is rumored that the senior IT managers are anti-mac but have had to put up with them for certain departments.

The annoying thing is that we effectively pay for their IT service and often find that it is unhelpful, obstructive and at-odds to what we need to do (just like any other IT dept I suppose ! - LOL)

I would greatly appreciate any comments / support / advice

thanks,

diddykiddy

(long time reader and infrequent poster)

 

[fjk]

My two cents is that it doesn't matter if you physically plug in the computer or connect it wirelessly because it is connecting to the school network regardless of method. This is completely insane.

If you are not allowed to connect with a wire, you shouldn't be allowed to connect wirelessly either. Whoever told you that needs to go back for more certifications...

Actually there may be differences in their infrastructure that likely lead to security discrepancies between the two. Don't jump the gun with your assumptions.

 

[fjk]

If there is a problem with "laptops" the reason would stand to say any computer would present the same problem. I vote this as madness, but I would definitely like to see what they use to back this up with..

http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/03/18/macbook.hacked.in.seconds/

Here's an example. Not that laptops running OSX are MORE vulnerable than their windows counterparts, but perhaps their IT department are familiar and better equipped in order to handle those security issues that arise with Windows based computers.

They probably specify laptops because nobody brings their own desktop in to work.

 

[smurfjammer]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/03/18/macbook.hacked.in.seconds/

Here's an example. Not that laptops running OSX are MORE vulnerable than their windows counterparts, but perhaps their IT department are familiar and better equipped in order to handle those security issues that arise with Windows based computers.

They probably specify laptops because nobody brings their own desktop in to work.

Or it's just that IT departments have hang ups about having Macs connected to their networks and don't know how to administer them properly.

 

[boberonicus]

Actually there may be differences in their infrastructure that likely lead to security discrepancies between the two.

Highly likely. For example, the wireless infrastructure may have 802.1x authentication for their wireless access points. Perhaps others on this thread are thinking about their home router and for them, "it doesn't matter if I plug into it via wired or wireless" but large networks are much more complex.