So my school is giving everyone their own individual laptop to take home and use for homework and stuff like that. I was just wondering if anybody knew if it was possible for them to track what I am doing on devices other than the laptop. Like for example, I had the school laptop on and connected to the internet and I used my Kindle tablet to go on some website or another (wink wink nudge nudge lol). Would they be able to see that went on that website? Or even websites I have gone on in the past? I know this all sounds really paranoid but it is a concern of mine as I have a really big issue when it comes to privacy.
It is not impossible but I am not up on the latest keylogging and monitoring software. Pret Allez probably knows loads about this.
I know they can do it on computers IN the school, and it wouldn't be a stretch to let them watch what you're doing. I highly doubt they'll totally trust you, so at the very least a lot of websites will be blocked. Edit: no, I really don't think they could see what you're doing on another device, and I'm positive it would be illegal.
They usually do it, but only look at your history and so on if there's a complaint brought up (cyberbullying, etc.) My advice is that it should be fine to go on EC and use your social media, but stay away from pornography and the like while on a school laptop.
I don't think I was really clear on my concerns when I originally posted so here's the jist of what I'm trying to ask: Can they moniter any activity other than on the laptop?
Unless your school is very technologically sophisticated and barbarically willing to breach privacy (which is definitely illegal), they won't. Schools barely even check their own laptops. They won't steal information from your other devices. Relax about it.
Kai knows how to flatter me, doesn't she! I would say I'm only at an amateur level of understanding computer security, but I do care about it a lot, and I'm probably going to go for a graduate degree. Anyway, here's your threat model: school invading my privacy. This is a reasonable threat model. You have no privacy on their computer. One, it's their computer, and they have a legal right to track everything you do on it. Two, as a forensic matter, they probably have a keylogger installed on it and are required to. Internet browsing history is probably being backed up somewhere you don't know about on the local hard disk. There are probably some registry keys locking down parts of system administration. This is a completely insecure computer from your perspective. Not only is it insecure, but it's actively malicious. Nothing private should be happening on this computer. At all. However, I really doubt that the people who set this up were smart enough to try and set up reconnaissance tools to sniff traffic on the networks it's connected to. My guess is that this is probably illegal. By using the computer, you agree to be tracked on the computer. You do not agree to have other devices tracked on the network. Since it's your network you're connecting it to, any attempt from that computer to capture activity from other devices on the network would be illegal network penetration. As a forensic matter, it's uncertain. I don't know what they install on there. They probably install keyloggers, but I doubt they are also trying to exploit any networks. If you really want to be safe, just turn the laptop off. By the way, even though I told you the computer is unsafe (and it is), don't try to get around it by installing encryption tools like GnuPG, OTR-enabled chat programs, Tor browser, or anti-forensic file deletion software like GNU Shred. Remember, it's their computer, and you would be doing something very suspicious and possibly illegal by doing this, since you're making it very obvious to them that you're trying to prevent tracking they are legally entitled to do.
Thank you all very much for the responses. It definitely helped me calm my nerves. I do have one question, though. On the off chance that they can see what I am doing outside of the laptop, would a solution be to just simply turn it off? Could they only track it if the laptop was on? Like i said before, I know this sounds paranoid as hell, but i have huge privacy issues.
First, it's a paranoid assumption that they are using it to track your network. However, if they WERE doing this, then they might be able to prevent you from turning the wireless off. You have two remedies in this paranoid threat model: 1. Blacklist the laptop on the router by MAC. (The hard and completely unnecessary solution) 2. Just turn the dang thing off. I can totally understand your level of paranoia though. I'm still trying to NSA-proof my computer.
Something that could settle your nerves in the extremely unlikely event that they're doing so is putting a little sticky note over the webcam. I think that would basically solve any worries of them seeing what you're doing outside your laptop within its limited view. I doubt that it would actually be happening, though.
I'm almost sure their would be some sort of tracking software. You probably had to sign a release. You should read it, they would have had to mention something about it in there.
I'm pretty sure that they have ways of tracking everything that you search. They're not stupid and try to err on the side of caution. Remember that if they get *one* complaint of cyberbulling, etc., then it falls on their shoulders. So, they have to ensure safety, even on the internet.
