Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives
Re: Web page automatic time out
From: Cal Frye <cjf () CALFRYE COM>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 09:16:42 -0400
Patrick P Murphy wrote:
On Thu, 29 May 2008 18:49:10 -0400, Morrow Long <morrow.long () YALE EDU> said:On May 29, 2008, at 4:38 PM, Kubb, Rick wrote:We’re looking for a way to have specific web pages automatically timeout after so many minutes of inactivity. For example, if an individual is viewing a web page with confidential information on it in a public place, say a walk-up computer at a conference, then walks away without closing the browser, what methods are available to have pages automatically close??? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.Here is one way -- note that it can be overcome if someone is really determined...Exactly. And when you're dealing with confidential information, it is likely impossible to guarantee a technological solution that will make a page "automatically close". You might also want to think "outside the box", for example does your University have a policy that enforces/mandates a locking screen saver after so many minutes of inactivity.
This is a problem for public kiosks. The next user to step up sees the locked prompt and doesn't know how to unlock and use the kiosk... Interesting problem. I wonder if a script to shut down the browser (and re-launch the application) after inactivity might be called for. Nothing less would serve to clear the cache, etc. without lots more work. -- Regards, -- Cal Frye, Network Administrator, Oberlin College www.calfrye.com, www.pitalabs.com "Evil is always the assertion of some self-interest without regard to the whole, whether the whole be conceived as the immediate community or the total community of humanity." -- Reinhold Niebuhr.
Current thread:
- Web page automatic time out Kubb, Rick (May 29)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Web page automatic time out Sarah Stevens (May 29)
- Re: Web page automatic time out Morrow Long (May 29)
- Re: Web page automatic time out Patrick P Murphy (May 30)
- Re: Web page automatic time out Cal Frye (May 30)
- Re: Web page automatic time out Jesse Thompson (Jun 05)