Re: Network Traffic

This is just one of dozens of programs that can be used (e.g. UltraSurf, Hamachi, etc). Hotspot Shield is popular because it is good, free, and supports Flash video. They are seen as popular personal security tools for preventing snooping everywhere from Hotel Wi-Fi to Chinese dissidents. That is short hand for saying they will only get better and harder to detect and they will simply download it from other sources (e.g. it is available from cnet, tucows, etc.), place it on DropBox for sharing, or bring it in on USB drives. Blocking that domain also does not prevent the software from calling the VPN since they have spread that across multiple domains (e.g. openvpn.net)

If want to attempt to defend against these types of programs, your best bet at this point is to profile traffic patterns for each individual and look at the outliers on the theory that those circumventing blocking will download more. I personally believe that kind of profiling is ineffective and you are better off doing broad traffic shaping to manage network congestion, but that is a school specific decision.

If students can install software you have no effective technological controls (and that is not necessarily a bad thing) but that has to be acknowledged in the way you construct your program and pursue network hygiene.

_J
____________________________
Jason at jasonpj@yahoo.com

________________________________
From: Bruce Lemieux <blemieux@cushing.org>
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Sent: Mon, April 12, 2010 3:46:31 PM
Subject: Network Traffic

We have been having a large issue with hotspotshield on the network in the
last week. Students were using this to get around our firewall and it
became so popular the port scanning was creating a great deal of traffic
on the internal network slowing things down. I figured I would mention it
so folks could check and make a block ahead of time before you are having
the issue.

hotspotshield.com

It is a program which allows users to connect to a proxy via vpn tools to
avoid firewall restrictions. These little rascals what will they think of
next.

Sincerely:

Bruce Lemieux
Director of Technology
Cushing Academy
39 School Street
Ashburnham MA 01430
blemieux@cushing.org
Phone: 978-827-7075

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