Hi. My school just started issuing devices last year, and they have this Lightspeed spyware on them. Last year I was able to remove it by booting into Linux from a flash drive and moving the files to a separate drive and then back at the end of the year. This year I have heard from sources that they have ways of detecting someone booting from Linux so I am hesitant to do that option. My only other idea is to buy an old laptop off eBay that looks like it and install Linux on it. I could probably get one for about 50€. Does anyone have any cheaper ideas?
Oh also talking to IT isn’t an option.
Bring your own device. Run it on your own wireless Internet connection (cellular). Never attach it to any private (read: school) resources aside from a power plug. Do not use corporate cloud (Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, etc). When you need to transfer assignments from personal computer to school computer, use your own cloud service like Nextcloud, or use GPG to encrypt the payload and send it to your school email address, which you can decrypt and send to your teacher. It will then be public and you should assume the teacher is techdumb and will put it on compromised systems like Apple, Microsoft, etc.
Hmmm not sure if its any different now but I used to bring my own iPad mini and do my work on that. I’m sure its different now.
Why is Apple spyware better?
I am not like suggesting you bring an iPad, but I am suggesting you bring your own device to class whatever that might be.
I work for a school and I provision these types of devices. You do not want to modify or change anything about them, as it probably breaks your acceptable use policy. If they allow you to bring your own device, then do that. But do not change the device they give you in any manner. Just don’t use school property for things you want to be private. It works the exact same way with anything owned by any organization you may work for in the future. They own the device, they set the terms. And your excuse of ‘it does not break policy’ or ‘it is not against the law’ is ridiculous, as policy is intentionally broad for this reason, and the law requires you to not interrupt normal classroom activities. If the school lets you, bring your own device. Otherwise, tough luck, seems like you won’t be able to play your games.
trivialising a student’s desire for privacy as being about playing videogames is a lot more ridiculous than anything the OP said.
maybe rethink your uncritical support for surveillance, and either organise with your coworkers to make your school’s policies more respectful of its students, or find a less unethical job.
uncritical support for surveillance
We are, by law, required to keep this information. However, unlike many other schools, we have a byod policy that allows students to use their own device to essentially bypass this ‘surveillance’.
pressing X to doubt that you only help keep information on students that you’re required to by law.
and, something being legally required doesn’t mean you need to enthusiastically support it in an online discussion.
pressing X to doubt that you only help keep information on students that you’re required to by law.
If we were to store private information or data that falls outside the boundaries of the law, we would be subject to arrest for unlawfully retaining children’s data. I want to emphasize to both you and OP that schools are legally obligated to store this information, and that I strongly advise against tampering with a device owned by the school.
this just sounds even less believable: you’re in a jursidiction where the amount of data you have to store on students is exactly specified, and you’re liable to prosecution for storing any single piece of data less or more? I would appreciate extraordinary evidence for this extraordinary claim.
anyway, even if that’s true, you could be using your knowledge to help privacy-conscious students like OP, instead of throwing a rulebook at them and casting aspersions about their motivations. I return to “reconsider your views, and the impact of your job”.
