Back in 2006 I have played with a project that took 24 hours from an idea to its completion. It was a virtual machine in a USB stick, for child safety. A virtual monitored environment. Now, similar techniques are used from BYOD vendors to protect enterprise data. I am looking at it again (2014) and it still looks innovative to me. But now wearable devices can play the same role.

1. Safer Internet in a Virtual World /
Virtual Internet for a SAFER world
Sotiris Karagiannis
IT Consultant
Space Hellas S.A.
skar@space.gr
Thessaloniki
September 2006

2. How Many of you Are Parents?
We care for our children 

3. Safer Internet (one tech’s view)
The technology challenge(s):
– Safer Browsing, collaboration, chat, games
for Kids
– High immunity in Worms, Viruses, Malicious
software that the kids cannot handle
– Secure Environment, easy to backup, easy
to monitor, easy to carry around
– Kid Safe Desktop with Games, Learning
Tools
– Safe for the Parents also . Not much
knowledge required.

4. Safer Internet (many views)
Many Solutions, other speakers have
already covered and will cover..
ONE NEW TECHNOLOGY APPROACH :
Virtualization

5. What is virtualization?
Virtualization is a HOT topic worldwide
The Leaders :
– VMWare,
– Microsoft,
– XEN,
– QEMU
And many are following

6. A new CONCEPT
The CONCEPT:
•
•
•
•
We create a VIRTUAL APPLIANCE
We install a safe (as it gets) OS inside.
We install additional software (Kids Oriented)
We secure it / harden it with appropriate
software (firewalls, antivirus, web & mail
filters, etc)
• We add our Proprietary Monitoring software
(Space Hellas .pulse IT Monitoring Platform)
• We ensure ONE-CLICK Restoration and Safe
Integration in the context of HOST machine

7. The Result
What we now have :
A new (virtual) appliance that can:
– Be carried around in a USB stick (parent can be able
to unlock it / U3 technology)
– Is safe enough for the Kid and the Parent Machine
– Malicious Data is not saved, Safe Appliance can be
restored with a click
– It can be continuously monitored for “bad behavior”
– It can be Viewed / Controlled
from Anywhere (parent can help,
control the Appliance on demand)
– NO-one is hurt, like in the POLO
terror-proof experience 
(going there…)

8. The Components
What we have used:
• Virtualization Technologies:
– VMware Player (free), VirtualPC (free) or
QEMU (free)
• Linux Appliances OS (free):
– PuppyLinux, Ubuntu, ZenWalk
• Applications (free):
– Mozilla Firefox, AbiWord, Gaim, Thunderbird, Various Games,
Mono (.net apps), VNC Remote Control
• Applications (proprietary):
– Space Hellas .pulse Monitoring Platform
• Space Hellas Software and a lot of
Know-How 

9. in more Depth..
More Technical:
• In WindowsXP, or Linux Host a new account (kid
account) in the PARENT’s machine is created.
• The Default Shell is changed to run the VA on logon.
– OR The VA can boot from USB stick
• The Host PC is made unreachable from the VA
• The VA can run only in memory and NOT write
anything to the HOST PC Hard Disk.
• The whole VA can be as small as 60Mbytes !!!
• The whole VA can be Locked and carried around
with U3 technology USB Flash sticks (www.u3.com)
• More functionality is going to be added with
cooperations between Space Hellas and ISPs /
Government Bodies

10. A little Demo (VMware/puppy)

11. The Opportunities
The Opportunities:
• For ISPs: provide their
customers with a safe VA
in their ADSL / Internet Offers
• For Government: provide the School
Network with Safer Kid Desktops, easy to be
monitored, easy to be restored.
• For Parents: to know that their kids
are safer while using the Internet
• For Private Schools: Build a safer
Infrastructure for their children

12. The Risks
Ideas / Problems / Open Discussion
• Privacy concerns (from the
child’s perspective)
• Ease of Use (from the
Parents’ View)
• Total Security Solution (?)
• Virtualization may be used in many ways
(good and bad)
• Intel and Symantec are using it as a
Hardware based solution (Intel VPro
technology)

13. The Future (is now?)
What Now ?
– We will explore the possibilities further
(Fully Hellenic Virtualization, TCO for a
Virtual Unit)
– We are in search of (Research) Partners in
other areas (e.g. Safety Filters)
– We are going to explore the U3
technology
– We may produce a stable release
tailored for the Hellenic Market

14. References
– VMWare Virtual Appliances
(www.vmware.com)
– QEMU, a generic open source processor
emulator (www.qemu.org)
– PuppyLinux (www.puppylinux.org)
– One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC)
(www.laptop.org)
– U3 Technology – Portable Software
(www.u3.com)
– Space Hellas .Pulse Platfrorm
(http://www.space.gr/pages.php?langID=1&pageI
D=217)

15. Thank You
Questions / Ideas / Discussion
Space Hellas S.A.
http://www.space.gr
North Greece Branch Office
Tel: +30 2310 502050
Fax: + 30 2310 502025
Contact me at :
Sotiris Karagiannis
Email: skar@space.gr