Prohibited Content and Licensing Issues
You need to consider methods for identifying and removing prohibited content and unlicensed software from company workstations.
Prohibited Content
Prohibited content is any information that is not applicable to work.
- employee workstations should only be used for work-related activity
- can also mean content that is obscene or illegally copied/pirated
- avoid using work accounts for personal communications
End-User License Agreements
Prohibited content also extends to the unauthorized installation and use of software.
When you install software, you must accept the license governing its use, often called the end-user license agreement (EULA).
- terms of license vary according to type of software
- basic restriction is that the software may only be installed on one computer or for use by one single person at any one time
- can distinguish between personal and business/for-profit use
- E.g., can be freeware for personal use, but paid for corporate use
License Compliance Monitoring
- Software is often activated using a product key
- product key will generate a different product ID, often used for technical support
A personal license allows the product to be used by a single person at a time, though it might permit installation on multiple personal devices.
A corporate-use license means that the company can install the software on an agreed-upon number of computers for its employees to use simultaneously.
- illegal to use or distribute unlicensed or pirated copies of software
Enterprises need monitoring systems to ensure that their computers are not hosting unlicensed or pirated software.
- 2 situations to monitor for:
- Valid licenses
- Expired licenses
Open-source Licenses
Open-source is a licensing model that grants permissive rights to end-users, such as to install, use, modify, and distribute a software product and its source code, as long as redistribution permits the same rights.
Software released under an open-source license generally makes it free to use, modify, and share and makes the program code used to design it available.
- does not forbid commercial use of applications derived from the original
- important to verify the specific terms of the license as they can vary quite widely
- Commercial open-source software may be governed by additional subscription or enterprise agreements
Digital Rights Management
Digital music and video are often subject to copy protection and digital rights management (DRM).
- When you purchase music or video online, the vendor may license the file for use on a restricted number of devices
- need to use your account with the vendor to authorize and deauthorize devices when they change
- Most DRM systems have been defeated by determined attackers
- plenty of content circulating with DRM security removed
- this is prohibited content in enterprise perspective