Hi there! I teach coding to kids, and while our curriculum allows for self-directed learning, I can't always supervise them closely. Recently, we've encountered some issues—students are downloading random software, messing with desktop settings, and sneaking onto games when they shouldn't be. Even though we allow 10 minutes for free time, many still play outside of that. We're planning to implement Deep Freeze so changes reset when the computer is restarted, but I'm looking for additional ways to lock down these computers. Specifically, I'd like to know if there's affordable software or methods to block untrusted websites, prevent downloads, and monitor their activity. I understand that many schools have cybersecurity teams for this, but unfortunately, our budget doesn't allow for that. Any advice you could offer would be fantastic! 🙂
5 Answers
A solid solution would be to set up standard non-admin accounts for the students. This way, you can limit what they can do on the computers. Consider using Microsoft Family Safety to manage these accounts. Additionally, you can employ Group Policy Editor to block access to the control panel and restrict software installations. Also, services like OpenDNS can help with website filtering to keep them away from distracting sites.
Thanks for this tip! It seems like the best route we can take.
Using Deep Freeze is a great approach since it restores the computer to a previous state on reboot. It prevents any changes, so students can play around without causing permanent damage. If you're keen on monitoring, just make sure you have some kind of IT support that can apply group policies to secure those machines effectively.
Thanks for the suggestion! Deep Freeze seems like a great fit for our situation.
Implementing mandatory user profiles can be quite effective too—they reset every time the user logs off and are similar to Deep Freeze. There's also a program called Fortress Grande which might have a small cost but can block access to unnecessary applications.
We had a similar setup at my university. Essentially, every reboot would restore a clean Windows installation, so any changes would be lost. Sure, you'd need to save work to the cloud, but it resolved a lot of problems. For controlling websites, talk to your network administrator about blacklisting certain sites, or better yet, use a whitelist of allowed sites to keep things focused.
If you're using Windows, think about creating admin and standard user accounts. You can easily control what standard users can do without needing an admin password. It's also wise to disable USB booting and configure a BIOS password to prevent unauthorized software installations.
Lol, totally agree! Setting up those regular user accounts and using gpedit to lock things down is definitely the way to go.