No idea where to post this - Laptop bought from the army?

[freakerz]

Hi,

A co-worker said he bought a laptop from the Forces after a tour or something... he'ld like me to format it for his daughter since the Forces locked it up permissions-wise...

Do the Forces sell laptops to members? Shouldn't the Forces have formatted it before selling it?

I'm kind of ambivalent about this whole situation.

Thanks!

 

[Occam]

The CF most definitely does not give nor sell laptops to CF members under any circumstances.  Even if the laptop was being life cycled, there are proper disposal procedures (ie. removing the hard drive for destruction) to be followed before the laptop is returned to supply for disposal.  Eventually, they do end up at Crown Assets Disposal or a program such as Computers for Kids, but they are certainly not ever sold or given to members.

Is there an asset number on the PC?  Perhaps on the login screen, you'd be offered the ability to do a local administrator login, which would show you the Computer Name (would look like OTG-IMG-L012345)?

 

[dapaterson]

Assets no longer required by by DND/CF are sent to PWGSC for disposal.  I believe DND's policy is to remove and destroy the storage media from all computers prior to sending them off for disposal.

It's possible your co-worker bought a decommissioned DND laptop, and bought a new hard drive to install.

 

[Occam]

Assets no longer required by by DND/CF are sent to PWGSC for disposal.  I believe DND's policy is to remove and destroy the storage media from all computers prior to sending them off for disposal.

Correct.  Hard drive is always destroyed.

It's possible your co-worker bought a decommissioned DND laptop, and bought a new hard drive to install.

Not if it's "locked down permissions wise" as he described, which sounds an awful lot like it's got a Baseline image on it.

 

[freakerz]

I haven't had hands-on exploration so far, I should be able to provide more details tomorrow when he brings it in.

But yeah, supposedly he can't change the date/time so I'm guessing there are still permissions on it... which is what's bothering me...

When the DND sells equipment, does it supply a certificate of sorts? I'll probably just call the DND and ask to check the PID or something.

 

[aesop081]

But yeah, supposedly he can't change the date/time so I'm guessing there are still permissions on it... which is what's bothering me...

It should not have any admin restrictions on it the hard drive used by DND should have been removed from it. If he had installed a new HDD on it there should not be any DND related restrictions on admin priviledges because it wouldnt be a DND HDD.

Either this computer was improperly disposed of or it was improperly obtained.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Either this computer was improperly disposed of or it was improperly obtained.

Or the information we're working with is incomplete, or inaccurate.

I haven't had hands-on exploration so far, I should be able to provide more details tomorrow when he brings it in.

Maybe we need more data, and confirmation that the information is correct.

 

[Occam]

I haven't had hands-on exploration so far, I should be able to provide more details tomorrow when he brings it in.

But yeah, supposedly he can't change the date/time so I'm guessing there are still permissions on it... which is what's bothering me...

Restricting the ability to change date/time isn't difficult, and doesn't necessarily mean it's been locked down by DND software.  With that said, if he's logging into it with his Forces domain user id and password, then it's a safe bet it's Baselined and is still using a DND hard drive.  Look for a blue icon in the system tray with a white triangle in it.

When the DND sells equipment, does it supply a certificate of sorts? I'll probably just call the DND and ask to check the PID or something.

Nobody in CF/DND would track a computer by PID.  It would be tracked by the manufacturer's serial number in combination with the computer name given in software, ie. OTG-IMG-L012345.  No certificate is issued when the equipment is disposed of.  Take a look for a label that DND would have put on the PC, displaying an asset number and distribution account number (looks like AA1234).

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Not all laptops are installed to function on Protected B Processing/Protected A storage type networks.  Some of them are from the "black" side.  In plain english, some systems are configured to run on Secret, etc networks.

If you are not sure of what you are dealing with here 100%, my advice to you is to *not* touch this laptop.  You have no idea what is on it, where it came from or how the person acquired it.  Lots of room for you to get involved with something you may regret.

:2c: from a former DND Baseline Network Manager/COMSEC custodian.

 

[chrisf]

We managed to get hold of some Cf-25 laptops (Through the system of course, I had becoming extremely irritated with our ridiculously outdated 486 latops) a while back after they'd been replaced by CF-29s... the original drives of course had been removed, there was somthing else done to them as well, I don't recall exactly what, but it rendered them inoperable, even after a new harddrive had been installed... we ended up giving up and returning them through the system.

 

[Occam]

Not all laptops are installed to function on Protected B Processing/Protected A storage type networks.  Some of them are from the "black" side.  In plain english, some systems are configured to run on Secret, etc networks.

There are very, very, very few classified laptops out there.  Few are standalones, even fewer are networked.  They're also excruciatingly strictly controlled.

BTW, a classified laptop is on the RED side, not black.

If you are not sure of what you are dealing with here 100%, my advice to you is to *not* touch this laptop.  You have no idea what is on it, where it came from or how the person acquired it.  Lots of room for you to get involved with something you may regret.

I've already given him enough information to be able to identify where the laptop came from, if it's still running with a DND hard drive in it.

 

[aesop081]

There are very, very, very few classified laptops out there.

I beg to differ but then again "very, very, very few" is subjective.

 

[Occam]

I beg to differ but then again "very, very, very few" is subjective.

Relative to the total number on a base's holdings, it's very, very, very few.

 

[kkwd]

A co-worker said he bought a laptop from the Forces after a tour or something... he'ld like me to format it for his daughter since the Forces locked it up permissions-wise...

Another possibility is the person bought a laptop from a member who had just returned from a tour. Maybe it was a beater and they wanted to upgrade. The "locked up permissions wise" could be just a login screen since the OP hasn't seen the computer yet.

 

[armyvern]

It should not have any admin restrictions on it the hard drive used by DND should have been removed from it. If he had installed a new HDD on it there should not be any DND related restrictions on admin priviledges because it wouldnt be a DND HDD.

Either this computer was improperly disposed of or it was improperly obtained.

BINGO!!

ALL, and that means all, DND/CF laptops are returned via Sigs where they have their hard drives removed. They are then brought to us at R&D for disposal. There's only one way that we are authorized to dispose of computers and that's by:

1) Certifying on the Demil paperwork that hard drives are removed; and then
2) Donating them to "Computers for Schools" through Industry Canada.

Period. They are not sold. They are not given to members, nor are they are not sold/routed through CADC under any circumsances. Each and every one goes to School Boards (at no cost) for educational purposes.

And, this is a Federal Government wide policy ... and it's been one since I was a Cpl working R&D section. Now, I'm just the MPO WO supervising R&D section (amongst others).

I smell a big, stinking, rat - and it's NOT a nice smell.

I highly recommend that you do not touch this (obviously) baselined computer ... that's messing with federal property. Not a good thing. Now, please tell me that your 'buddy" isn't a Sup tech.

 

[armyvern]

Another possibility is the person bought a laptop from a member who had just returned from a tour. Maybe it was a beater and they wanted to upgrade. The "locked up permissions wise" could be just a login screen since the OP hasn't seen the computer yet.

And, I'd certainly hope (and highly doubt too) that this is not how a professional Army "properly" disposes of their IT resources in a damn war-zone. That certainly sounds pretty secure ... seeing as how they just can't give them to troops here at home in LaLa Land.

 

[kkwd]

I meant to say that maybe it was the person's private property and not associated with DND.

 

[Occam]

There are a lot of people guessing at the status of this computer.  I merely suggested that it sounds like it's baselined, since the owner is claiming that the clock appears to be locked down.  I've given the original poster enough information to identify whether or not it appears to still have a DND hard drive in it.

It's not "obviously baselined" - it's not obviously anything.

Give freakerz a chance to get a look at the laptop.

 

[armyvern]

Thanks.

I'll stick with my original post (based on the original post) given the info that the alleged-"purchaser" provided the original poster with:

- "Bought a laptop from the Forces"; and
- "since the Forces locked it up permissions-wise".

 

[Occam]

Thanks.

I'll stick with my original post (based on the original post) given the info that the alleged-"purchaser" provided the original poster with:

- "Bought a laptop from the Forces"; and
- "since the Forces locked it up permissions-wise".

Hi,

A co-worker said he bought a laptop from the Forces after a tour or something... he'ld like me to format it for his daughter since the Forces locked it up permissions-wise...

"...or something"?  That sounds precise.  :

But yeah, supposedly he can't change the date/time so I'm guessing there are still permissions on it... which is what's bothering me...

Trust me, the CF does not own exclusive rights to the ability to lock down date/time settings.

I think this would be a good opportunity to remind everyone to stay in their lanes.