School lab administrators looking for an easy way to secure their networked Macs should look no further than Apple's At Ease for Workgroups 3.0. This upgrade has a variety of security options that are particularly well suited for networked environments in which Macs are shared among multiple users. Its nonworkgroup sibling, At Ease 3.0, inexpensively provides the same functionality for a single Mac not connected to a network.
At Ease for Workgroups 3.0
At Ease works by replacing the Finder's desktop with its own desktop, which consists of a series of large buttons. Each button corresponds to a file, and clicking on a button launches its associated file. As an administrator, you determine what buttons are included on a panel and thereby what files each student can access. Different panel sets can be created for different classes. Similarly helpful for classroom environments, At Ease 3.0 supports shared folders (for files, such as clip art, that you want students to be able to access but not modify) and secured drop boxes (where students can leave finished projects for their teachers). In version 3.0, you can even restrict which CD-ROMs, if any, students can mount.
Restricted Finder. Version 3.0 has an alternative to the button panel, a new restricted-Finder option that lets students work directly on the Macintosh desktop. The administrator specifies who has access to which files. The restricted Finder works by creating a special folder for each student. This folder has aliases to programs the student is allowed to use; everything that's off-limits is simply invisible to that student. This approach works fairly well, but it gets cumbersome if you want to allow each student access to many files. We would have preferred security more like Apple's file sharing: the ability to turn access to specific folders on and off.
All students must supply their names and passwords to use a protected Mac. Trying to start up with extensions off doesn't bypass At Ease, and neither does starting up from a floppy disk, but more-determined hackers can probably break in.
Easy Updates. At Ease is not designed for maximum CIA-level security, but it does combine a moderate level of protection with a versatile system for administering Macs in a school setting. In fact, if your Macs are joined together on a network, At Ease for Workgroups can update changes to setups on all computers with just a single command.
At Ease 3.0
Apple offers a nonworkgroup package, At Ease 3.0, for home use. This version is missing the network options, certain classroom-specific features (such as drop boxes), and some of the extra security protection of its Workgroups sibling but is otherwise almost an exact match. And at a street price of around $30, it's a bargain.
Although there are competing programs that match or exceed particular aspects of At Ease, At Ease remains our choice for best all-around performer for easy-to-use, practical security.
At Ease for Workgroups 3.0 and At Ease 3.0 Acceptable (3 of 5 mice) / Price: At Ease for Workgroups, $295 (includes license for up to ten users); At Ease 3.0, $37 (list). Company: Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA; 800-776-2333 or 408-996-1010. Reader Service: Circle #412.
