Cloning/Imaging

[PP Mguire]

I understand that, but would be cloning a image for work purposes, not to take home or sell externally...

If you dont clone/ image then it must take you guys ages! to build servers etc...

You must not know what SCCM is.

 

[MidnightShadow]

Okay, I got you. Yeah, I've never heard that cloning anything was illegal (in the IT world that is), but if you're making a copy to take home, sell, etc then yeah. I get that. Gotta have them images, though!

EDIT: What you're describing with the government software is stealing. When I say clone, I mean for a valid mission critical purpose. Regardless of the software you use.

 

[carnageX]

Clonezilla for home use, and have used SCCM (preferred) and Ghost in work place environments. However Ghost should be ditched IMO as its aging...there's also the alternative to SCCM called FoG (Free Opensource Ghost), which you can setup an imaging server like SCCM and image over the network that way as well.

 

[1etherer]

Im not talking about cloning classified data. Im talking about cloning a image for a server, thin client, standlone PC etc..

Who in there right mind would clone a machine with personal data on in to then image new machines - defeats the objective.

I've worked in Gov too and only thing that is illegal is copying data / files, taking paper copies out of the premises without authorization or verbally sharing sensitive info.

Staff at the Gov dept I was in had be be SC cleared and needed to sign the "secrets act" as the information / data was that sensitive and you could not be employed without the two.

PS I know what SCCM is, I have implemented SCCM 2012 R2 it in a company and administered it.

We used it with MDT to image machines and push out apps..

edited

 

[PP Mguire]

Okay, I got you. Yeah, I've never heard that cloning anything was illegal (in the IT world that is), but if you're making a copy to take home, sell, etc then yeah. I get that. Gotta have them images, though!

I'm not saying the act of cloning for the purpose of IT work is illegal, I'm saying cloning something here would be cloning government/military property which can be looked at as espionage. Make sense now? That's why we have a big system and an order of the way we do things here. Why cloning is simply NOT allowed. We have a huge SCCM system here in place that basically detects a machine by MAC and S# and applies a designated image with preinstalled software based on those prerequisites. THis way here nobody is cloning to keep software installed, software asset management is kept in check so we don't get tagged by an audit. We also have a system set in place for backing up a user's profile if need be.

 

[MidnightShadow]

I've never used SCCM, so I can't comment on it. I'll have to check into FoG.

EDIT: I've not managed SCCM before. We used that at a previous job, however, that would push an image out to a machine that was replaced or not working properly.

 

[PP Mguire]

Okay, I got you. Yeah, I've never heard that cloning anything was illegal (in the IT world that is), but if you're making a copy to take home, sell, etc then yeah. I get that. Gotta have them images, though!

EDIT: What you're describing with the government software is stealing. When I say clone, I mean for a valid mission critical purpose. Regardless of the software you use.

Im not talking about cloning classified data. Im talking about cloning a image for a server, thin client, standlone PC etc..

Who in there right mind would clone a machine with personal data on in to then image new machines - defeats the objective.

I've worked in Gov too and only thing that is illegal is copying data / files, taking paper copies out of the premises without authorization or verbally sharing sensitive info.

Staff at the Gov dept I was in had be be SC cleared and needed to sign the "secrets act" as the information / data was that sensitive and you could not be employed without the two.

PS I know what SCCM is, I have implemented SCCM 2012 R2 it in a company and administered it.

We used it with MDT to image machines and push out apps..

SCCM on its own cannot image a machine.

You two must not realize that cloning is simply copying. Copying software off a government harddrive is well, espionage if looked at it that way regardless of the purpose of copying. Hence my explanation before and why we have systems in place to make sure nobody is cloning drives. It's up to whoever is doing the punishing if they want to call it that. Working for a government facility dealing with straight politics and working for a military defense contract that also deals with classified data are two different ballparks. I mean, I can get fired if I accidentally open my camera app on my phone and the wrong person sees it. Don't have to take a picture, there's no plausible deniability.

 

[1etherer]

PP we are only talking about base image, cloning a Windows server 2012 image is not illegal in the Gov as they do not own the OS - cloning the OS with info/ data belonging to the Gov on the server image is illegal unless authorized of course.

Hope we all understand now

 

[PP Mguire]

I've never used SCCM, so I can't comment on it. I'll have to check into FoG.

EDIT: I've not managed SCCM before. We used that at a previous job, however, that would push an image out to a machine that was replaced or not working properly.

Ours pushes the software that the machine has linked to it as well. Each asset is linked to a user. If they require a certain software to be installed they have to get approval first, a key managed in SLIM is linked to the asset, then the software is pushed to that asset over the network. If a user's HDD dies we order up a new one, a team Gdisk's it to make sure it's deader than a doornail, then it's sent to the scrapper. Plop the encrypted thumb drive into the machine and let SCCM do all the work. When it's done all the user's software will be reinstalled, user's info linked to Outlook and such automatically from AD, all licenses still matched up and good, and if we need to redo the profile that software is over the network too. Absolutely no reason for cloning here at all, so if you're caught doing it you have all eyes on you and for good reason.

 

[PP Mguire]

PP we are only talking about base image, cloning a Windows server 2012 image is not illegal in the Gov as they do not own the OS - cloning the OS with info/ data belonging to the Gov on the server image is illegal unless authorized of course.

Hope we all understand now

I explained that twice now already, and a 3rd time below your post. I said WHERE I WORK cloning is illegal, it can and most likely will be considered espionage because there's absolutely NO REASON to clone here. It even says in contracting and Lockheed handbook for Maintech and EBS personnel that you can be fined and or tried for espionage depending on data that has been copied. That includes simply making a clone of a base image drive. They look at it as an act of spying, if it's for IT purposes or not because there is no reason to clone here.

Hope YOU understand that. The OP clearly stated "what cloning software do you use at work". I don't, I'd rather not have the bitchy FBI agents up my ***.