Protecting Against Software Damage

Printer-friendly version

By Stephanie Kropowski, Director of Marketing and Sales, KioWare Kiosk Software

You prepare your kiosk for harsh conditions, vandals, and intentional mischief, but have you ever thought about the security needed for unintentional mishaps? – not all kiosk application failures are down to deliberate tomfoolery.
 
A failure can be caused by something as innocent as a child unable to see the screen but able to reach the keyboard, a user inadvertently entering a particular key combination, or even a simple power outage. Whether an attack is deliberate and within the control of the end-user, or purely accidental, the result is the same – the kiosk will no longer be able to serve its purpose.
 
The need for application protection is always critical, but, unfortunately, usually just an afterthought. Kiosk system software makes certain that your application is always running and secured, ensuring your ROI is truly reflective of application success, rather than an application failure due to malfunctioning software or misuse. Specifically, kiosk system software secures the application by preventing users from ever reaching the Operating System (OS), desktop and browser. This prohibits users from changing systems settings, overwriting files stored locally on the kiosk, or surfing the internet.
 
Locking Up

How does kiosk system software restrict this access? Kiosk-specific features enable security that allows your application to remain unattended and function flawlessly.
 
Keyboard Filtering: for applications that have a keyboard available to the user, it is critical to disable certain specialty keys and key combinations. The keys could open a new window, dialogue box, menu, or allow users to escape the application altogether, allowing users potentially disastrous access to the OS.
 
Virtual Keyboard: the virtual keyboard, which works with touch screen hardware, reduces hardware vulnerability by eliminating the need for a physical keyboard and mouse. The keyboard is kiosk-specific, meaning certain keys are not programmed into the virtual keyboard, only those that are essential to the desired application.

Attract Screens: attract screens essentially replace the Windows screen saver, which would allow access to the OS, by rotating through images, ads or URLs instead. This feature can also be used to end a user’s session, by logging a user off after a certain period of idle time and beginning the attract screen loop. The previous user’s history, including the cookies, cache and print queue are then cleared.

File Download Blocking: kiosk system software can prevent dialogue boxes from being shown and ultimately prevent file downloading altogether. Otherwise, access to these options would give users access to browser windows and function-critical C:drive files.

External Device Support: kiosk system software also supports the integration of external devices for added security. Session end devices, such as retractable printers, retract printed materials immediately back into the kiosk at the end of a session. Security devices, such as security mats or proximity switches, sense whether users are standing at the kiosk, and will reset the application and clear the previous users’ history as soon as the user steps away.

If a kiosk is not secured, whether the attack is malicious or unintentional, costs will be incurred. The kiosk may be inoperable, users may feel unsafe using a kiosk where they notice their information is not secured, or sensitive information may be stolen. Protecting your kiosk application with kiosk system software protects potential victims, your application, and your bottom line.

This is the same kiosk application, the one on the left is running without the system software, where the start menu and the desktop are completely accessible, simply by minimising or closing the application. The browser is fully accessible, allowing users entry to the internet, the previous user's history, and the ability to open the new browser windows. The second screen shot shows how system software acts as a shell that wraps around your application. Customisable buttons can be added to replace the buttons normally displayed on the Internet Explorer browser.