Thin clients: slim security?
Paul Vlissidis, Matthew Hickey · Network Security · 2010
Thin computing has been around since early 1993, starting life as graphical workstations and X terminals. The devices have evolved, along with advancements in modern computing technologies, to become more complex, hybrid embedded devices and appliances, with many capable of running standalone operating systems. They have become a popular choice for IT organisations as desktop replacements owing to their lower costs, eco-friendly benefits and marketing by vendors claiming additional security benefits. Indeed, they are often marketed as something of a security silver bullet compared with traditional desktops. To assess the accuracy of these claims, we performed an independent security evaluation of several popular thin-client devices by analysing device management and determining risk and feasibility of attacks against organisations that have adopted thin-client technologies.