Developed entirely in-house by NobleProg Tech, DaDesktop is managed and maintained by a dedicated team of Security Operations specialists, developers, and DevOps engineers. Access to the core system is strictly limited to NP Tech personnel, ensuring that any concerns are addressed directly by our own experts.
NobleProg holds the rights and access necessary to utilize and modify all source code.
Redundancy and Failure recovery
Both trainers and users have the option to replicate an entire desktop in real time through the 'remote replica' feature.
For experimental sessions, you can enable automatic snapshots of the desktop. Should a crash occur, the system is capable of restoring the last functional version.
Servers are housed in redundant data centres; if one fails, another is available with low-latency connectivity.
The DaDesktop infrastructure leverages multiple data centres around the globe, all governed by thorough physical and IT security protocols.
DaDesktop employs QEMU/KVM to create and run virtual machines, with both being integral components of the Linux operating system. Because QEMU and KVM are built into the Linux OS, deploying security updates is straightforward and swift, without the concerns of third-party dependencies. QEMU/KVM boasts an outstanding security and performance history, surpassing that of commercial alternatives.
At NobleProg, a zero-trust policy is implemented
We permit access to NobleProg and DaDesktop systems only for NP Tech staff whose IP addresses have been pre-registered. IP tables firewall rules are enforced to block SSH and other port access.
Every system is safeguarded by Two Factor Authentication and a password. An attacker who has obtained only the password would still be prevented from accessing the system, as their IP wouldn't be whitelisted and they would lack the One Time Password.
During a DaDesktop course, each desktop network is isolated from other desktops and from public access.
NobleProg employees use a multi-factor authentication (MFA) system to log into company systems. Access is revoked immediately upon a staff member's departure to protect against unauthorised entry.
Linux Hardening
The DaDesktop server nodes run on a custom, stripped-down version of Ubuntu that we build and maintain, installing only the necessary packages to minimize complexity and overhead. This results in fewer potential security gaps, as there are fewer packages and services running; the typical installation size is just 250MB for each node.
Direct root account access via SSH is disabled.
The DaDesktop infrastructure is built on the newest stable release of Ubuntu Linux, with automatic upgrades and patches applied to reduce the risk of zero-day vulnerabilities.
Servers are continuously monitored for known vulnerabilities.
Unused packages and files are removed to streamline the system.
NobleProg has access to all project source code. If a vulnerability is discovered and a patch isn't yet available, our security team can address it immediately.
Systems are configured for automatic updates via unattended-upgrades.
All connections from our servers to the dark web are monitored and can be blocked automatically.
Monitoring
NobleProg actively monitors all its servers, including those for DaDesktop, generating alerts for any issue requiring attention. These alerts are promptly investigated and resolved, with regular reviews conducted to fully address root causes and prevent recurrence.
We monitor all DaDesktop servers and trainer/participant machines for CPU, memory, and network activity. Furthermore, DaDesktop nodes and the underlying system are scanned for any CVEs, which trigger a flag in our monitoring system for review. While security updates are typically applied automatically, any exceptions flagged here are patched manually or addressed with other mitigating measures.
Recordings are automatically captured for Fresh Start machines on courses, allowing us to review any issues arising during a trainer's course preparation. Optionally, recordings can be made of the Trainer machine and Training Room during a course. This feature is fully manageable through the UI and can be switched off if not needed.
DaDesktop Operating System Templates are generally updated every couple of weeks, incorporating the latest security patches.