I've started running a small game server at my place of employment, and the bossman is cool with that. But since it is open to the internet and we do have certain federal regulations to follow, they want me log all the communication channels(Fed, SubSpace, Private Hails) to ensure that HIPAA violations do not occur. I've yet to find an option in the twgs package to do this, am I missing something? Is there a tool I can do this with?

I would strongly recommend taking your TWGS box someplace else. When I first put my TWGS online back in '98 at the office (which was a medical records outsourcing company) HIPAA was not solidified but we knew it was coming. I ran it there for a little over a year but as soon as we started seriously preparing for HIPAA we all agreed, myself included, that the BBS and TWGS had to be relocated off of the company LAN. The chances of there being a problem where practically nil, but any outside security audit would red flag personal servers and services immediately and it would hurt the company's reputation.

There is no option built into the TWGS to monitor fed/sub/hails. You would have to get some sort of packet logger to monitor all traffic going to/from the box, which would be a real pain.

It might be a good idea to add that kind of functionality to some future version of TW2002/TWGS, just log communications channels. The MUD/MUCK/MU* world and the large online communities and games DO log activity in order to, among other things, cover their butts as well as be able to answer complaints of online harassment. And they have AUPs that new members have to agree to in order to use the service. I've not run across anyone in the TW world that was volitile enough to try to sue an 'op but I have seen folks get all bent out of shape on a mu*. At least on IM and mu* you have the option to not receive messages from folks on an individual basis.

I was aware of packet logging and such, and it is such a pain in the Butt that it's not exactly a doable option. And the MU* system is where I got the comms log idea from, as I've run those in the past and it's already there. It would be nice if that is an available option. I can't imagine it would be too difficult.

quote:Originally posted by Kernall

I was aware of packet logging and such, and it is such a pain in the Butt that it's not exactly a doable option. And the MU* system is where I got the comms log idea from, as I've run those in the past and it's already there. It would be nice if that is an available option. I can't imagine it would be too difficult.


Packet logging is about the ONLY way you could do it to be honest..
Email Logging, IM Logging, and the such basically log everything.. so what you need is a Telnet Logging peice of software.. in other words, log all packets (or the telnet stream itself)..

I think that IF it's that important to your company that it would be required then you probably shouldnt have it there to begin with.