LockAdium

[legolas1]

This is just an idea for a feature. When you turned it on, it would make all Adium windows disappear and only let you quit Adium or enter a password to undo it in a new window that would pop up. This would make it possible to leave an away message on without someone going on your account.

Thanks

[Adam Iser]

Locking needs to happen at the system level to be effective.

If Adium locked and required a password, the user could simply force quit and relaunch Adium to get into your accounts via auto-connect. If we used a preference to remember that Adium was locked, the user could simple trash the preference file and once again have access to your accounts. A user on your machine also has access to logs, message context, account names and contact names simply by looking in the adium preference folder and cache. Application level locking does not work.

If the issue is someone using your machine when you walk away, set your screensaver to lock the machine and activate it before leaving. If other people need to use the machine while you're gone, set up fast user switching and a guest account for them.

These solutions already exist in the system and work pretty well

[bgannin]

If someone can access your machine they can access (almost) everything on there, given time and dedication. As Adam skillfully stated - security is the province of the OS... thus screensaver locking, FileVault, FUS & login passwords, et. all.

[legolas1]

I did not think that it would be completely safe, just enough to stop some one from easily sitting down and messing things up. Thanks for pointing out the fast user switching thing though, I am new to Mac and on Windows (blaa) you basically have to re-boot the computer to switch users so I never set anything like that up.

[bgannin]

I did not think that it would be completely safe, just enough to stop some one from easily sitting down and messing things up.

The logic in this case is that it provides a false sense of security (since they could just open the Finder to rifle through your logs or account settings) and no true protection versus the actual protection afforded by the OS.

[dchoby98]

A Screen Saver with password-to-unlock turned on is what you really need. If you leave your computer alone and you're worried about others using it, lock it.

[Smacmac]

A Screen Saver with password-to-unlock turned on is what you really need. If you leave your computer alone and you're worried about others using it, lock it.

I tested it right now; It worked perfect!