ProctorU

[jsd]

Well yes and no. Yes to the first half, in that these are just scripts defined by proctorU to automatically run, but the second half is a no or at best maybe. The possibility certainly exists that the proctors can run scripts on demand, it depends on what features their version of logmein+rescue has and what sort of controls are in place at their end.

I'm not paranoid about it and have no reason to distrust them -- I've taken several dozen exams through ProctorU on my only laptop, which as a IT consultant is directly responsible for all of my income -- I just want people to have all the facts.

If someone is concerned about the program or scripts, they should create a new user that is not an administrator or even a "power user" and do their proctoring under that user. ProctorU won't have access to anything important that way. Others have suggested running it in VMWare but that's no longer an option I think -- one of the scripts I've seen run has vmware in the name and is, presumably, checking for that exact situation.

I stand corrected and appreciate the info. At any rate, I agree with your assessment that it works as advertised, and like you see no actual threat. Your solutions for the paranoid are reasonable.

[collegechick]

Thanks for everyone who commented. I will use an old laptop without anything on it, like was suggested.

[bghill]

Are you worried about safety because they take a photo of your ID?

I am, and unlike using a different computer for testing, I don't see anyway around the ID thing.

[cookderosa]

ProctorU is really dominating this space (3rd party remote proctoring via webcam) and I expect their business model and security protocol is being scrutinized constantly by companies and institutions they are "pitching" to every time someone registers their institution to use them.
ProctorU has picked up a ton of new clients, so my trust is in the collective.
Lots of FAQ regarding security if you're interested- https://www.proctoru.com/institutions/