A Monitoring System for Laboratory Workstations

Abstract

University computer laboratories rely on a large number of shared workstations that must remain operational and available to students. However, hardware-related incidents, such as component theft, unexpected shutdowns, and network disconnections, can be difficult to detect using IT monitoring solutions. The proposed monitoring system was implemented as a centralised client-server architecture consisting of lightweight monitoring clients, a central server, a persistent database, and a graphical user interface for administrative oversight. The system combines heartbeat monitoring, hardware validation, chassis intrusion detection, and automated recovery mechanisms to provide centralised situational awareness and alarm handling. The system was evaluated through passive testing and active threat simulations performed on laboratory computers at Chalmers University of Technology. The evaluation demonstrated successful detection of simulated tampering events, stable heartbeat communication, low resource utilization, and reliable alarm handling with minimal interference with normal laboratory usage. Although the system remains a proof of concept prototype, the project demonstrates that event-driven hardware monitoring can provide an effective foundation for improving hardware security and operational awareness in shared university computer laboratory environments.