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08 October 2009

Implementation Plans of New Network Authentication Process Announced.

CIT will be implement a new Network Authentication process this semester. Safe•Connect provides many enhanced capabilities that are essential to helping keep our IT environment safe and secure.

CIT will be putting Safe•Connect into operation this semester and next. Here is the planned schedule:

Wired connections in the Residence Hall part of the Campus Network	Monday, October 19, 2009 (during Fall break)
All campus Wireless	Wednesday, October 21, 2009 (during Fall break)
All other wired connections (academic buildings and administrative offices)	Tuesday, January 5, 2010 (during Winter Term)

What will you have to do to get prepared for this?

Barring unforeseen challenges in implementation, Safe•Connect will be rolled out for the residential wired network (Resnet) and all of the wireless areas of the campus network during Fall Break. The remainder of the network will be added during Winter Term. In order to prepare your computer for a simple transition to the new authentication system, make certain that you have anti-virus software installed, running and updated and, if you’re a Windows user, have Automatic Updates enabled (enabled by default for staff and faculty on college provided computers). CIT provides free anti-virus software for the Oberlin College community on its downloads page (http://www.oberlin.edu/cit/downloads/virusprot.html). Simply enter your ObieID and password to access the software.

How do I use Safe•Connect?

Once Safe•Connect is turned on for the section of the network your computer is connected to, open your internet browser and enter your ObieID and password to authenticate. You will be prompted to install an application called a policy key that continuously validates that your system meets minimum-security requirements. Without the policy key, you will not be able to access the network. Once installed, you’ll only need to authenticate once per semester.

The policy key will check for Windows Automatic Updates, anti-virus software installation and updates and whether peer-to-peer software is running on your computer. If Safe•Connect detects a problem in any of these areas, a web browser window will pop up, indicating the source of the problem and how to remedy it. The web browser pop up will only provide information (and warnings) in this early phase of our Safe•Connect implementation; you will only receive warnings about the state of your computer.

How do I get more Help?

There are many more details on the workings of Safe•Connect on the CIT Wiki (http://citwiki.oberlin.edu/index.php/Network_Authentication). If you need assistance installing anti-virus software or ensuring Windows Automatic Updates are enabled, give the Help Desk a call at x58197 or send an email to cit@oberlin.edu and we’ll walk you through any questions you may have.

If at any time you have questions about Safe•Connect, please contact us through the Help Desk at x58197 or send an email to cit@oberlin.edu.