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* Passwords * Viruses * Spyware * Operating System Updates * Social Networking Programs *

There are many aspects to computer/Information Technology security. Many situations have been in the news recently: stolen laptops with personal information on them (including Social Security Numbers), hacking events at colleges and universities, vulnerabilities within computer operating systems (particularly, Windows), etc. Keeping data and resources secure is a critical role within any organization.

It takes everyone working together to keep our data, network, systems and other IT resources as safe and secure as possible. Security is everyone's responsibility!

PASSWORDS

All account passwords should be safeguarded. Don't write passwords down where they can be easily found. (Not writing them down at all is preferred!) Don't set your computer to remember your password information. Someone else using your computer may easily gain access. Also, once it's time to reset the password, you may not recall what it is yourself.

Passwords should also be selected so as not to be easily determined - i.e., don't just pick your child's name, your dog's name, your birthdate. Security is enhanced when passwords are changed frequently. Passwords on the Oberlin e-mail system are required to be changed every 122 days, and you cannot reuse a password that has been used within the past three resettings. Try to pick a password with characters and numbers, such as: 1m4t0fu

VIRUSES:

Viruses are software programs created purposely to interfere with the operation of a computer, disrupt data, or spread themselves to other computers. Computer viruses range from the low threat (annoying) to high threat (destructive). New and different viruses and worms are being created all the time. Worms are viruses that can replicate and send themselves automatically to other computers by controlling other software programs, such as an e-mail sharing application. Trojans are viruses that can falsely appear as a beneficial program in order to get users to download them.

At Oberlin College, we use two anti-virus programs to keep computers safe from viruses. For Windows computers, we use McAfee VirusScan, and for Macintosh computers, we use Sophos. We have a site license that provides for the use of these programs on all faculty, staff, student and college-owned computers. The software can be downloaded, while connected on-campus, from the CIT website. The latest threat information is also available on this webpage.

It is very important to keep your anti-virus software current in order to thwart the latest viruses.

SPYWARE

Spyware is a software program that runs, usually without the user's knowledge or consent, that collects information about the user. More benign programs simply track the websites a user visits and send that information to an advertisement agency, or just launch popup advertisements. More malicious programs try to record what a user types in order to intercept passwords or credit card numbers.

CIT provides software tools to remove spyware (some programs are also known as adware (those that install popups, etc.), or malware (those that track personal information for malicious purposes, such as password interceptors)). Users can download these tools, when connected on-campus, from the CIT website. Spyware can often cause computer slowness, problems with network connectivity, and other major computer problems requiring a complete reinstall of the system. It is highly recommended that users on Windows computers run an anti-spyware program routinely.

OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES

All operating systems routinely require updates/patches to deal with security issues. The Windows operating system is most apt to require routine attention. For college-owned computers, CIT routinely pushes Windows operating system patches and updates to the computers through the Novell Netware login process. The computer must be rebooted in order for the upgrades to take effect. Thus, it is highly recommended that Windows users reboot their computers daily, either by turning the computer off at night when departing for the evening, or rebooting first thing in the morning if leaving the computer on.

For Windows computers that do not receive updates automatically through the Novell login process (home computers, research computers, some servers, computers that run specialized equipment, etc.), users should set the computers to receive their updates automatically from Microsoft.

Windows computers are not the only ones that require operating system updates. Macintosh users should also run software updates routinely (System Preferences -> Software Update), paying particular attention to any Security Updates. In addition, Linux and UNIX operating systems should be updated/patches as recommended.

SOCIAL NETWORKING PROGRAMS (FACEBOOK / MYSPACE / LIVEJOURNAL)

Social Networking consists of online websites/applications that help connect friends, groups, businesses, and others, together using a variety of tools. These include such sites as MySpace®, Facebook©, and LiveJournal™. These sites offer great opportunities to connect with others and communicate on a wide variety of topics. They can present some cause for concern, however.

CIT urges all users of online social networking sites to be cautious about posting personal information, and to be aware of the potential for access by many sources. Note: CIT does not routinely monitor any sites for content.

• Be aware that potential employers often search for information on prospective employees on the Internet. Information posted on personal websites and social networking sites will be readily available and can be very difficult to have removed. Information on these sites should be considered quite accessible.
• Be aware that you may be held legally liable for any comments made about other people. You could subject yourself to defamation or libel suits if information (or photos) you post about someone else is proven to be incorrect or false, or in the case of photos, presents that person in a misleading or damaging way.

MySpace®:

According to Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace]: "MySpace is a social networking website based in West Hollywood, California offering an interactive, user-submitted network of blogs, profiles, groups, photos, MP3s, videos and an internal e-mail system. According to Alexa Internet, as of August 2006, it is the world's fourth most popular English-language website and the seventh most popular in any language. It is the most popular site in the United States, accounting for 4.5% of all website visits...MySpace has gradually gained more popularity than similar sites such as Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, Xanga, MyYearbook, FriendsReunited.co.uk, Classmates.com and LiveJournal to achieve 80 percent of visits to online social networking websites...MySpace currently reports just over 100 million members, with the 100,000,000th member signing up on August 9, 2006. The website also attracts 500,000 new members each week.

MySpace has gotten much attention in the past as a site frequented by sexual predators. MySpace allows registered users to be as young as 14. Profiles with ages set to 14 to 15 years are automatically private. Users whose ages are set at 16 or over do have the option to restrict their profiles, as well as the option of merely allowing certain personal data to be restricted to people other than those on their "friends list". The full profile of or messaging to someone under the age of 18 is restricted to their direct MySpace friends only...Recently, MySpace has been the focus of a number of news reports stating that teenagers have found ways around the restrictions set by MySpace, and have been the target of online predators. In response, MySpace has given assurances to parents that the site is safe for people of all ages. Beginning in late June 2006, MySpace users over 18 could no longer add users under 18 as friends unless they knew the user's full name and/or email address, and vice versa.

Many schools and public libraries in the US and the UK have begun to restrict access to MySpace because it has become "such a haven for student gossip and malicious comments"...Recently, it has been reported that certain universities have begun searching MySpace in order to discover evidence of illegal drug and/or alcohol use among potential applicants...In 2006, Del Mar Community College blocked all access to MySpace. Network administrators cited network strain from excessive MySpace traffic as the reason for blocking the social network. According to Del Mar's chief of technology, MySpace was consuming 40% of the college's daily internet bandwidth, impeding the college's web-based courses."

Facebook©:

According to Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook]: "Facebook is a social networking service for high school, college, university, corporate, non-profit, military and geographic communities primarily in English-speaking countries. As of December 2005, it had the largest number of registered users among college-focused sites (at over 7.5 million US college student accounts created with an additional 20,000 new accounts being created daily). It is the number one site for photos...and is the seventh most trafficked site in the United States, according to ComScore's MediaMetrix. Facebook is based in Palo Alto, California. The name of the site is based on the paper facebooks that many colleges give to incoming students, faculty, and staff depicting members of the campus community.

Facebook is increasingly being used by school administrations and law enforcement agencies as a source of evidence against student users. The site, the number one online destination for college students, allows users to create profile pages with personal details. These pages can be viewed by other registered users from the same school which often include resident assistants and campus police who have signed-up for the service.

The harvesting of information students provided on Facebook has been questioned. Facebook's Terms of Use specify that "the website is available for your personal, noncommercial use only," misleading some to believe that college administrators and police may not use the site for conducting investigations. Information published on a private, restricted service website is considered to be public."

LiveJournal™:

According to Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_journal]: "LiveJournal (often abbreviated LJ) is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal, or diary... LiveJournal's differences from other blogging sites include its WELL-like features of a self-contained community and some social networking features similar to but pre-dating Friendster and MySpace. It is based in San Francisco, California.

As LiveJournal has grown, it has had to deal with issues involving the content it hosts. Like most web logging hosts, it has adopted a basic Terms of Service. The Terms of Service simultaneously expresses a desire for free speech by the users while outlining impermissible conduct such as spamming, copyright violation, harassment, etc. LiveJournal created an abuse team and processes to handle claims about violations of the Terms of Service, violations of copyright, violations of the law, and other issues."