Dawgbytes, Spring 2009

Volume 7, Number 3

About This Issue...

Information Technology's newsletter, Dawgbytes, is available online. Dawgbytes is also available via a subscription to a list server, DAWGBYTES-L. To subscribe to this mailing list, e-mail a message to listserv@listserv.siu.edu. No subject is needed, but the body or text area of the message should contain only "SUB DAWGBYTES-L Firstname Lastname" without the quotes, or simply use this pre-configured e-mail*. *You must still substitute/insert your name where appropriate.

This Spring 2009 issue of Dawgbytes includes articles on:  Google Apps Coming to SIUC, Banner update, the new Identity Management Project, Protecting Yourself from Crimeware, IT Security Team Using New Intrusion Detection Model, Telecommunications Switch Upgrade, Campus Wide Printing services now has Linux platform printing capabilities and a new manager, and Computer Support Center news.

Links to archived issues of Dawgbytes are available at the end of the newsletter

GOOGLE APPS COMING TO SIUC

The Southern Illinois University Carbondale “@siu.edu” e-mail system will migrate to Google Apps for Education the weekend of May 29th, 2009.  Google Apps will provide a variety of customer services, including e-mail (webmail, POP and IMAP), personal calendars, personal web pages, mobile access, shared documents, and chat.

What new features can you expect after the migration?

What will not change after the migration? 

Future announcements on the migration schedule will be available from the Google Apps link on the Information Technology web page (www.infotech.siu.edu).

UNIFIED DIGITIAL CAMPUS/BANNER UPDATE

Work continues at a fevered pitch on the SIS Implementation Project, which is officially known as the UDC (Unified Digital Campus) project.  Most will also know this project as “Banner”.

There have been many events that have already taken place and many more that will be occurring in the next several months.  A high-level list follows:

Several training classes have been offered or conducted for campus users over the last several months. To date, over 620 campus users have received some form of Banner training.  Many more training opportunities we be offered in the future either via online or in class methods.

For more information related to the UDC Project, we invite you to refer to the project web site at http://salukinet.siu.edu/SISnews.

IDENTITY MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Information Technology will implement an Identity Management (IdM) system in early June 2009.  IdM will replace the existing Network ID creation and password management application (https://websec.it.siu.edu/util/id_request.html).  IdM will provide SIUC students, faculty and staff with new Network ID creation and management processes as well as new authentication and authorization tools.
The IdM application is expected to benefit Student, Faculty and Staff customers of SIUC network based resources in the following ways:

Changes to Anticipate in June
When the IdM system is brought online, the format of the Network ID will change.  A Network ID will no longer contain the first part of a customer’s e-mail address. The format of the Network ID will be the alpha characters “SIU” combined with the customer’s unique nine-digit University ID number (Dawg Tag).  An example of a new Network ID is as follows: SIU850123456. 
If you have a Network ID prior to the June Implementation of IdM:

For example, Sally Jones is currently a student customer with a Network ID of “sallyj” and an e-mail address of sallyj@siu.edu.  After June 2009, Sally Jones’ Network ID will become “SIU850999999” but her email address will still be sallyj@siu.edu.
If you become a Student, Faculty or Staff customer after the June implementation of IdM:

We anticipate that this change may cause some confusion and inconvenience as it is enabled, but long-term the implementation of IdM will improve the processes associated with access to SIUC computing resources.  Please refer to http://idm.siu.edu for more information about the Identity Management Project and watch for additional details in the coming weeks.

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM CRIMEWARE

It is very important to protect computer systems from attack and most important to protect sensitive data. There has been a tremendous rise in the frequency of malicious software (aka “malware”) that steals financial data in the past year. Several computers at SIUC have been infected with such malware in the last several months. This specific type of malware is referred to as “crimeware” and “banking Trojans”.

What Can I Do To Prevent An Infection?

  1. Do not open suspicious email attachments or websites– funny videos, e-cards, and links to pictures on the Web (among other things) are often malware in disguise. Always use caution when opening any type of email attachment and when browsing the web.
  2. Make sure all Operating System patches are up to date – Microsoft releases patches on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, and these patches routinely fix holes a banking Trojan could exploit to gain access to your system.  Apple’s OSX and other systems also need to be patched regularly.
  3. Update 3rd party software on your computer – old and unpatched 3rd party software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash, QuickTime, Firefox, iTunes, Realplayer, Java and Safari also should be patched and updated. Secunia.com offers online and downloadable software to check these applications.  Secunia’s Personal Software Inspector (PSI) is available for individual use, while their Online Software Inspector (OSI) is perfect for SIU faculty and staff. Both scanners can be found on Secunia’s website, www.secunia.com.  OSI is also available at on the IT Service Center website at https://helpdesk.siu.edu/.
  4. Do not use your computer system with administrative rights unless you must. Malware takes advantage of the access rights of the logged on user. If the user has limited access, then most malware attacks will fail.

The best way to protect your machines is to be smart. Use safe browsing habits, keep up-to-date on patches, and always err on the side of caution.

When sensitive data may be compromised, SIUC must adhere to the SIUC Policy Regarding the Personal Information Protection Act, found at: http://www.siuc.edu/~policies/policies/prsnlinfoprotectionact.htm

For more information on SIUC related computer security matters, please see the IT Security website at http://infotech.siu.edu/security

IT SECURITY TEAM USING NEW INTRUSION DETECTION MODEL

The IT Security Team uses state of the art intrusion detection methods when possible, including a new model developed here at SIUC, which is being called a network Vulture Fest (with a tip of a hat to the folks in Makanda).  The idea behind the network Vulture Fest is that some infected or vulnerable computers located on campus are sensed by other computers on the Internet off campus.  Some of these other computers are malicious, thus "vultures", and they begin to attempt to contact the local computer, which is infected or vulnerable.  This "vulture" activity can consist of hundreds of thousands of attempted connections from thousands of computers off campus and is typically blocked and logged by the campus border firewall.

A computationally intelligent method was used to cluster network Vulture Fests from background Internet activity and an automated script runs periodically to classify current Vulture Fests in an effort to locate local computers that are infected or vulnerable.  This method uses an algorithm called a Self-Organizing Map (SOM), which is a type of Artificial Neural Network (ANN).  This SIUC application of a SOM using the Vulture Fest model is the first time, as far as we know, that a self-trained computational intelligence has ever successfully discovered previously unknown feral malware.  The software has been named ANNaBell for an ANN that "rings a bell" when a Vulture Fest has been discovered.

IT Information Security Analyst Chet Langin developed the method as part of his Ph.D. research here at SIUC, in coordination with other faculty and students in the Computer Science Department and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Chet introduced the model at an IEEE conference in Austin, TX last December, and he is scheduled to present his SOM Vulture Fest methodology at an IEEE conference in Nashville, TN in April.

SIUC TELEPHONE SWITCH UPGRADE

The project to upgrade the telephone switch at SIUC is well under way. Having completed the evaluation, purchase, and contract stages, the project has moved into stages that are more tangible. The site survey by Nortel engineers has been completed, and all required changes have been communicated back to Telecommunications Services. Work is currently under way to coordinate equipment moves within the Student Center switch room. Areas needing to move equipment, or institute changes, include the Network Engineering group in IT, the Distance Learning group associated with Morris Library, Shared Technologies, Verizon, and SIUC Telecommunications Services. A PSO electrical engineer is preparing an estimate for the required power additions and changes that will need to be completed before the installation of new servers and equipment can begin. Our service technicians have already completed some of this relocation work.
Currently, the estimated completion date for the project is August of this year. This conversion of our telephone switch to an IP enabled system brings many advantages to our campus, and our end users. New telephone sets, and new server based applications are some of the exciting changes that lie ahead. All employees in Telecommunications Services are working towards a successful cutover and conversion process, and are quite excited about the opportunities that are quickly approaching.

ITSERVICE CENTER/CAMPUS WIDE PRINTING SERVICES

Campus Wide Printing Services has recently upgraded the system to enable those users operating a Linux platform the same campus wide printing ability available to Windows and Mac users. Instructions for using Campus Wide Printing Services are up on the helpdesk page https://helpdesk.siu.edu/ . We will continue to update them periodically for better support and ease of use.

Ben Anderson has been hired as an IT Technical Associate and will manage the Campus Wide Printing Services area. Ben has a degree in Electronic Systems Technologies from SIUC and previously worked in CWPS as an extra-help employee.

IT SERVICE CENTER/COMPUTER SUPPORT CENTER

Visit the IT Service Center website at https://helpdesk.siu.edu/ to view a variety of timely and helpful information on subjects such as: the Conficker virus, Apple Mail setup, the FileZilla FTP program, and checking your computer for software vulnerabilities using Secunia.

During spring and fall semesters, the Computer Support Center offers extended service hours. In addition, beginning with the spring 2008 semester, the CSC began offering on-line chat support. Services are available:

M-F 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM Walk-in, telephone and on-line/chat support
M-Th 4:45 PM – 6:45PM Telephone and on-line/chat support
On-line chat support is accessed via the IT website at: http://www.infotech.siu.edu/

The Computer Support Center is located in the Northwest Annex, A wing, Room 137 (618) 453-5155. If you need assistance after hours, you may contact the IT Network Control Center at (618) 453-6217. They will log your problem and a CSC representative will contact you the next business day. You may also contact the Network Control Center to report an urgent network issue or a campus-wide outage.

Network ID issues may also be handled through any of the Computer Learning Centers (CLCs) across campus M-TH until 6:45 p.m. and until 4:45 pm on Friday. Assistance is also available at CLC1, Faner 1025 until 4:15 pm during University breaks.

The Computer Support Center is closed on weekends, campus holidays, and administrative closures. Hours of operation during summer semester and semester breaks are 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. M-F.

You must show a valid SIUC Student/Staff ID to receive assistance with your Network ID.

REMINDER: WIRELESS EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AVAILABLE

Although not an Information Technology system, we do want to make you aware of an important program on campus, the Wireless Emergency Notification System. Notifications are sent via text messages to your cell phone to advise you of critical events on campus. These may include, but are not limited to, closures due to weather events, building status reports (e.g., closures in Life Science due to chemical spills), power outages, safety threats, etc. While no notification system is foolproof, this new program is a timely, valuable way to receive critical campus information. To sign up for this service, go to:  http://www.siuc.edu/emergency/wens.html

Archived Issues of Dawgbytes

Questions or comments: kriddle@siu.edu

 

 


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