August 2004 — Features
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Minimizing Security Vulnerabilities in High-Tech Classrooms
- A user must be authenticated by the network before he or she is allowed access to make the network safe from intruders. For instance, one needs to have a security code to open the main door of a building.
- The network must be authenticated by the user before the user allows his or her PC to connect to the network in order to prevent a wireless device from posing as a legitimate network and gaining access to the user's PC. This is similar to having the right key to enter a certain apartment in a building.
- The mutual authentication between user and network must be cryptographically protected. This ensures that we are connecting to the network we want and not to some phony one. In other words, we need to have one set of original keys to enter into our apartment.
- The wireless connection between a PC and access point must be encrypted, so eavesdroppers cannot access data that is supposed to be private. This reminds us to have a unique and nonduplicable key to access our apartment.
Firewall
A firewall is another way of securing our systems against unauthorized access. Firewalls act as a packet filter within computers linked to the same server. In addition to the anti-virus and anti-spam programs, firewalls provide extra security for information systems. Our university saved money and enhanced efficiency by using an open-source firewall solution. We employ Linux netfilter firewalls configured with an open-source rule editor (Firewall Builder). These open-source firewalls are employed for network monitoring, sniffing, intrusion detection, incident response and vulnerability scans. (For more information on firewalls and a list of best-selling firewall programs, visit http://computer.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm.)
Student Information Technology Services
Viruses and spam are easily spread around because many students and faculty do not know how to deal with them. In addition, you must be aware that no anti-virus system can offer total protection. But what happens if computers do get infected? Our university offers a free student service called Student Information Technology Services (SITS, online at www.westga.edu/~sits). SITS repairs student computers for free and provides assistance to students who have technical problems. Such systems could play a very critical role on campuses if you think of the limited budget of college students. The problem, however, is how to let students know as much as possible about the existence of this free service.
Use of Common Software Programs
We use various software packages based on different student needs and curricular goals in our classrooms. One thing we find very useful as a software purchase strategy is to use the same set of programs in all high-tech classrooms. This gives students a better understanding of the different programs needed to complete their assignments. Our university has the Microsoft Campus Agreement, which gives the Office suite and Windows XP systems free of charge to all students. Faculty also can purchase these programs under the umbrella of the Microsoft Campus Agreement program.
