All About Network Security

At Ohio Wesleyan University we take network security seriously. The confidentiality and integrity of our campus records and other resources are of primary concern. The internet and world wide web have proven to be an open marketplace and crossroads for commerce and communication of all types, both positive and negative. Institutions, associations and the government have all weighed in on how to safely navigate the complicated online world. For background information on the context in which several of these security measures have been implemented see The digital world and new federal regulations and other articles in the Winter 2007 LIS Connections. In summary, the Ohio Wesleyan University data network, whether wired or wireless, is a private network. There is no free access to the general public; guests must register with the library circulation desk and are provided limited access on an as-needed basis.

Passwords

The first line of defense against unauthorized access to any data network is a unique username and password for every authorized individual. Anyone with an OWU username and password is personally responsible for all activity on their account, so it is important that you select and maintain your own personal password as a safeguard for your account. Choose your password with care. OWU passwords must be between 8 - 14 characters, and may contain letters, numbers and some punctuation marks. For more information about OWU passwords, see the Maintain and Change Password Guide.

MAC Addresses

Every computer that connects to any network is identified by a physical (hardware) address. This Media Access Control (MAC) address identifies the particular network interface card (NIC) used by that connection. So the wired (Ethernet) card will have one address while the wireless network card will have another. These addresses--along with whose computer they belong to--are recorded by the university and used to identify every connection to our network. Sometimes the registering of these addresses is an automated process, such as when students point a new computer to register.owu.edu, and at other times you must provide the MAC address to the help desk to register it. Iinstructions on how to find the MAC address on your computer are available for Windows and Macintosh.

Student (and Faculty and Staff) Responsibility

OWU calls upon each student (in addition to all faculty and staff) to exercise responsible behavior when using the computer network on campus. The University's network allows quick and easy downloading of internet files for scholarly work. Please know that the downloading of unauthorized internet media files is a violation of the University's Computer Use Policy. It also may be illegal.

Impulse Point

Impulse Point Safe-Connect is a computer network system in use by the University to keep campus computers safe from viruses, spyware, and other dangerous programs, thereby keeping the network secure. It includes a small piece of software--called a policy key--that is installed on individual student computers on campus. The policy key regularly checks for specific, basic security requirements--including Microsoft Windows updating, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software--on a student computer after it is installed. It also checks for peer-to-peer (P2P) software. If a student computer does not meet the minimum requirements, it will be redirected to a safe web location--away from the network--so the issues can be resolved. Currently, Impulse Point security only applies to Microsoft Windows computers. If you use a computer with Macintosh OS or Linux, this should not impact you in any way. The policy key only checks specific security requirements but it cannot monitor your e-mail, web, IM, or other internet traffic or perform any other function that would interfere with your legitimate personal computing privacy. As long as you meet the Impulse Point basic security requirements, you should not even know the system is running.

Wireless Encryption

To ensure that the campus wireless network is secure and private it utilizes 64-bit Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) encryption. This means that any computer accessing the wireless network must have the security key to unencrypt the transmitted data. Currently this 26 character text key must be entered onto student computers by Libraries and Information Services staff. Once connected to the wireless network, you must still enter your username and password to access the internet. The University is currently implementing campus-wide wireless access, scheduled to be completed by Fall 2008.

Virus Protection

It is mandatory that all Windows computers connecting to the OWU campus network have up-to-date virus protection currently running on them. This policy is enforced by Impulse Point. New viruses are being introduced every day. Virus software must be constantly updated for it to be effective. Ohio Wesleyan has a site license for Sophos antivirus software, making it available free of charge to all current faculty, staff and students. The installation program is included in the OWU Network CD provided to all incoming freshmen and also available at either the Student Help Desk or Faculty/Staff Help Desk.

Common Sense Virus Precautions

Many computer viruses are spread via email, either as a file attachment or via a hyperlink within the email itself. This is why it is important that you should not open any attachment that you are not expecting or click on any link you're not sure of. If you receive an email attachment that you were not expecting, you should contact the sender to verify that they purposely sent you the attachment before you open it. Also keep in mind that a large percentage of the virus warnings circulating via email are hoaxes. Forwarding these bogus warnings takes time and computing resources and may cause unintended harm. Before forwarding any virus warning, always verify the information through a trusted anti-virus resource, such as the McAfee Threat Center, or an urban legends reference site, such as Snopes.com.

Spyware Protection

Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with it, without the user's informed consent. Unlike viruses, spyware does not directly spread itself to other computers. Spyware often comes piggy-backed on other freely distributed software or disguises itself as something useful and legitimate like a web accelerator or even as anti-spyware. Up-to-date and currently running anti-spyware software is also required to connect to the OWU network. Impluse Point checks to make sure Windows Defender is turned on and up to date. Windows Defender is available for free download.

Spam Protection

Anyone who uses email is familiar with the scourge of spam. Email spam is a costly problem for all organizations. Ohio Wesleyan provides automatic spam protection on all OWU.edu email accounts. See the All About Email page for more information about our spam protection.

For More Information or Help

Contact the Help Desk.