Patch Policy
It is recommended that all students who use the school’s network have their computers updated with the latest service packs and updates required suggested by your operating systems manufacturer (this includes Windows, Mac OS, and Linux). Failure to protect your computer with these updates could result in major computer problems for you, and could possible affect the entire network. It will be the students responsibility to keep his/her computer up-to-date. If network problems occur because of lack of updates, the student will receive a written warning to have the problem fixed. Failure to do so may result in internet access loss. ResNet will help any student with updates if they need it.
Port Scanners
Port Scanners are programs that are designed to scan software ports on a person’s computer. These ports are used to see what kinds of services are available on your computer. Students are not allowed to use port scanners of any kind against other computer. It is o.k. for a student to scan their own ports on their own computer, or if it is in a classroom setting and used in classroom lab (you must have permission from your professor before you do this, your professor must notify Networking that this will be done, and it must stay in the lab or classroom). If it is found that a student is scanning other ports anywhere on campus, this will immediately be considered a personal privacy violation, and the student will lose their internet access. The first violation will be a loss of internet access for 4 total months (the equivalent to 1 semester). The second violation will be a loss of internet access for 12 total months (the equivalent of 1 year), and possible prosecution from our Campus Safety department.
Sniffing or Analyzing Network Traffic
Students are not allowed to “sniff” or analyze traffic on the school’s network. It is o.k. for a student to “sniff” or analyze traffic that comes in to their own computer, or if it is in a classroom setting and used in a classroom lab (you must have permission from your professor before you do this, your professor must notify Networking that this will be done, and it must stay in the lab or classroom). If it is found that a student is “sniffing” or analyzing traffic on the school’s network, this will immediately be considered a personal privacy violation, and the student will loose their internet access. The first violation will be a loss of internet access for 4 total months (the equivalent to 1 semester). The second violation will be a loss of internet access for 12 total months (the equivalent of 1 year), and possible prosecution from our Campus Safety department.
Unauthorized Access
Accessing someone’s computer, or any other computer or system on campus, without that someone knowing about it is not allowed. This violates the personal privacy act, and you will lose your network connection for 12 total months (the equivalent of 1 year), and possible prosecution from our Campus Safety department.
Host Vulnerabilities
Scanning a computer to find its vulnerabilities is not allowed. If it is suspected that you are scanning computers or systems for vulnerabilities, you will be notified by ResNet or Campus Safety, and you will be asked to cooperate in any way that ResNet, Campus Safety, or any other computer department on campus wishes. Failure to cooperate with any of these organizations will call for an immediate disconnection until the situation is solved. If you are found to have been scanning computers, you will lose your network connection for 12 total months (the equivalent of 1 year), and possible prosecution from our Campus Safety department.
Firewalls
A firewall is a software program or hardware device that tries to help protect your computer from being attacked from viruses, hackers, and other forms of unwanted entry. ResNet encourages students to protect their computers, but not to extend the school’s network in doing so. Therefore, it is o.k. for a student to use software-based firewalls in their room. Students are not allowed to use hardware devices (such as a firewall router) in their room. This extends the school’s network, and is not allowed (see the section on Extending the Network).
Extending the Network
The Networking staff has worked long and hard to create a good, solid network. Extending this network changes its stability, and may cause unwanted problems to arise. Students are not allowed to extend the network in any way. Hubs, switches, wireless access points, firewall routers, anything that creates other connections to the network are prohibited. If any of these devices, or others similar to these, are found to be in use from your room or port, you will be given a written warning to have the device removed and you will also lose your network access in the room (meaning both ports) for 1 month. A second violation will result in a loss of network access for 4 months (the equivalent of 1 semester). A third violation will result in a loss of network access for 12 months (the equivalent of 1 year).
Static IP Addresses
An IP address is simply a code of numbers that is given to your computer to allow it to “talk” on the network. After you register your computer, an IP address will be given to your computer. When you assign an IP address manually, this is called a Static IP. If you assign an IP address to your own computer, this could potentially cause problems with another computer, or computers, on campus. If you are found to have a Static IP assigned to your computer, you will be given a written warning and time from to have it removed. If you fail to meet those requirements, you will lose your network access for 1 month. A second violation will result in a loss of network access for 4 months (the equivalent of 1 semester). A third violation will result in a loss of network access for 12 months (the equivalent of 1 year).
AntiVirus Software - Every computer
running any version of Windows operating system (excluding Apple OS and Linux)
must have the university’s Symantec Antivirus software installed on it. If you have any other antivirus software on
your computer, please remove it before installing the university’s software. The university’s software can be downloaded
at http://www2.uwsuper.edu/navclientinst/webinst, or
an installation disk can be borrowed from the Computing and
Computer Name
Your computer operating system has a name. That name needs to follow the campus naming standards. NetReg, or ResNet, will change your computer name to match your student user name, and cannot be changed. Any computer name that is unrecognizable by our registration system, by ResNet personal or computing personal, will be removed from the network until the computer name matches the user name. If you change your computer’s name to one that does not match the naming standard, you will lose your network access until it has changed back to what it is supposed to be.
Hosting Web Sites
Hosting any type of web site (personal, E-business, illegal, etc.) on your own computer is not permitted. Students may create websites on a university server for academic projects through Computing and Media Services. Personalized web pages can also be hosted by off-campus sources such as Yahoo or Lycos. Students are allowed to use the campus network to update their personal web pages with legal material, but students cannot use the campus network to transfer illegal web material to their personal web sites. Any illegal material that has been transferred using the school’s network will result in your network connection being terminated indefinitely, and you will be prosecuted by the Campus Safety department.
Audio and Video Broadcasting
Students may obtain use of the university’s media streaming server for academic projects through Computing and Media Ser ices. No student will be allowed to broadcast any streaming audio or streaming video from their personal computer using the campus network, unless it is in a classroom setting and used in classroom lab (you must have permission from your professor before you do this, and it must stay in the lab or classroom). If you are found to be streaming audio or video, you will be given a written warning to stop your streams, and you will also lose your network access in the room (meaning both ports) for 1 month. A second violation will result in a loss of network access for 4 months (the equivalent of 1 semester). A third violation will result in a loss of network access for 12 months (the equivalent of 1 year).
Threats or Harassment
Any threats or harassment that is sent from one student to another, regardless if it’s from their personal computer or a school’s computer, through the school’s network is grounds for immediate network disconnection, and prosecution from the Campus Safety office.
Copyright Laws
Any student to be found disobeying current copyright laws will lose their network connection and be prosecuted from the Campus Safety office, as well as any copyright holder. See file sharing for more details.
File Sharing
File sharing is something that a lot of people do. There are many negative things that people are unaware of about file sharing. Even though the school does not block file sharing, it does discourage people from using because of the harmful things that it can do. File sharing is the easiest way to get viruses, give access to people you don’t know to your computer, open the door to your computer for hackers to easily walk through. Of course, most to all of the files being shared are illegal, or copy protected. We don’t “police” the network to see who’s file sharing. However, we do not help students who use file sharing. Sometimes, we are asked by companies to check with people and their computers to verify that copy protected items are not being shared or used. We do not hide violators when companies ask us about them. If a company finds that you are in violation of their software, then that company, or any affiliate of that company, may pursue action towards the violator. Computers that have, or have had, file sharing programs on their computer are not worked on by ResNet, or anyone else on campus. If a computer has a virus that is causing network problems, and that computer also has, or has had, filing sharing programs, no support will be offered to that computer, and the network connection to the room will be deactivated until the student has cleaned the virus, removed all file sharing programs, and ResNet has confirmed that the virus is gone. This goes for anything. If a computer is not working correctly, ResNet will not work on the computer if a file sharing program is/was known to exist on it. ResNet takes file sharing very seriously. It is up to the student whether or not he or she wants to use it. It is ResNet’s goal to educate students on the dangers of file sharing. If a student wishes to engage in file sharing, then ResNet expects them to accept responsibility for their actions.
Any of the above mentioned disciplines can be handled on a case per case situation. We realize that every scenario will require different disciplinary actions. It will be up to policy enforcer to administer which discipline is best suited for these special cases. Disputing the enforced discipline can be done at the time of notification.
Important references:
University System Policy on Use of Information Technology
Resources
http://www.uwsa.edu/bor/rpd/2004
Regent Policies.pdf
Guidelines for Appropriate Use of UW-Superior Information Technology Resources
Http://www2.uwsuper.edu/infotech/ais/guidelines.htm
Any of the above policies may be changed at any time. ResNet will keep the most current policies available on the Technology web page. If you have any questions regarding any of these policies, please contact ResNet at x8439.