Did You Know ... ?

• That because of the diverse needs of the U. community, there is no central firewall protecting computers. (Unless protected by a departmental firewall or other methods of protection, your computer is directly accessible from anywhere on the worldwide Internet).


• That computers and servers with critical information on them should be identified to OIT so that they can be scanned with a security scanner. Call 612-626-1527 to arrange for a scan of your critical server.


• That computer security incidents such as suspected hacking incidents or activities contrary to the University Acceptable Use Policy should be reported by calling 612-301-4357 or by e-mailing abuse@umn.edu


• That awareness of security by everyone in day to day computing decisions makes a big difference. Securing information technology is everyone's job.


• That the University has an University Acceptable Use Policy for information technology.


• That maintaining patches and reviewing security logs is a very important part of responsible administration of servers.


• That test servers and "unimportant" or "forgotten" servers are weak points in the network and can be used as entry points. They need to be maintained or disconnected.


• That most default vendor installations of servers are easily broken into because they have most service options turned on. It is like leaving the doors in your house open.