 Secure E-mail, FTP, and Telnet
Starting July 18th 2005, U of M Central Systems will not allow the transmission of clear text passwords in E-mail, FTP, or Telnet programs. You will be required to use SSL, an encryption protocol, with these programs. The transmission of clear text passwords will be phased out over Summer 2005. If you have not made these changes by Fall 2005 your e-mail program will not be able to download or send messages. For a more in depth explanation of this requirement, please read on. |
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Some e-mail, FTP, and telnet programs send your password,
over the network in "Clear Text". What does this mean? This means
that when you log into your e-mail, FTP or Telnet, your password is not
encrypted when it is sent to the server. If a password is not encrypted, it can
be viewed by anyone spying on the network. This poses a security risk to your
account. By default, e-mail programs and some FTP and Telnet programs do not
encrypt your password. These insecure settings are preset in your program and
do not reflect any wrongdoing on your part.
What is SSL ?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a protocol that encrypts your password before sending it over the network. Thus, giving your program additional security. You can make your e-mail, FTP and Telnet programs secure by
using SSL.
What Do I Need to Do ?
Most e-mail programs have SSL settings. We would like you to
enable (turn on) these settings in your e-mail program. This is a very simple
process. For e-mail programs (eg. Outlook, Eudora, Netscape Messenger), you
simply go into the settings for your e-mail program and check the boxes labeled
SSL. A few E-mail FTP and Telnet programs do not have SSL settings. If you are
using on of these programs, you will need to use a different program, or
upgrade to a higher version of the program you are using.
Email : Windows E-mail Setup Guides
Macintosh E-mail Setup Guides
FTP : Windows & Macintosh SFTP Guides
Telnet : Windows & Macintosh SSH Guides
Personal and Departmental Support Options
The University offers a variety of support options to assist you or your department with this conversion.
| Resource |
Available to |
Service |
Charge |
Contact / Request Service |
| Troubleshooting Guide |
U of M students, faculty and staff |
Access an online guide with fixes for your program |
NA |
http://www.umn.edu/securclt/troubleshooting/ |
| Helpline |
U of M students, faculty and staff |
Speak to a technician over the phone or send an e-mail. Walk-in service is offered to users with laptops: please call prior to walk-in service, to ensure their is available staff. |
free of charge |
Phone (on campus): 1-HELP
Phone (off campus): (612) 301-HELP
E-mail: help@umn.edu
for location and hours of service:
http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/index.html
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| UCS (University Computing Services) |
U of M students, faculty and staff |
Bring your home or office computer into UCS. This service can usually can be done while the customer waits (depending upon current UCS workload and staff). Please schedule service in advance, to ensure the least wait-time. |
free of charge |
Phone: (612) 624-4800
E-mail: ucs-web@umn.edu
for location and hours of service:
http://www1.umn.edu/ucs/contact.php |
| ADCS |
U of M department offices located on the Twin Cities campus |
Techncians will offer onsite assistance with your department's SSL conversion |
free of charge |
E-mail: ssladm@umn.edu |
| To Be Determined |
U of M students, faculty, and staff |
In-home service from a technician (OIT is currently working on options for offering this service) |
TBD |
TBD |
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