INTERNET PASSWORDS ARE STRENGTH
TESTED
Many who've changed their Internet password recently learned that
new passwords are being strength tested when their first attempt
to select a password resulted in an error (because they used a dictionary
word followed by a number or another unacceptable choice). Pick
a safe password. See http://www.umn.edu/oit/security/passwordguide.html.
INTERNET PASSWORDS CAN BE LONGER
Internet passwords can now be from 6 to 125 characters long; they
still must include numbers and letters and are case sensitive. Sometimes
longer passwords will not work when you use them. We are testing
and documenting acceptable password lengths for some servers and
client software. See our results so far at http://www.umn.edu/adcs/accounts/passwordlength.html.
TEMPORARY INTERNET PASSWORDS
Secure, secret passwords are vital to computing safety. To help
keep passwords secret, 1-HELP can no longer set Internet passwords
for customers. Instead, when someone calls 1-HELP they get an automatically
generated password that is good only for 24 hours. They must use
that temporary password to set up a different password. See http://umn.edu/validate.
VIRTUAL PC 7 FOR MACINTOSH
Did you know departments can dowload Virtual PC 7 for the Macintosh
from http://download.software.umn.edu/,
and that it completes Office 2004 Professional for the Macintosh
platform? Reminder: departments can license many software titles
through ADCS. For a listing of the discounted licenses, see http://www.umn.edu/adcs/site/list.html.
Questions? Contact software@umn.edu.
JULY 5 DEADLINE: GOODBYE CLEAR TEXT PASSWORDS
At the University, beginning July 5, 2005, e-mail, Telnet, and FTP
clients must support secure access. To send or download e-mail,
your software must be configured for SSL. Similarly, you must use
secure Telnet and FTP clients to connect to the University central
servers. See the secure FTP and e-mail links at http://www.umn.edu/securecom.
A secure Telnet link is coming soon.
RESIDENCE HALLS: VIRUS, WORM, BOT REMOVAL
At the start of spring semester ADCS and Housing and Residential
Life expanded our strategies for cleaning up the computer infections
plaguing students in the residence halls. We are staffing Inoculation
Tables in the halls. So far, over 100 computers have been cleaned
and configured so they will not get reinfected.
SAFE COMPUTING REMINDER
ADCS maintains a safe computing website. Visit it to learn the steps
to take to keep computers safe. Visit it if you think your computer
is infected and follow the "Got a virus?" link to our
"Infection Clean up Guide." See http://safecomputing.umn.edu.
MICROSOFT STUDENT SELECT PROGRAM: NEW URL
If any of your department's web pages include a direct link to the
Microsoft Academic Student Select program, the link may be broken.
The URL changed to http://www.mass.umn.edu.
About the program: University Computer Services teamed up with Microsoft
to offer currently enrolled UM students reduced software prices
on common Microsoft software. Visit UCS at http://www.umn.edu/ucs/.
REMINDER: WATCH TECH TALK
University and local experts discuss the digital technology we encounter
in our daily lives on Tech Talk, which airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m
on TC Public TV channel 17. The shows in the February schedule are:
Viruses; Global Positioning Systems; Communication Convergence;
and Digital Music. Details at: http://techtalk.umn.edu.
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