Matthew H. Bain, MGT ’01Senior Systems Support Manager,Georgia Tech Alumni Association

• Student Computer Ownership Initiative

• Security

• Online Integrity

Student Computer Ownership Initiative(SCO)

“The computer should be fast enough and have enough memory and disk space to provide satisfactory performance over a usable life of two to three years.*”

*Moore’s Law:In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore

predicted that the number of transistors on a chip would double about every two years.

Laptop computers are now required!

SCO Laptop Recommendation

• 88% of Fall 2006 freshman brought a laptop with them to Georgia Tech.

• Starting this Fall, laptops are required for incoming Computer Science majors.

• In 2008, laptops will be required for everyone.

So what does this mean?

SCO Laptop Implications

Pros:• Wireless coverage in most buildings,

including the library and many dorms.• Easier collaboration on team projects.• Ability to take home during holidays

and breaks, or on study abroad.• Increased Mobility!

SCO Laptop Implications

Cons:• Increased potential for theft…• More expensive.• Less upgradable.• More wear and tear (overheating

hdds, drops, spills, etc.)

SCO Minimum Laptop Requirements

Processor At least a Pentium M class or AMD equivalent (PC),G4 or Intel Core Duo (Mac)

Memory 1GB or more

Hard Drive 80GB or larger

Display Supports1024 x 768 resolution or better

Network Card 10/100 Base-T Network Adapter,Wireless adapter*

Other Features CD-R, Sound Card, Speakers

*The Georgia Tech LAWN (Local Area Wireless/Walkup Network) supports walkup connections through wired Ethernet in the library and wireless connections through IEEE 802.11b/g cards utilizing wired equivalent privacy (WEP), with a 64-bit key. For Mac users, Apple's AirPort and AirPort Extreme cards are compatible.

Other Hardware Recommendations

• Personal printer• Security cable• External hard drive

• Other considerations:– Extended warranty– Media shredder

Software Recommendations

• OS: Windows XP/Vista, Mac OSX, Linux

• Productivity/Office Suite• Security software• Other software as needed…

Software Recommendations

• Don’t pay full price!– Microsoft Office Standard 2007

• MSRP: $399.95• Educational Distributors like e-academy,

Inc.: $56.15

• See what is available for free• Only purchase software if and when

it is needed

Security

• Physical Protection

• Information Security

• Secure Communication

• Other Best Practices

Security – Physical Protection

• Increased Mobility = Increased Theft!

• Keep an inventory list

• Software tracking

Security – Passwords

• Choose good passwords

Security – Passwords

• Ch0o5e Go0d p@s5w0rDs– Minimum of 7 characters– Doesn’t contain dictionary words– Uses different character classes, i.e.

• alphabetic (the letters of the alphabet): a-z, A-Z• numeric (digits): 0-9• special (punctuation, etc.): !@#$%^&, and

others

• Use different passwords for different resources

Security – Passwords

• Use a locking screen saver

• Manually lock the screen

• Set clients and browsers to not remember

• Set a BIOS password (and document it)

Security – Passwords

• Ch0o5e Go0d p@s5w0rDs

• Use different passwords for different resources

• Password Safe / Keychain

Security – Software

• Anti-Virus Software– Keep it updated!– Keep it active (on-access scan)– Perform full system scans regularly– Be cautious about opening links

and attachments

Security – Software

• Anti-Spyware– Can use several different products– Campus distribution: WebRoot /

McAfee– Others: Windows Defender, SpyBot,

Ad-aware– Use a locked-down “hosts” file– Be cautious about opening links and

attachments

Security – Software

• Host-based firewalls– Many different ones available– Built-in Windows/Macintosh Firewall

is easiest to use and maintain– Choose only one– Keep it enabled on all adapters

Security – Software

• Encryption Software– Might want to consider using

encryption software– TrueCrypt, GPG, Macintosh

FileVault

Security – Software

• Operating System– Keep it patched and updated!

(easy to do using automatic updates)

– Don’t forget your applications, too!(Acrobat, Firefox, MS Office, etc.)

Security – Secure Communication

• Email– Encrypt sensitive information– Don’t open attachments– Don’t click on links

Security – Secure Communication

• Instant Messaging– Don’t open attachments– Don’t click on links– Beware stored chat logs

Security – Secure Communication

• Wireless– Use secure protocols (https://)– Turn off when not in use– If you have a wireless router at home*,

secure it

*if you live off campus; unauthorized wireless access points are not allowed on the campus network

Security – Other Best Practices

•Regular Backups– Inexpensive media available–Make this a habit / automate it–Encrypt sensitive data

Security – Other Best Practices

•Upgrading or replacing a hard drive–Securely destroy your drive

•Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN)•Macintosh Disk Utility

•Don’t run as an administrator–OS-supported authentication

Online Integrity

• Piracy

• Hacking

• Cheating

• Everything lives forever…

Online Integrity - Piracy

• “Anyone who sells, acquires, copies or distributes copyrighted materials without permission is called a pirate.”

• “Downloading music/movies without paying for them is no different than walking into a store and stealing a CD/DVD off the shelf.”

Online Integrity – Piracy

• According to the RIAA, more than half of college students download music and movies illegally

• Very easy and tempting to do• P2P clients can open the door to

malware and other bad things• RIAA/MPAA regularly send pre-

litigation letters to colleges and students

Online Integrity - Hacking

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any system that does not belong to you, regardless of intent

• Violates CNUSP

• May result in termination of service and civil and criminal charges

Online Integrity - Cheating

• Plagiarism / Collaboration

• Student Code of Conduct

• 2002 Scandal: College of Computing Cheatfinder

Online Integrity - Services

• Be careful before you click the send button

• Think twice before posting

• Everything lives on the Internet forever

Online Integrity - Services

• Use third party applications at your own risk

• Protect your privacy

• Don’t add friends that you don’t actually know

• Look out for the addictive nature of these services

As Facebook Grows, Longtime Users Draw Privacy VeilMary Jane Irwin 07.17.07

Facebook used to be all about the location of the next kegger, who hooked up with whom and maybe keeping in touch with the foreign student you studied with for a semester. Now this formerly exclusive community is increasingly being used for business networking -- and that's causing some of the service's longtime users to be a lot less forthcoming about the information they share on the site.

For longtime users, the influx of grownups means that information once intended for a circle of fellow students is now available for anyone to see. That has introduced a new social conundrum: Deciding whose invites should be accepted -- and how much of your profile they should be able to see.

"You can't really unfriend your mom," says Hillary Woolley, a junior at the University of California at Davis. "So I've been upping my privacy settings."

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~mb320/