User Responsibilities
for Machines on the UVa More Secure Network Network

Your computer is being placed on the University's More Secure Network and as a result you will share responsibility with your department administrators for using your computer responsibily and maintaining it at appropriate patch levels.

Unless the person responsible for maintaining your department's computers informs you that the department handles one or more of these issues for you automatically, then you are expected to do the following:

  1. Maintain up to date virus software
    1. Windows and Macintosh users can accomplish this using Norton AntiVirus (Symantec AntiVirus) available from the ITC Software Central web site.The download pages have links to installation and configuration instructions.
    2. Configure the software to check daily for virus definition updates. (This can be automated provided the computer is left turned on at the time scheduled for the update.)
    3. Any other anti-virus solution used must provide similar capabilities.
  2. Periodically check all files on your system for viruses
    1. Norton refers to this as a 'Scan'. Scan the entire disk at least once a week.
    2. You can automate the scan provided your machine is left on when the scan is scheduled.
    3. If you count on automated scans, check the scan history to verify it has been run.
  3. Maintain up to date operating system security patches
    4. Installation of 'Critical Updates' is required to maintain the security of your system. Security updates can affect system performance; therefore, updates should be done when you have time to respond to any problems which may be introduced.
    1. Windows 98/2000/XP/ME users can use the 'Windows Update' web site or the automated update service. If your department does not maintain your own patch server, Windows 2000 and XP users may use ITC's Automated Patch Update service (http://www.itc.virginia.edu/microsys/patchmanagement.html)
    2. Mac OS users can use Apple's 'Software Update', security updates are clearly identified.
    3. Administrators and users of other operating systems need to identify appropriate updates from their vendors and maintain them.
  4. Respond promptly to reports of suspicious activity with your system
    5. Machines on the More Secure Network are covered by the same policies regarding contact and disconnection as the rest of the University network. If you do not respond to notices from the abuse team in a timely manner you may find you computer is disconnected from the network.  (Machines causing severe problems on the network may be disconnected prior to contact.)
  5. You must not have a computer connected to both the standard and more secure networks at the same time.
    6. For most users this is not an issue, but if you have a wireless card in your system and are plugged in to the network with a wire, and the wireless card is also active this can be an issue.
  6. If you connect to the MSN from home with a VPN, or move your machine on and off the MSN (particularly a laptop that moves from network to network), honor the MSN security rules when using the other networks.
    7. Any machine that is used on the MSN, even intermittently, must meet all of the above user responsibilities at all times, even when connected to a network with a lower level of security. They are basic security precautions that should be universal. The protection provided by the MSN is undermined if users introduce hacked or infected machines from the outside.

© 2008 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

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