To help shield computer workstations from harmful hackers and viruses, UB will introduce its NetPass program this week to all computers on the ResNet campus network, according to Richard Lesniak, director of Academic Computing Services.
Once implemented, NetPass will automatically scan every computer that connects to the ResNet system, Lesniak said. The inspection's purpose is to both curb the spread of harmful programs and fix infected computers.
Following the initial scan, NetPass will report back any major problems uncovered and guide the user through fixing the problems and recovering lost data.
"It all goes back to last year at this time when we as a campus were very much affected by the Blaster Worm virus," Lesniak said. "We had to be sure that everyone understood that their computers needed to be protected somehow."
According to Lesniak, NetPass is scheduled to finish its last scan of residents by September 28. A non-invasive program, it operates on computers in the dorm rooms and on-campus apartments, giving students tips on how to keep their computers safe and clear of damaging viruses.
"Not only is NetPass a way of scanning, helping, and dealing with systems that are not adequately configured, but it is also able to catch systems that are already compromised," Lesniak said.
After several Internet shutdowns this past week, students are happy to see a program like NetPass -- which runs with Windows, Macintosh and Linux powered computers -- finally up and running.
"I had a really bad virus on my computer last spring. I couldn't even turn it on," said Shelley Imbs, a senior communications major. "If NetPass had been in effect maybe I would've caught it before my hard drive was damaged."
According to Lesniak, many other many colleges and universities, like Northeastern, have residential computer networks with similar screening programs that prevent the expansion of viruses and Trojan horses, a type of virus that hides inside a computer system.
Out of 2,000 possible problems on ResNet computers, NetPass picks up 80 of the most common, 20 of which are extremely threatening, Lesniak said.
"If a computer fails to pass the scan it is quarantined and given limited access to Internet sites," Lesniak said.
If a pass is not granted to an infected computer, NetPass will still allow quarantined computers to access online sites like symantec.com in order to root out troublesome viruses, Lesniak said.
Once a pass is not granted, a webpage automatically comes up with directions on how to fix the system's problems.
An approval by NetPass, however, does not make a computer 100 percent safe.
"The scan can not find everything. If you pass the test it does not mean that your computer is completely healthy," said Mark Ferguson, manager of the CIT Help Desk.
Furgeson explained it is imperative to have antivirus software installed and updated often, as well as having a secure user ID and password.
Computers that already have router and firewall protection will not be scanned by NetPass, as they will be assumed safe by the program, said Lesniak.
According to Lesniak, a computer can pick up a virus in many different ways, whether by downloading a program believed to be harmless on the Internet, or clicking onto a site hidden with spyware.
The original plan was to institute NetPass in all dorms and apartments during move-in weekend, but the program still had kinks that needed working out. Furthermore, the implementation will be staggered so that the CIT Help Desk isn't swamped with requests.
"We figured that if everyone had problems at once it would be impossible to get them all help at once," Lesniak said.
NetPass will first be operational in the on-campus apartments of South Lake, Flint, Creekside and Hadley Villages, and then in the residence halls.
Along with the Help Desk, UB Micro is also an available resource whenever a student or faculty member has computer-related questions or problems, Lesniak said.
"UB's attitude is that we're all in this together and we're working together to make sure that our network is as secure and efficient as possible," he said.
