|
posted July 26, 2004
NOTE: By January 25, faculty, staff, and students will be required to check e-mail via a secure-only connection using Secure Socket Layer (SSL), software that encrypts data as it is transmitted over the Internet. For more information, please see the article New Security Requirements Coming for ITS E-mail Service Users.
University Park, PA -- Continuing the effort to increase e-mail security and protect against the proliferation of viruses and worms,
Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET), a unit of Information Technology Services (ITS), will implement secure e-mail connections on August 2, 2004. To further improve security, ITS will install virus protection software on Penn State's incoming e-mail servers beginning on August 9 and completing on August 11. This new initiative complements the recommended anti-virus software and personal firewalls installed on personal, departmental and residence hall computers and servers. ITS will enable secure e-mail connections using Secure Socket Layer (SSL), a procedure that transmits communications over the Internet in an encrypted form, for checking e-mail on Penn State's e-mail servers (email.psu.edu and mail.psu.edu). Once the installation of the central virus protection software is complete, any e-mail sent to psu.edu will be scanned regardless of its final destination (Penn State's e-mail servers or a departmental e-mail server).
SSL POP
What it Means to You
Specifically, ITS has targeted SSL POP for e-mail transactions on mail.psu.edu and on email.psu.edu. Though SSL POP as well as Kerberized POP (KPOP), another way to securely check e-mail, are currently "opt-in" and though Penn State WebMail has always provided users with a way to securely check e-mail, the ultimate goal is to eliminate clear-text passwords for e-mail as well as other computing services. ITS is targeting January 25, 2005 as the deadline by which encrypted, secure-only transactions for checking mail will be accepted by Penn State's e-mail servers email.psu.edu and mail.psu.edu.
Getting Help
Instructions for configuring various e-mail clients are found via the ITS Help Desk support Web page for e-mail services. Prior to the start of the fall 2004 semester, information will be
available via the PAC-ITS Web site. Questions or requests for assistance may be directed to the ITS Help Desk at helpdesk@psu.edu.
Virus Protection Software
What it Means to You
Any message with a virus sent to Penn State from will automatically forward to Security Operations and Services (SOS), also a unit of ITS, for notification. SOS will then work with the security contact/network administrator of the ISP from which the virus was sent.
Mail sent to psu.edu will be scanned regardless of its final destination (mail.psu.edu, email.psu.edu or a departmental e-mail server). For example, a user checks email at xyz123@deptserver.psu.edu, where deptserver.psu.edu represents an independently managed departmental e-mail server. Any mail sent to xyz123@psu.edu will be scanned before it goes to the xyz123@deptserver.psu.edu mailbox. Please note however that if mail is sent directly to xyz123@deptserver.psu.edu, it will not be scanned. Neither will any messages sent directly to mail.psu.edu or email.psu.edu addresses. As good practice, users are encouraged to send e-mail messages to the e-mail address noted in the "E-mail" field in one's directory entry and not to the the "address" listed in the "Mailbox" field.
Please also note that this will reduce the likelihood of receiving any e-mail worms; however, occassional incidents can be expected between the time when a new worm is released and new virus definitions are added to the filtering in response. Computer users who send virus/worm reports to virus@psu.edu should send the original e-mail with full headers, but should not include attachments.
As noted above, system administrators are reminded that virus/worm reports sent to virus@psu.edu should contain the original e-mail with full headers, but attachments should not be included.
Getting Help
For additional virus information, please refer to the ITS Virus Information Web page. Questions or requests for assistance may be directed to the ITS Help Desk at helpdesk@psu.edu.
Resources
|
