Computing Center working
to protect against hackers
■The University uses a
variety of technologies to
secure students’ and faculty’s
private information
By Hank Hager
Oregon Daily Emerald
As the University enters the 21st cen
tury, the Internet is beginning to play an
ever-increasing role in how the campus
protects information. From e-mail ad
dresses to home addresses and phone
numbers, the University stores hun
dreds of pieces of information on every
student and faculty member at the
school.
The problem of keeping the Univer
sity’s information safe from hackers’
computers is a complex one, but many
at the University say there are definite
ways to keep the information safe.
John Kemp, a senior security engi
neer for the Computing Center, said the
safety of online information at the Uni
versity is becoming increasingly im
portant.
“Information security is a critical
component of the operation of the Uni
versity,” he said. “The types of informa
tion that are gathered and stored on
University computers varies in relative
value and risk, and because of that, a va
riety of different policies are in place to
protect these different kinds of infor
mation.”
He said a common technique is the
use of encryption, in which informa
tion is stored online in a secure format,
making it harder for people outside the
system to read.
Kemp added that the University un
derstands the need to make sure the in
formation kept on campus is secure.
He said the University has felt strong
ly enough about computer security that
it has allocated more funds for addi
tional faculty positions to be created.
David Dose, a computer support spe
cialist for the Office of Business Affairs,
said a program called Banner is used to
prevent outsiders from gaining valu
able information. Through the pro
gram, the University’s important infor
mation is stored and protected. He said
the campus is largely decentralized,
making it more susceptible to break-in
attempts. But, he said, servers contain
ing student and faculty information are
placed in secure rooms at night to re
I don’t think any
system is uncrackable if
someone is determined
enough.[But] with what
we have, we do a good
job.
Joseph St Sauver
assistant director for
academic user services,
Computing Center ^
duce the possibility of abreak-in.
He added that computer security has
given him more work in the past few
years.
“Its become a much bigger part ofmy
job in the last few years,” he said. “It’s a
big issue.”
Joseph St Sauver, an assistant direc
tor for academic user services in the
Computing Center, said there are many
steps that can be taken to prevent infor
mation from being illegally acquired
via e-mail accoun ts.
According to a fax sent by St Sauver,
the Computing Center requires users to
create passwords that cannot be easily
guessed. In addition, these passwords
are changed periodically to ensure out
side sources do not steal information.
Norton Antivirus software is also used
to prevent any viruses from “attacking”
e-mail accounts.
St Sauver said system security is also
a paramount concern for the Universi
ty. Systems on campus run with back
up power to ensure no information is
lost in the event of an accident, power
outage or even an earthquake. Physical
access is also limited in areas that store
personal and confidential information.
But with all the precautionary meas
ures , St Sauver said he does not believe
it is entirely foolproof.
“I don’t think any system is uncrack
able if someone is determined enough,”
he said. “[But] with what we have, we
doagoodjob.”
Dale Smith, assistant director of net
work services for the Computing Cen
ter, said it’s primarily up to students to
protect their e-mail accounts. He said
gladstone mail at the school is well-se
cured by the security steps, and the
Computing Center keeps up to date
with the latest in security features.
“Gladstone is a well-secured and
well-maintained system,” he said. “In
terms of the main systems at the Com
puting Center, we are well-protected. ’ ’
Because of this, he said, students are
usually the first and last blockades to
protecting their information. He said
logging out when a person is done us
ing e-mail is suggested, as is using a sys
tem that is encrypted, making it harder
•for hackers to read.
But, he said, not all people listen to
suggestions.
“You can’t protect the silly people,”
he said. “Students have to do these
things, because we can’t force them. ”
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Video game re-enacts
violence of WTO riots
TACOMA, wasn. — It you
missed the World Trade Organi
zation riots and protests in Seat
tle, you may soon get another
chance.
Video gamers can march
down the middle of a city street
to the beat of loud music,
launch a rocket or brick into a
storefront window, even punch
out an officer in riot gear while
playing “State of Emergency.”
Rockstar Games revealed the
game — due in October for
Sony PlayStation 2 —■ earlier
this month at the Electronic En
tertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
A spokesman for Rockstar,
who asked to remain anony
mous, acknowledged last week
that the game had strong ties to
the WTO riots of fall 1999, The
News Tribune of Tacoma re
ported Monday. A phone mes
sage left at Take-Two Interactive
Software Inc., parent company
for Rockstar Games, was not
immediately returned Monday.
Some 50,000 people marched
through Seattle, disrupting the
WTO meeting and downtown
business as they protested glob
al issues such as human rights
and the environment. Most
were peaceful but the protests
turned riotous at times. Six
hundred people were arrested
and property damage reached
$3 million.
“State of Emergency” is
billed as an “urban riot game
set in the near future, where the
oppressive American Trade Or
ganization (ATO) has declared a
state of emergency.... It is up to
you to smash up everything and
everyone in order to destabilize
the ATO.”
A player can overturn vehi
cles, incite rumbles between ri
val gangs and attack innocent
bystanders. Extra points can be
made by punching out an ATO
officer in riot gear, knocking him to
the ground and jumping on him.
The game already has drawn
criticism.
“If you want your child to be
come a violent anarchist, this is
a great training game,” said
state Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson
(D-Seattle). Dickerson, who
joined the ranks of peaceful WTO
demonstrators, called the game “a
slap in the face of the peaceful
ideals of40,000 protesters.”
After watching a video clip on
the publisher’s Web site, she said
the game seems to show anar
chists whose violent actions all
but obscured the message of the
peaceful demonstrations in
Seattle.
State Rep. John Lovick (D
Mill Creek), a Washington State
Patrol trooper who was on duty
in Seattle during the WTO riots,
also found fault with the game’s
premise.
“To re-enact things like that
in a digital arena sends a very
strong message,” he said. “It’s
just better to try to heal a com
munity.”
Dick Lilly, spokesman for
Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, said
the game will never show up in
any city-run community center.
“I think research has raised
enough serious questions about
these kinds of violent games
that people should be very
skeptical and critical of this
kind of content,” he said.
The Associated Press
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