by Henderson Jones

Are you still connecting to the Web using the university’s wireless network by opening up a Web browser and logging in via a Web page? If so, then you are using the older “umd” network, and other laptops in your vicinity could potentially monitor your communications.

The good news is that “umd-secure” is also available and delivers a secure, encrypted connection to the university network. “Umd-secure” uses WPA2 encryption technology to ensure that all communications between your computer and the network are secure and cannot be understood by anyone who grabs the radio signals passing through the air.

There are some set-up steps you’ll need to complete before you can use “umd-secure,” but the increased security is worth the time investment you’ll make. New how-to guides have recently been posted to help you connect to “umd-secure” using Windows Vista, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and mobile devices like iPhones and iPod touches. You can also connect using Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger).

To get connected to “umd-secure,” visit www.oit.umd.edu/nts/noc/wireless/connect.html.