He’s A Winner!

Sean Petty, freshman architecture major, accepts his Dell Axim PDA from Mark Henderson. Sean’s winning entry was drawn from all the entries in last issue’s wireless survey.

FAQs

What kinds of security precautions should I be taking when using the university network in the residence halls or from home?

Although the university is taking all the precautions it can by upgrading all residence hall network equipment by the end of this semester, there is still something you can do to ensure your privacy while you instant message your friends, check your bank account balance, and shop online. Simply download and install a free VPN program (which will encrypt your programs and keep you safe) from the OIT Help Desk at www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/applications/vpn.

Also, be sure to use SSH when checking your WAM or Glue e-mail through PINE. Information about SSH is available at www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/applications/ssh/920.

Downloading these programs is also a good way for commuter students to increase their security when using their home computers.

I’m interested in learning Photoshop to enhance my digital photos. Does OIT offer any classes like this?

Yes! OIT’s Peer Training program offers classes in Adobe Photoshop and numerous other software programs for $10 per class. Visit www.oit.umd.edu/pt for more details.

Puzzled by Technology?

Across
1. _____ software is available for download to students
6. _____ware (hidden software installed on a computer that secretly gathers information about a user)
8. popular digital music player
9. the physical elements of a computer system
10. _____.com (a popular pay site for downloading music)
15. ____byte (approximately 1 billion bytes)
16. a group of computers linked together
19. a popular Web site on the UM system
21. suffix indicating that a Web site is at an educational institution
22. software that is copyrighted but can be distributed free of charge

Down
1. American National Standards Institute
2. Virtual Private Network
3. organization that has filed hundreds of lawsuits alleging illegal file sharing
4. one page of a PowerPoint presentation
5. an item on a Web page that transfers users to another location
6. unsolicited e-mail
7. a legal restriction on the copying of certain materials
10. individuals who keep online journals
11. Uniform Resource Locator
12. a small picture on a computer screen that represents a group of files
13. Office of Information Technology
14. a computer program that enables users to read hypertext on the Web
17. Back _____ (the part of a computer system not directly in contact with the user)
18. Operating System
20. a device that links several computers together on a network