Inside:

Wireless Computing on Campus Just Got Easier

Do you like the convenience of carrying your laptop with you so you can fire it up during that two-hour-long break between classes? Are you sometimes unsure of where to go to use the university’s wireless network? OIT is now making it easier for all members of the university community to find wireless access areas all around the campus. New signs designating wireless hotspots and buildings with full wireless coverage are being posted in all indoor areas where wireless computing is available through the use of personal laptops or other portable computing devices.

OIT uses the industry’s Wi-Fi 802.11 wireless networking standards allowing you to connect to the Internet and university computing resources in many buildings and public areas around the campus. About 83 campus buildings have wireless coverage, 13 of which are fully or substantially covered. Currently, approximately 30% of the campus has wireless coverage and there are plans to expand the network throughout all of UM’s academic areas.

The wireless service uses radio frequency signals to connect to university computing networks, allowing you to access the network while moving around, even outdoors in particular locations. You can stay connected to the network while roaming within the coverage zones or while relaxing on McKeldin Mall. The university’s wireless network offers all of the computing services that the wired network does, from an ever-increasing number of locations across the campus. Once your portable computer is equipped with a wireless card and you have logged in using your Directory ID and password, the wireless system will be completely accessible without the constraints of a network cable and jack. Network computing on campus isn’t restricted to the dorm room or computer lab, so grab your laptop and move around!

Look for our new wireless signs in buildings throughout the campus and check our coverage map at www.oit.umd.edu/nts/noc/coverage.html to see where wireless access is currently offered. For more specific information and instructions to get you started with wireless computing, visit www.helpdesk.umd.edu/topics/communication/
ethernet/wireless.

SSNs Out, Alternative IDs In  

According to news sources, hackers have attacked computer systems at universities all over the nation, compromising the personal data, such as names and Social Security Numbers, of thousands of students, staff, faculty, and applicants within the past two years. For decades, the Social Security Number (SSN) has been used as an identification number for individuals associated with many major schools and universities across the country, including people here at UM. However, in the days of prevalent cyber crime, the university is actively restricting the use of SSNs.

President Mote recently approved the “Policy on the Collection, Use and Protection of ID Numbers,” which aims to convert university systems to using alternative identifiers and protecting the privacy of individuals. In all cases except those required by law, the university will replace current student, faculty, and employee Social Security information with alternative “person identifiers.” You have two main “person identifiers” that will be used at the university.

Your University ID (U ID) Number is a random, nine-digit number that is never reused, and will stay with you for life. This U ID Number is the main identifier used for university record keeping and links your database records.

Your Directory ID is an alphanumeric ID usually related to your name, which is used in combination with a password of your choice. You will use it to log in to university systems like Testudo and Mail@umd.

These changes are a part of a multi-year effort to protect members of the university community’s personal information. For example, the university is now printing U ID Numbers on identification cards rather than SSNs, performs ongoing security assessments of systems with sensitive information, and is eliminating methods of accessing sensitive information that are not encrypted.

The university will still be required to obtain and store your SSN, because it is used for administering financial aid programs, generating tax forms, and complying with state and federal reporting requirements. However, this information will be used in limited cases and in more secure environments. You can review the new policy and get more information about person identifiers at www.oit.umd.edu/dataadmin/
personalidentification/faq.html.