[WEB4LIB] Re: Services to wireless patrons?

[Dan Lester]

At 01:02 PM 8/24/99 -0700, Bill Drew wrote:
>Would someone kindly explain to me how open network ports are a security
>issue?  I tried pluggin my laptop into one at another SUNY campus and
>couldn't even get on the network.  That seems to be pretty secure to me.
>All computers on our network (both wireless and wired) must go through a
>login onto the NT network.

That is because your network is NT based and requires a logon.  That isn't 
universally true, however.  Our users (and staff, for that matter) can 
access the full internet with IP numbers obtained by DHCP, whether they 
logon to a Novell or NT server or not.  (Some logon to one, the other, 
both, or multiple servers, depending on their needs and permissions)

>  That inlcudes our public machines.  We have a
>user name and pasword set up for them.

Our public machines operate the same way as staff, except they have NO 
network logons.  You can get to internet through the proxy server, but that 
is it.

>The policies for those machines
>limit access to Internet Explorer, support programs and any installed
>plugins.  Maybe those are considered secure ports.

I wouldn't say the ports are secure, but the machines are, within the 
limits of whatever you use for security on them.  But since you require a 
logon, no one else can sit down with their laptop, plug into the network 
jack, and do anything, apparently.

dan



--
Good, Fast, and Cheap: Which two of the three would you like?
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
dan at 84.com   http://www.84.com/  http://www.postcard.org/