Strengthening the Security of Computer Servers

Viruses. Hackers. Worms. These days, the news is full of stories about computer security issues and potential breaches involving confidential information.

At the University of Hartford, administrators and information technology specialists are working to protect our computer systems from these unseen attackers.

The university has adopted a new policy to ensure that its computer servers are as secure as possible. In addition, in upcoming issues of UNotes, the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) will provide tips for maximizing the security of your individual computer. It is the responsibility of every computer user at the university to implement all applicable security measures.

The university’s new policy regarding computer servers is as follows:

Computer servers (computers that provide services to more than one user) that contain private data must either be housed within the University’s Data Center (to benefit from the following safeguards), or, if not housed within the University’s Data Center, must provide the following safeguards.

Computer servers that contain private data:

• Must have adequate physical security.
• Must have adequate environmental protection.
• Must be kept up-to-date with vendor security patches.
• Must have current antivirus software and current definition files which must be kept up-to-date.
• Must have either a host-based firewall or network-based firewall protecting the system.
• Must have a strong administrator password that will not be shared with others.
• Must have strong passwords for all areas where private data is stored.
• Must have an identified owner/administrator who will be responsible for issues concerning the operation of the server.
• Must be “backed up” for business continuity.
• Must have a log identifying changes to the server.
• Must be in compliance with regulations concerning the privacy and safeguarding of private data.

“Private data” is defined as any data that is not publicly available. For example, a phone number is publicly available, unless the owner opted not to make it public. A Social Security number is considered private data.

If you have any questions about the new computer server security policy, please contact George Brophy, Chief Information Officer, at 860.768.4608, or brophy@hartford.edu.

Watch for detailed tips on how you can improve the security of your computer, both at work and at home, in upcoming issues of UNotes.