UITS limits access

Until recently anyone connected to the Internet could access IU students' phone numbers and e-mail. That, however, has been temporally halted.\nBecause of the aging machines hosting the student query system, officials in the University Information Technology Services office have limited accesses to the service to only on-campus computers.\nThe response came out of fear that hackers could use the query system as a port of entry into the entire system and then be able to access more sensitive information on the computer, such as student identification numbers and addresses. So access to the system from off campus computers has been curtailed.\n"The computer that supports that service is old, very complex and there are security problems that can't be repaired," said Mark Bruhn, IU's chief information technology officer.\n"This machine was visible to the Internet," he said. "There are security problems that the data that supports the query functions would be compromised."\nThe problems on the machine did not arise suddenly, but "have accrued and are now a high risk problem," Bruhn said.\nThe query service is supported by a computer that supports Computer Accounts Management Functions. All the account information for any computer account used at IU is stored on the machine.\n"If we tried to repair the problem the entire system would break," Bruhn said. \nThe Office of Information Technology is trying to finds ways to allow the restoration of the system, allowing non-university accounts to access information on e-mail address and phone numbers. Their goal is to have the system running normally within a few weeks.\nThe computer that supports the Account Management Function was scheduled for complete replacement in the upcoming spring. The address book was scheduled for a complete overhaul this coming March. \nThe system has both its critics and admirers, and students have concerns about the information that can be accessed via the system.\n"It is kind of unsettling that anyone can look you up and find you online," said Kelly Cantwell, a sophomore. "It's good that classmates can get you down, but I don't like it that creditors and solicitors could look you up."\nCantwell suggested changes that could be made to the system.\n"It is useful for people who go to school here, so a system where you type in a password to access the information would be better than what they have now," he said.\nSome students are supportive of the information not being available off campus. \n"It's a good thing that access has been limited to only the computers on campus," freshman Mary Parilac said. "As long as it discloses a phone number and not your address, I don't see anything wrong with that"