10
Tuesday, May 9, 1978
University Daily Kansan
Computer center . . .
From page one
could make it available for unauthorized usage.
"If someone is careless and types the password where it can be seen by someone, they (another person) can get a hold of both them and number and run their data through." Petry said.
The third way, Petry said, to steal time would be to steal an input deck, a set of cards, which would tell someone what account to charge the usage to. The deck is supplied with a password to protect it, but if your password is discovered the security is lost.
After each session of time-sharing or batch, Wolfe said, a report comes back to the accountant on the resources that were run through the computer, how much money was used out of the account and the monetary balance.
"This then goes to the accountant and an update on each account is made." Walter
Wolfe said unauthorized usage was detected when someone got an update on their account and the report showed less money than could be accounted for.
but the problem is that the password and identifier is required on all systems, unless otherwise specified, which makes it very easy to steal.
If a person requests an explanation, Wolfe said, the accountant goes back to see if any service charge such as temporary information storage or using keypunch services was made. If not, the time has been used in an unauthorized way.
A NEW FASSWORD can be assigned, Wolfe said, if it was discovered that someone had stolen the password.
According to a computer science student, all that is necessary to steal time is to simply walk into the dispatch room, pick up an object and use it as an identifier and a password on it and go to its identifier.
terminal room and punch the cards through
the terminal. If the person has the correct
identifier and password an account is
opened and any data can be run through or
accessed.
But Wolfe said it was hoped that the move to the new computation center this fall will be a big step.
WOLFE SAID the new facility would include a self-service reader that would allow a person to feed a stack of cards into the printer and then, without handing them to someone else to run.
Another way to step up security, Wolfe said, was to continue a practice currently used that allows people to request their read-outs not be put out in a public area that would allow almost anyone to have access to it.
"In this way the cards would be picked up as they were printed and put in boxes behind a counter which was generally not available to the public," Wolfe said.
ANOTHER ADDED feature in the new computer center, Petya said, would be the installation of 220 boxes which would require a combination to open them.
*For the first time we will be able to put
furnaces in public areas with more security.*
*
Although the boxes would have to be shared by more than two people, Wolfe said, it would provide more security than exists now.
Kerbenhaus said they would continue to allow individual files or catalogs, a collection of files, to be assigned a separate password to protect that file from being used or copied by anyone now knowing that particular password.
"The person who controls the account has to use the features that are available."
Woife said that he could not cite specific examples of persons stealing time but that the problem had been brought to his attention.
Kersenbaum said, "and we encourage people to look into them."
"I DON'T have any evidence that (stealing time) has occurred," he said, "but we know that if you get into someone else's deck you can get both his project identifier
the department is constantly being made aware of input/output security and the importance of it.
"Our vendor (Honeywell) and ourselves are continually made aware of conditions by which this unauthorized usage could be done," he said. "We get changes from Honeywell or our customers and find ways to improve the system."
Wolfe said that any misuse of computer time that occurred was mainly done by the system.
"We have had cases of faculty misuse reported which we investigated which have not been published."
SOME CASES involved students that were investigated showed some misuse, Wolfe said. But the amount was less than the amount of people using the computer system.
"One-tenth of one percent is a low reported usage," he said. "What we do not know is what kinds of usage are occurring that we don't know about."
Wolfe said that the computer science department was concerned about misuse and would try to do whatever was necessary to reduce it.
"We have a community of users," Wolfe said, "and what happens in that community."
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KANSAN
On Campus
Events
TODAY: AIR FORE AFTT meets today at 11:30 in Alcove C of the Kansas Union. NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS meet at 11:30 in Alcove E of the Union. AN INTERNATIONAL BOARD meets in the Union's Centennial Room. The AFHE SEMINAR IN PERSONNEL is at 12:15 in Alcove B of the Union. A COLLEGIUM MUSICIAN is at 3:30 in Alcove B. THE ICTHUS meets at 3:30 in the Regionalist Room of the Union. IVCF meets at 4 in Alcove B of the Union. THE WOMEN'S INTERCOLLEGIATE ADVISORY BOARD meets at 4 in the Union's Governors Room. THE DECEPTION is at 4 in Parlor A of the Union.
TONIGHT: THE SCIENCE FICTION CLUB meets at 7 in Parlor A of the Union. AUIS GIMMEL meets at 7 in Robinson Tymmanian in modern dance, ballet or jazz is welcome. SUA BACKGAMMON meets at 7 in Parlor C of the Union. The NAVIGATORS meet at 7 in the Union's Oread Room. THE ENSEMBLE meets at 7 in the Union. PHARMACY has its annual Extern meeting at 7:30 in the Council Room of the Union. The PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE plays at 8 in Swarthout Recital the Union plays at 8:30 in the Union's Regional Room.
TOMORROW: THE RETARDED CITIZEN'S ASSOCIATION will meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Regionalist Hoe of Plymouth, where he will read at 7 p.m. in Parlors A and B of the Union. The CAMPUS CHRISTIANS CONCERT is at 4:30 p.m. in the Union Ballroom, poet, will give an RSL poetry reading at 8 p.m. in the Council Room of the Union.
Nowcomes Miller time.