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Tunnel Use AdvisoryVPN Home | Cyber Security Home | ITD Home This web page describes the rules and responsibilities for using the BNL Virtual Private Network to access resources within the BNL network via the Internet. Users MUST read this document and press the acceptance button below to be able to download the VPN client and all other VPN support files. Virtual Private Networking allows a remote user to connect to the BNL network securely and access all the resources they would normally have at work including email by using one’s personal ISP account. This technology is a great advance in telecommuting but comes with stiff requirements. When connected, you are literally opening a tunnel through our firewall and have the responsibility of guarding that opening just as any System Admin must do. For this reason, you must adhere to the following policies: Maintain Your Antivirus Software!One of the biggest threats to network security is from within. A user may receive an email or downloads something that carries hidden capabilities to initiate connections from within the system or perform actions beyond their control. Most popular antivirus software, when kept up to date, can detect these “Trojans” or "worms" and alert the user and/or disinfect the offending package. It is imperative that you routinely update your antivirus software (weekly, at a minimum). Many popular AV programs offer the ability to automatically check in with a website or ftp site for updates. Learn how to configure this! If you like, BNL offers the Trend Micro Software. This offers the benefit of automated updating. Also Trend maintains a site called Housecall where you can scan your machine online. The limitation of this service is that it’s only a snapshot in time and not a real-time scanning application; in other words, when you leave the site, it deactivates and does not protect you. Maintain Security Patches to Your Software!Microsoft has vastly improved this process by providing a website that will detect your current browser level and offer recommendations. In Internet Explorer, go to the "Tools" menu and choose "Windows Update". After your browser has been scanned, you will be shown the updates available. You should install anything under "Critical Updates". Because of the degree to which Microsoft Internet Explorer is imbedded into the Windows Operating System, going to their website for updates solves several problems at once. This is necessary even if you don’t use Explorer for Web browsing; these patches affect the Operating System. For access to the BNL network, you MUST upgrade your Internet Explorer to at least version 5.01a and have applied all the "Critical Updates" (you’ll see these at their site). If you have IE 4.0 or less, go to the following link to upgrade to 5.5: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/ In addition, if you use Microsoft Office, you must go to http://officeupdate.microsoft.com and choose the "AutoUpdate" link for the email security patches. The process of upgrading your browser and Outlook may take some time and require a couple restarts of your system to complete, but these are significant security patches that must be installed. I have read and understand all the information stated in the document above and I will fully comply with it. Press button below to accept and download the VPN client. If you have a question that is not addressed in these pages, please send an email to itdhelp@bnl.gov.
Last Modified: May 13, 2008 |
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