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INFORMATION SECURITY

• Introduction
• Definitions
• General Requirements for all Network Connected Devices
• Procedures for Off-Campus Network Access and Provisioning
• Procedures for Desktop Remote Control Software
• Procedures for Wireless Access Paths

Procedures for Desktop Remote Control Software

While any remote access client/server interaction could be viewed as remote control, there is a set of products and machines that will be addressed separately here because they require special attention. These products allow a client desktop machine to display the screen of a server desktop machine and allow the client to interact with the server by using the client's mouse and keyboard. While this type of control is available through such things as shell accounts and X Windows in other environments, it is rather unique in the Windows/Macintosh environment. Most users of the Windows/Macintosh environment are not accustomed to administering a critical and security-sensitive server; yet that is exactly what remote control software is. To increase the support and guidance available to the users of such programs, some additional requirements and procedures are necessary. In addition to the measures described in the general and off-campus sections above, the following apply:

For any computer on the JMU network:

• The software must be configured to provide separate accounts for each individual accessing the computer. The computer must not be universally accessible by virtue of wide open access or a publicly known password.
• The software must be configured to encrypt its communications.

For any university-owned computer:

• The remote control software package must be on the recommended list and configured according to the RUNSAFE "Remote Control Software Best Practices" guidelines.
• Use of software commonly referred to as "remote control trojan" is expressly prohibited as a remote control tool on university-owned machines because of the unknown, and suspect, nature of both the client and server code.