KATS is in a tightly secured environment. CNS is working to educate students and faculty on how to protect themselves from computer hackers, Townsend said. According to CNS, nearly 20 percent of campus Unix accounts are considered highly vulnerable to computer hackers. Highly vulnerable accounts are those with passwords that are easily cracked. Unger offered advice for students to make their Unix passwords more secure.
Longer passwords are also usually better.
She also said she encouraged students to change their password at least once a semester and that they should never reveal their password to anyone. CNS is considering several changes to improve computer security, Townsend said. These include making it easier to change Unix passwords, continuing the use of firewalls and improving awareness of computer-security issues. We have been hit by computer attacks for a long time. The challenge is to try to keep one step ahead of the hackers.