The topic this month is cyber ethics, not a bad thing to contemplate from time to time.

What is Cyber Ethics?
Cyber ethics refers to the code of responsible behavior on the Internet. Just as we are taught to act responsibly in everyday life, with lessons such as "Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you," and "Do not harm others," — we must act responsibly in the cyber world as well.

What Are Responsible Behaviors on the Internet?
Responsible behavior on the Internet in many ways aligns with acceptable behavior in everyday life, but the consequences can be significantly different. For example, verbal gossiping is generally limited to the immediate audience (those within earshot) and may well be forgotten the next day. However, gossiping on the Internet can reach a far wider audience. The "words" are not forgotten the next day, but may live on the Internet for days, months or years and cause tremendous harm.

Some people try to hide behind a false sense of anonymity on the Internet, believing that it does not matter if they behave badly online because no one knows who they are or how to identify them. That is not always true. Computers, browsers, and Internet service providers may keep logs of their activities which can be used to identify illegal or inappropriate behavior.

The basic rule is do not do something in cyber space that you would consider wrong or illegal in everyday life.

When determining responsible behaviors, consider the following:

• Do not use rude or offensive language.
• Don’t be a bully on the Internet. Do not call people names, lie about them, send embarrassing pictures of them, or do anything else to try to hurt them.
• Do not copy information from the Internet and claim it as yours. That is called plagiarism.
• Adhere to copyright restrictions when downloading material including software, games, movies, or music from the Internet.
• Do not break into someone else’s computer.
• Do not use someone else’s password.
• Do not attempt to infect or in any way try to make someone else’s computer unusable.

We were taught the rules of "right and wrong" growing up. We just need to apply the same rules to cyber space!

For more information on cyber ethics, visit the following Web sites:

U.S. Department of Justice:
www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberethics.htm

MS-ISAC:
www.msisac.org/awareness/news/2007-01.cfm

Symantec:
www.symantec.com/norton/library/familyresource/article.jsp?aid=pr_cyberethics

Cyber-Ethics Champions Code:
www.playitcybersafe.com/resources/EthicsCode.pdf

StaySafeOnLine:
www.staysafeonline.info/content/cyber-ethics-materials

• Latest encryption technology to protect student computers and data.
• NetID and NetID password required for authentication.
• No need to bring a wireless router to campus anymore.

More information, including how to make a connection to WolfieNet, can be found on the Division of Information Technology Web site.

Do you think someone is connecting to your PC?   Are you paranoid?  In today’s Internet environment, it may pay to be somewhat suspicious.  I wrote a small batch program that I have on my desktop that I execute from time to time.  Whenever I get the feeling that someone is looking over my shoulder, I double click the "What’s Up?" icon on my desktop.  A batch program is run that opens Notepad with the information below.  It shows me the status and addresses of all connections to or from my machine, what the process is doing, and whether or not it is listening for a connection.

Here is the little batch program:

netstat -ano > c:\netstat.txt
tasklist /svc >>c:\netstat.txt
notepad.exe c:\netstat.txt

Copy and paste this into notepad and store it on your desktop with file name whatsup.bat  when you double click on it Windows runs two commands, and puts its output into Notepad and then opens Notepad so you can check what (or who) may be connecting to your machine.

The first part of the screen shot below shows the active connections that have been established between my machine (129.49.223.2xx) and other addresses.  Note that all the established connections are with addresses on the .2 and .23 network.  Since these subnet numbers are in the computing center I know that these are probably valid connections to known University servers.  The last column labeled PID shows the process id of the code that is making the connection.  Most of the established connections are by a process id number 3680.  The second page is a listing of all process ids and the actual program associated with that PID.  Note that the program associated with 3680 is nlnotes.exe.   This is the Lotus Notes client.  So these connections are all known and valid.

When you find connections to addresses off of the SB network or to some subnet number that is not known to have a valid server, then you may have a virus or Trojan.

Active Connections

Prot Local Address         Foreign Address     State        PID
TCP 0.0.0.0:135            0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    1056
TCP 0.0.0.0:445            0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    4
TCP 0.0.0.0:2701           0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    1260
TCP 0.0.0.0:2702           0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    1260
TCP 0.0.0.0:2967           0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    1124
TCP 0.0.0.0:3389           0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    988
TCP 127.0.0.1:1046         0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    1788
TCP 127.0.0.1:1103         0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    2828
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:139     0.0.0.0:0           LISTENING    4
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1063    129.49.23.117:445   ESTABLISHED  4
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1139    129.49.2.137:1352   ESTABLISHED  3680
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1140    129.49.2.137:1533   ESTABLISHED  3680
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1141    129.49.2.178:1352   ESTABLISHED  3680
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1146    129.49.2.70:1352    ESTABLISHED  3680
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1265    129.49.2.15:80      CLOSE_WAIT   856
TCP 129.49.223.2xx:1266    129.49.2.15:80      CLOSE_WAIT   856
TCP    129.49.223.232:1267 129.49.2.178:1352TIME_WAIT         0
UDP    0.0.0.0:445            *:*                             4
UDP    0.0.0.0:500            *:*                           812
UDP    0.0.0.0:1025           *:*                          1200
UDP    0.0.0.0:1026           *:*                          1200
UDP    0.0.0.0:4500           *:*                           812
UDP    127.0.0.1:123          *:*                          1152
UDP    127.0.0.1:1027         *:*                           812
UDP    127.0.0.1:1042         *:*                           756
UDP    127.0.0.1:1078         *:*                          1296
UDP    127.0.0.1:1229         *:*                           856
UDP    127.0.0.1:1900         *:* 1308
UDP    129.49.223.2xx:123     *:*                          1152
UDP    129.49.223.2xx:137     *:*                             4
UDP    129.49.223.2xx:138     *:*                             4
UDP    129.49.223.2xx:1900    *:*                          1308

Image Name                   PID Services
========================= ====== =============================================
System Idle Process            0 N/A
System                         4 N/A
smss.exe                     684 N/A
csrss.exe                    732 N/A
winlogon.exe                 756 N/A
services.exe                 800 Eventlog, PlugPlay
lsass.exe                    812 Netlogon, PolicyAgent, ProtectedStorage,
SamSs
svchost.exe                  988 DcomLaunch, TermService
svchost.exe                 1056 RpcSs
svchost.exe                 1152 AudioSrv, CryptSvc, Dhcp, dmserver,
EventSystem, helpsvc, lanmanserver,
LanmanWorkstation, Netman, Nla, RasMan,
Schedule, seclogon, SENS, SharedAccess,
ShellHWDetection, srservice, TapiSrv,
Themes, TrkWks, w32time, winmgmt, wuauserv
svchost.exe                 1200 Dnscache
svchost.exe                 1308 LmHosts, RemoteRegistry, SSDPSRV
ccSetMgr.exe                1336 ccSetMgr
ccEvtMgr.exe                1392 ccEvtMgr
spoolsv.exe                 1560 Spooler
ASFAgent.exe                 208 ASFAgent
DefWatch.exe                 252 DefWatch
mdm.exe                      448 MDM
ntmulti.exe                  476 Multi-user Cleanup Service
retrorun.exe                 592 RetroLauncher
SavRoam.exe                  668 SavRoam
Rtvscan.exe                 1124 Symantec AntiVirus
Wuser32.exe                 1260 Wuser32
CcmExec.exe                 1296 CcmExec
alg.exe                     1788 ALG
wmiprvse.exe                 356 N/A
wmiprvse.exe                3032 N/A
explorer.exe                3184 N/A
DSentry.exe                 2444 N/A
MXOALDR.EXE                 2328 N/A
OneTouch.exe                2468 N/A
WinPatrol.exe               1680 N/A
Directcd.exe                2656 N/A
jusched.exe                 2796 N/A
ccApp.exe                   2828 N/A
VPTray.exe                  2836 N/A
ctfmon.exe                  2852 N/A
Printkey2000.exe            2876 N/A
nlnotes.exe                 3680 N/A
ntaskldr.exe                2360 N/A
iexplore.exe                 856 N/A
cmd.exe                     1844 N/A
TASKLIST.EXE                 564 N/A
wmiprvse.exe                3784 N/A

For a complete explanation of netstat see:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/netstat.mspx?mfr=true

We seem to have Internet passwords for every Web site we visit from reading online news to conducting online banking. I originally tried to keep all my passwords the same, but then restrictions were placed on how long a password could be and the types of characters allowed. At work I was keeping track of all my Stony Brook passwords on a piece of paper (I have since learned this is NOT a good idea).

I went on vacation for a week and when I returned, I couldn’t remember the password for my computer. There were so many passwords running through my head. Was it the name of the dog, my mother’s maiden name, or my favorite song? I called Stony Brook’s Computer Accounts office and they reset my password, but I knew I had to change. I spent the next few evenings after my family went to bed searching the Internet for a solution.

I found an open source program called KeePass that is designed exactly for the problem I was encountering. I was excited, but skeptical since I needed more options:

1. It had to be portable, so I could carry it with me.
2. It had to have encryption on the password file, so I could feel comfortable putting passwords into it.

I checked it out and, yes, it does both of these things. I have been using KeePass for almost a year and it has been a lifesaver. I no longer have to remember my passwords. I can just look them up in a file. It even has this neat little feature where you can copy and paste your password into a Web browser.

If passwords are driving you crazy, make a turn for the better and try KeePass.

After refreshing myself from a previous post , I played around a bit with Word 2007 and found a similar solution.

Here are the steps:

1. Start the Microsoft product for which you wish to have the path displayed (for this example, Word).
2. You can either:
   • On the title bar area, you will see an icon that resembles a line with an arrow pointing down from it.  Select "More Commands…"
   • Click on the Office logo at the top left and select "Word Options."
   • Right-click on the Ribbon bar, and select "Customize Quick Accesss Bar…"
3. On the left-hand side of the pop-up window, choose "Customize."
4. To make it easier, select <Separator> , and click "Add > >"  in the middle.
5. From the pull-down list, select "Choose commands from:", and then "All Commands."
6. From the listing below, scroll down until you find "Document Location".  Select it, and click "Add > >" in the middle.
7. Click "OK" at the bottom of the window.

Now one little problem is that the displayed path is truncated in a little display window.

This is the best I can figure out for now, but you can always scroll through the little test box for the full path.

In some spare time, I will try to figure out how to have the little display box made a bit wider for longer file paths.

I have been able to test and verify with the following Office 2007 products:

Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007

"I like the device, but the learning curve is big," said Ecker. "With the old BlackBerry, I was used to a little scroll wheel and the keyboard being right in front of me. This device is completely touch screen. The screen is phenomenal and I love reading e-mail on it. What’s frustrating is that it has so many more features that I want to use, I just don’t know how to use them yet."

Ecker’s Pros and Cons of the New BlackBerry Storm

Pros

• Bigger screen size and touch screen allow you to view a complete e-mail message simply
• Screen resolution is impressive
• Integrated 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus is very nice
• Terrific zoom feature
• Using the Web is much faster than on the old BlackBerry and the zoom feature helps this. I hardly ever used the Web feature on the old BlackBerry because it took too long and you had to scroll all over the place. I can’t live without it now.

Cons

• The full keyboard is not accessible very easily
• There is a learning curve to use the keyboards. You have to turn the device sideways to get the full keyboard. The vertical keyboard has two letters on one key, which I don’t like. You have to learn how to type by pushing the screen. It would be nice if you just clicked the letter and it understood your touch.
• It takes more than 20 minutes to figure out how to use all the features
• Fingerprints show up easily and the screen gets dirty quickly. You definitely want to put something on it to protect it

If you have a BlackBerry Storm, let us know what you think!

Our boss was impressed with these instructions (and the fact that our student used his MySBfiles to document this). We decided to pull his comment out of the obscurity of the 50+ remarks we received and made it a blog post unto itself in the hopes that it might reach a wider audience and someone might find it useful.

Way to go, Addisen!

http://mysbfiles.stonybrook.edu/~aosterho/airnet_on_linux.htm

A SharePoint user is considered an external collaborator if they do not have a Stony Brook University NetID and NetID password.

• Adding External Collaborators to a SharePoint Site (.pdf)
• Logging in to a SharePoint Site as an External Collaborator (.pdf)

More information can be found on the SB Division of Information Technology SharePoint Web page.

Even though our office does not officially support iPhones yet (we do support BlackBerrys), we thought this post might be informative for those Lotus Notes users out there who have in their possession an Apple smartphone and have been waiting patiently for a way to access their Notes e-mail, calendar and contacts. This information was sent to us from one of our Lotus Notes administrators on campus:

"You can quickly access e-mail, calendars, and contacts by typing https://notes.cc.sunysb.edu/login.nsf directly into your Apple iPhone Safari browser. You will be asked to log in with your Lotus Notes username and password."

In most cases your Lotus Notes Internet password is the same as the Lotus Notes password that you use to access Notes from the computer in your office. If at any point you change your Notes password, the Notes Internet password does not automatically change. If you would like to keep your Notes Internet password the same as your new Notes password, or if you just don’t remember your Internet password, you can go to SUNYSB’s Address Book and change it (.pdf)

Read through our Lotus Notes - Web Access page for some more helpful reminders.

IBM has a Lotus Domino eMail Web page that may also interest you.

This year, there is a new procedure for registering a Windows computer. Students need to download the Client Assessment Tool (CAT) to their computer’s desktop. Students are encouraged to read the following materials before attempting to register:

• New 2008 Procedure for Registering a Windows Computer
• Student Guide to Registering a Computer at Stony Brook
• Common Windows Registration Problems and Solutions

If assistance is still required after reading through these materials, students may bring their computers to one of the following two locations where Division of Information Technology professionals will be on hand to lend assistance during opening weekend:

Client Support Student Service Center - Fifth Floor, Melville Library - Room S-5410
Saturday, Aug. 30, Sunday, Aug. 31, Monday, Sept. 1
12:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Traditions Lounge - Student Activities Center
Saturday, Aug. 30, Sunday, Aug. 31, Monday, Sept. 1
12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Client Support Drop-in Center will resume its normal business hours which are Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.