Re: Screensaver Timeouts

[Les Mitchell <mitchell () USQ EDU AU>]

Timeouts vary according to purpose and sensitivity, lecture theatres (1
hour plus), staff
desktop (10 minutes), student labs (PC restarts after 20 minutes of
inactivity). But
everyone has an opinion on this particular setting and it is not
consistently enforced.
Clients are encouraged to lock workstation when unattended, and staff
are advised to
consider the need for a clear desk policy in conjunction with their
specific duties.
 
This is something I was not initially aware of:
 
The default behaviour for Windows Media Player is to disable screen
savers. Setting
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Media
Player\Playback\Allow Screen Saver
can change this default.
 
Or, in the Player, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Player tab,
clear the
Allow screen saver during playback check box. 
Cheers

Les Mitchell

Manager, ICT Security
Information Technology Services
University of Southern Queensland
Toowoomba Queensland Australia 4350
  


  

Cheers
 
 
Setting the following Group Policy Object to 'enabled' allows the screen

saver to invoke as normal when Windows Media Player is active: 
  
    User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Media 
Player\Playback\Allow Screen Saver 
  
While this may not be a true bug, it is yet another example of poorly 


________________________________

        From: Clonts, Neal D. (HSC) [mailto:Neal-Clonts () OUHSC EDU] 
        Sent: Wednesday, 14 September 2005 4:01 AM
        To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
        Subject: [SECURITY] Screensaver Timeouts
        
        
        Fellow Security Professionals,
         
        Our campus is looking at implementing a policy for screensaver
timeouts and we are wondering if anyone else currently has this type of
policy in place.
        If you do have a policy on screensaver timeouts, how many
minutes do you require before the screensaver is activated?

        Neal Clonts, CISSP, CISA, MCP
        Information Security Services
        University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
        Office Phone: 405-271-2476, Option 2
        Cell Phone: 405-255-2999
        Website: http://security.ouhsc.edu <http://security.ouhsc.edu/>