Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives
Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials
From: Mike Wiseman <mike.wiseman () UTORONTO CA>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:30:59 -0500
This is, to me, a big reason for not wanting to extend institutional webSSO credential use to access higher risk applications like student information systems. The central username/password used to access SMTP, IMAP, some desktop logins, shell logins, websites, etc. is very convenient and useful for students. But my perception is that lending them out to a 'friend' who has forgotten theirs is something that could occur more often for malicious purposes. So we assign separate login/password for the higher risk access - students would, again my perception, be less amenable to loan these out. Mike Mike Wiseman Computing and Networking Services University of Toronto
Background: Earlier this week we had an incident where the building security officer noticed a group of unfamiliar people using machines in one of our labs. She asked them for their ID cards and none could (would?) produce one. On questioning they said they were students from a neighbouring institution and that they were using "borrowed" credential. We have cctv footage and swipe card logs from the door (which may show they tail gated someone in). We are now tracking down which machines were being used so we can disable the accounts. To the point. We (the security techies) have been asked what measures we can deploy to prevent this sort of thing happening in future. We already do lots of education, posters, page on the back of the student handbook. Students have no excuse for not knowing that they should not share passwords. On the social/education side we could make an example of anyone we finger for this (assuming we can make charges stick) in the hope that this will persuade other students not to share their passwords. Technical solutions seem to revolve around some form of two factor authentication. I.e. something the student has but which they will be reluctant to part with for any length of time. Like their ID card. Our ID cards have bar codes and classic mag stripe. Some labs (like this one) also have proximity card locks. Generally only post grad students or students in special coursed (like medicine) have proximity cards. Anyway I would very much like to know what other are doing in this space. Cheers, Russell
Current thread:
- stopping students sharing their login credentials Russell Fulton (Jan 22)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Mike Waller (Jan 22)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Jeff Kell (Jan 22)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Barry Lynam (Jan 22)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Rizzo, Jim (Jan 22)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Ray Strubinger (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Rappaport,Jason (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Mike Wiseman (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials randy marchany (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials James M. Dutcher - Assoc. VP IS/IT & CIO (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Christopher Jones (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials randy marchany (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Mike Wiseman (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Charlie Reitsma (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Neil Sindicich (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Barros, Jacob (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Basgen, Brian (Jan 23)
- Re: stopping students sharing their login credentials Brad Judy (Jan 23)
(Thread continues...)