As a member of the AUP rewrite committee, here are some thoughts.
If the end user agrees to allow you to access the desktop, you will be
able to access the desktop and only the desktop. You can only access
what you are given permission to access, and only enough that will allow
the current technical issue to be resolved. And you cannot access
anything else without the user's permission. This means that the user
should not have to look for the color change from blue to green. The
user should know immediately when IT logs on and logs off. The user
should be able to terminate the process at any time.
Under the current AUP and upcoming Statement of Acceptable Use,
accessing private files, emails, logs, etc. are still inaccessible to
IT. The only time IT is allowed to access systems logs and/or files is
either having written approval from the Vice-Provost or by responding to
a search warrant. The right to privacy is still paramount within both
documents. For troubleshooting, the process has been described as
"peeling an onion" on order to preserve privacy.
I would have real concerns as to whether this app is approved by either
the AUP or the SAU. Perhaps others of the rewrite committee would care
to address this as well
Linda Losik
Health Information Technology
________________________________
From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Jesse Howard
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 3:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] Virtual Network Computing
Troy,
Thanks for the reply. In the email that was sent out describing UltraVNC
and what it does, the staffer who wrote the email used screen captures
of both the features that you mention, the pop-up permission window and
the system tray icon changing from blue to green.
Okay, so there's at least one department that uses VNC. Any others?
Anyone want to address whether or not VNC is legal under the AUP?
And what about the privacy issue? Anyone care to make an interpretation
of the AUP on where the IT admin's responsibilities end and the users
rights begin at the workstation?
Jesse Howard
_______________________
IT Administrator
Michigan State University Press
[log in to unmask]
www.msupress.msu.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: MSU Network Administrators Group
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Samone E. Jones
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 3:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] Virtual Network Computing
Years ago when I used PCAnywhere for the same purpose, we had
the same issue.
PCAnywhere had a visual indicator - I think it was a little pc
that turned green when someone
else connected to the machine. So to soothe the users that were
leery, we taught them how to identify when
one of the IT staff were connected to the PC by using the visual
indicator in the task bar.
My point is maybe UltraVNC has a visual indicator like
PCAnywhere - I think that would be a good way to get the
users to put their guards down.
SJ
Samone E. Jones
Information Technologist
Family Consumer Sciences
Phone: 517.432.4552
Email: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: MSU Network Administrators Group
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jesse Howard
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MSUNAG] Virtual Network Computing
I want to start using UltraVNC in our office domain, for
tech support and helpdesk purposes at the workstation level. A few of
our users have gotten the idea that we are going to use it to spy on
them, and look at their email. It's become a bit of a PR problem for the
IT Admin staff.
So I am wondering, is it legal to use software like this
at MSU, under the AUP? If so, who here is using it? Have you run into
issues with users like this, where they interpret something you are
doing as an attack on their privacy? If so, how did you handle it? We
have sent out an email describing the software, what it does, and the
fact that we won't use it without their permission. It doesn't seem to
have helped much.
Any ideas?
Jesse Howard
_______________________
IT Administrator
Michigan State University Press
[log in to unmask]
www.msupress.msu.edu
