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Jim Rothfuss Is Lab's New Computer Security Manager Jim Rothfuss, who joined the Information and Computing Sciences Division in July as the Lab's Computer Protection Program Manager, remembers the days when "computer security" meant locking your office door so no one would steal or "borrow" your computer. These days, the break-ins of greatest concern are committed by hackers via network connections and can have repercussions far beyond the single machine hit by an attacker. Rothfuss' job will be to make sure that the Lab's computer systems are protected against outside attacks so that if anyone does get through, the effects will be minimal. Every day, Rothfuss says, outsiders scan computer addresses at the Lab looking for computer vulnerabilities. Such scans, he says, can cover from one to 1,000 computers. In July, hackers broke into two machines here. Such break-ins are of two varieties, Rothfuss says. The first level, which is less damaging, is when a hacker gets access to a single computer account and the problems are pretty much confined to one user. The second, and more threatening, type of attack is when the hacker gets into one account, then uses a kit of hacker tools to gain "root access" such as a system administrator has. Root access allows the hacker to "sniff" the network and attack other machines from within. Rothfuss' job is to work with Lab computer users to defend against both kinds of attack . Employees can bolster their systems’ defenses by making sure that their desktop computer is properly configured with the latest operating system software. "My philosophy is that computer security exists to deflect external forces that, if left unchecked, would cause an even greater disruption to our work," says Rothfuss. "Our job is to make sure that the Lab's work can be accomplished with minimal disruption from computer security-related incidents." He will also be responsible for protecting Lab computers from another outside threat: viruses. Software on the Lab's network routinely checks incoming email and enclosures for viruses, and has nabbed more than 500 incoming viruses over the past year. Another topic in Rothfuss’ portfolio is to provide assistance to Lab management in their efforts to ensure that employees don't misuse their computer equipment and networking capabilities. Issues in this area run from using computer for non-Lab-related work to visiting inappropriate Web sites. If you have questions about computer protection, call the Help Desk at 4357 or contact Rothfuss via email at JSRothfuss@lbl.gov. For more information about the Lab’s Computer Protection Program, visit the web site at: http://www.lbl.gov/ICSD/Security/ |
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