Will
Your Computer Be OK in Y2K? Still Time for Last-Minute Checks
All Lab computer users are again reminded to ensure that their computer systems and applications are Y2K ready, and that when the computer's internal calendar rolls over to 01/01/2000, the system will be unaffected by the date change. The other option is to be prepared to cope with the results of an incorrect rollover or failure to recognize that 2000 is a leap year.
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Unix Systems Group Now Offers Security Tune-ups
The Unix Systems Group
in the Computing Infrastructure Support Department is now offering a security
tune-up service for users of Unix workstations. This service is offered
for a flat fee of $90 — the cost of only one hour of desktop support
— as an incentive for users to have the security on their UNIX system
checked and updated.
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Lab's New Voice Mail System Lets You Check Messages on Your Computer
One of the features of
the Lab's new and improved voice mail system is the capability of checking
voice mail messages on your computer. Called Visual Messenger, the feature
is a multimedia messaging application that lets users easily review and
send voice and fax messages.
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Computer Protection Program to Scan Lab Computers for Vulnerabilities
On any given day, hackers
from outside the Lab routinely scan LBNL's computers and networks looking
for vulnerabilities to exploit. Recently, for example, three Lab computers
running the "sadmind" application were hacked into via a vulnerability.
In a renewed effort to find and patch these vulnerabilities before intruders
do so, the Lab's Computer Protection Program has started scanning Lab
systems using a Lab-developed scanning routine.
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Tip of the Month: Changing SSH Font Sizes
for LETS Log-ins
If you've already made
the switch from "telnet" or "rlogin" to SSH, you may want to adjust the
font size for logging in to LETS, the Lab's time-reporting system. It's
an easy procedure. Just follow these steps:
- Click Edit/Properties/Font
- Change font size and hit OK.
- Drag the bottom right corner of the screen until it reaches 80x24
- Click File/Save
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Warning: Y2K Poses a Tempting Timetable for Launching Computer Viruses
The Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability has relayed a warning from the FBI that "January 1, 2000, presents an appealing launch date for viruses. We assess the likelihood of malicious code incidents during the Y2K transition as high."
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CIS Planning to Create 'How-to' Guides for
Computer Fixes — Your Ideas Welcomed
Each month, representatives
of all Lab divisions meet to discuss computing and communications issues
as members of the Computing and Communications Services Advisory Committee.
At the December meeting, a couple of committee members lamented the disappearance
of "how-to" features which were a staple of the Lab's old computing newsletter.
One topic which came up as suitable for a "how-to" is the installation
and use of SSH as a more secure way to send information over networks.
Such a guide will be forthcoming, but the Computing Infrastructure Support
Department would like to hear from employees regarding other computing
topics in need of "how-to" treatments. Send your ideas to cis@lbl.gov.
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