May, 2003 CCS News: Automated Computer Account Closing System Rollout Continues

May, 2003

Automated Computer Account Closing System Rollout Continues

Seven Lab divisions and one department are now using the Termination Notification System (TNS) to close various computers accounts of employees who end their employment at LBNL. The system provides timely closure of accounts, improving cyber security and saving support funds.

Rolled out as a pilot project a year ago, TNS is activated when an employees leaves the Lab, automatically notifying the supervisor of record and the employee. Accounts are disabled (the password is removed, denying access to the account) two business days after the termination is detected, then deleted 30 business days later.

The Engineering Division is the latest Lab organization to adopt TNS, and the Physical Biosciences Division and Human Resources and Financial Services departments are scheduled to adopt the system on June 1.

By automatically closing accounts in a timely manner, TNS solves the following problems:

Identifying and closing accounts manually is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Computer accounts sometimes left open long after an employee leaves can make the Lab vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Computer account closure requests are sometimes incorrect -- the person may be leaving one division and moving to another, and not leaving the Lab. The notification system within TNS minimizes this risk.
If accounts are left open, divisions are charged for services that are no longer needed.

Finally, with TNS, files left by former employees are either formally archived or deleted, minimizing support costs.