Starting in February, students who bring their computers to Information Technologies-User Services (IT-US) to be cleaned of viruses, adware, spyware and peer-to-peer software will be charged $70 for the first occasion and $100 for subsequent cleanings. Here, Carol Anderer and Leila Lyons of IT-User Services answer questions about the new policy and its intent.

Q. What is the new policy?

A. Beginning with the spring semester, students will be charged for examination and clean-up services performed on computers contaminated with viruses, spyware and other software that poses risks to users of the UD campus network. Charges will be $70 for an initial examination and clean-up service and $100 for any repeat service that includes cleaning student computers.

Q. Why has this step been taken?

A. The campus network and the entire University community are at risk from computers that are infected with viruses, spyware, adware, etc., as well as causing problems on the individual infected computer. The owners of computers that are identified as sharing copyrighted material risk prosecution for violation of copyright laws.

Our education on responsible computing (Code of the Web, online resources, education sessions in residence halls, etc.) has done much to raise awareness of the risks of viruses, spyware and peer-to-peer (P2P) programs, but too many students still have not taken the necessary steps to prevent their computers from infecting the UD campus network and to be proactive in guarding against the risks that these programs present. We are expanding our online resources to make it easier for students to help themselves. We hope that this new practice will encourage students to avoid loss of network access and the use of their computers while they are being cleaned, as well as to avoid these costs.

Q. How big is the problem?

A. In the fall 2004 semester, IT-US cleaned more than 2,100 computers.

Q. What resources does cleaning computers take away from other work?

A. Mainly professional staff and some highly trained students clean computers. The time varies depending on the problems found. Most computers take from three to five hours, and some take considerably longer.

Q. What behaviors, like file sharing, might the new charges prevent?

A. File sharing of copyrighted material is a concern because it is illegal. We hope that the policy will encourage students to refrain from illegal activities.

Q. How can students prevent their computers from becoming infected with viruses, clogged with spyware and participants in illegal downloading?

A. Computers can get infected by viruses if they are not running up-to-date anti-virus software. UD has a site license for the McAfee anti-virus software. It can be obtained free for any computer on the campus network so there is no excuse for not keeping a computer virus-free. Most spyware and adware can be avoided by taking care when downloading programs to your computer. For example, many P2P programs install additional programs that generate pop-ups.

Q. How can students tell when their computer has become infected?

A. Students should be running UD’s site-licensed version of McAfee Anti-Virus software available from [http://udeploy.udel.edu]. This program will identify and delete viruses and trojans that are on the computer. This version is provided to the campus for free and will be automatically updated when the computer is connected to the network, providing continued protection from virus infection in the future. Students should also be checking for and deleting spyware at least once a week. See [http://www.udel.edu/security] for more information about how to keep a computer secure.

Q. Where can students get their computers cleaned?

A. As is now the case, any student who would like to have his or her computer cleaned by IT-US must first call the Help Center at 831-6000 to be assigned a trouble ticket tracking number. Students can then make an appointment to bring their computer in to be worked on.

Q. How is the clean-up fee charged?

A. The fee will be charged to the student’s account and will appear on the student’s bill.

Q. Will fees be used to benefit students and promote a safer network environment?

A. Yes. The fees that are collected for IT-US clean-up service will go toward expanding the University’s educational efforts and resources to help make students aware of their responsibilities to keep their computers and the campus network running securely.