The University has a number of IT changes coming its way, including a change in the television provider contract and wireless internet access improvements.
John Ellinger, the University’s chief information officer for the IT department, visited USG during its meeting Monday night.
“We’re going to be moving from cable to IP based television,” Ellinger said. “When we do that it will become available anyplace on the network.”
The television service, however, will still operate through the traditional wired method – so students in residence halls will not need a smart TV or internet-capable device to receive the channels.
No contract has been signed yet for this new IP-based television service, but this is expected to happen sometime this spring. With the signing will come specifics about the costs and exact channels that will be received.
Ellinger also addressed wireless usage and upgrades.
“This campus…has 100 percent coverage, but not 100 percent density,” he said.
To demonstrate this discrepancy, he used the Falcon’s Nest on a busy afternoon. The wireless in the Union is unable to support all 2000 plus students using the internet in the same location.
When lackluster wireless connection occurs, students can email Ellinger with the specific place where the wifi does not reach or is slow. This helps him identify needed improvement areas.
About six years ago, the University began classroom upgrades that are halfway complete after about 85 classrooms have been upgraded. These upgrades include the addition of wireless access points that now support up to three devices per student.
These upgrades are now extending to residence halls, too.
Beginning in MacDonald Hall, access points are being placed in each individual room. This upgrade will continue to Founders, Offenhauer, Kohl, Conklin and Kreischer.
“Each one of the students in residence halls right now are bringing six devices per person,” Ellinger said.
Outside wireless is also being placed in University and Moseley Halls. Outside wireless will continue to be added as buildings are upgraded.
Cyber security is also a major topic and challenge for the IT department.
“Last year and every year I’ve stood before I keep saying ‘The bad guys are winning,’ and they are,” Ellinger said in reference to spam emails sent to University students, faculty and staff.
In 2015, 300 University accounts were compromised. In 2016, that number jumped to 940. Already in 2017 over 300 accounts have been compromised.
The spammers have the “ability to produce documents that look exactly like something President Mazey would send everybody,” He said. “Spot on, identical to them except for one character in the address.”
The attempts – and successes – to compromise accounts come from outside of the US, including Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
To help combat the problem of compromising accounts, Ellinger encourages users to utilize Duo – a program that requires two concurrent login verifications from two devices for added security.
