the stentorian | ncssm
opinion
january/february 2014 3
Opinion- Is
the network
really secure?
By Richard Ong
At a school so
technologically dependent,
network security is going to be
an issue of primary importance.
However, recent changes to
the school’s network security,
initiated after a major breach,
have not been enthusiastically
embraced by the student body.
Although ITS has kept
details of their security
network confidential, changes
beyond their
veil of secrecy
are apparent
to students. A
major update
to network
security has
been the
introduction
of educational
videos for
students and
faculty, which
are to be completed by Jan. 31.
These “Securing The
Human” videos can be found
under the Community tab of
MyNCSSM.
Furthermore, to make
changes to “ther network ITS
must shutdown the school’s
network. “These shutdowns
typically occur when students
are either away or asleep,
but we occasionally do so
when students and staff are
potentially using the network,”
said Paul Menchini, head of
network security. So students
can expect an increase in
network shutdowns in order to
close gaps in security.
Behind the seenes however,
ITS is engaged in a constant
struggle, dealing with dozens
of security breaches daily.
However, a recent breach in
network integrity, the kind
found once out of several
years, has prompted ITS and
administration to make these
changes.
The majority of breaches
come from outside the school.
“Our users have elevated
privileges on the network
compared to outsiders, and so
one way to breach the network
is to gain access via one of our
users,” said Menchini as he
detailed the importance of the
initiative to educate students.
However, a student,
who wishes to be unnamed,
criticized these videos.
“They are a last ditch effort
by administration to insert
confidence into network
security,” said the source.
Furthennore, students are
not entirely convinced these
changes to network security
will not limit their privileges
and abilities, or are even
necessary. “They already
restrict where we can go on the
internet. Maybe that is more
beneficial to them, but students
won’t be happy because
they can’t be placated by the
internet ... We’ve been on the
internet as long as they have
and we already know what to
do,” said the student.
Given the resources
NCSSM invests in its network,
one would expect them to
protect it with greater tenacity,
especially considering the
importance of technology to
this school.
Administration has appar
ently decided to entrust the
integrity
of the net
work in the
users they
do not trust
to fully ac
cess the
network. It
is not sur
prising this
decision has
raised eye
brows across
campus.
So the question students are
asking is, “If the system works
for the most part, why change
it?” Is living with a network
perforated by miniature faults
in security worth undWergOing
the process of changing the
network?
Unless ITS is willing to
reveal more details about their
new initiative and the effect
it will have upon students,
the student body will be left
unanswered.
Tips for
staying
healthy
this
winter
By Caroline Liu
- Be the sketchy couple in
the ground watts hallway:
Yes, kissing can help you
fight off colds and flu. By
exchanging bacteria back
and forth, you are actually
enhancing your body's natural
defenses and boosting your
immune system. Alternatively,
just use soaps without anti
microbial ingredients so you
do not kill good bacteria on
your body with the bad.
- Have a good laugh:
laughter lowers cortisol levels
and release endorphins, feel
good chemicals that trigger
immune cells.
- Drink coffee: drinking
hot liquids, including coffee
can help wash the \irus out
of your mouth and down into
your stomach where viruses
can’t grow due to the acids.
Opinion- Obama calls
for “A Year of Action”
and side-steps Congress
By Andrew Peterson
In the President’s annual
address to Congress, Barack
Obama made several'
controversial promises that
are meant to keep America on
track. However, behind the
bold promises for action and
seats. At this moment in his
speech, Obama was appealing
to a group that has supported
the Democratic Party heavily
in recent elections, and he is
reminding them to continue
their support in November.
However, Obama’s call to
to pass single legislation
while forcing Republicans
to abandon their ideological
distinctions to satisfy a
growing America. Meanwhile,
Republicans refuse to hand
control across the aisle.
By addressing immigration
through smaller
reforms. Republicans
hope to accomplish
their goals, while
still representing
nearly fifty percent of
Americans that voted
them into office.
One of the last
topics addressed
in The President’s
Address to
Congress was
about his controversial
healthcare reform dubbed
“Obamacare.”
“The American
people aren’t interested
in refighting old battles,”
said Obama on Tuesday
night, “So again, if you
The State of the Union address: President Barack Obama called for , ^ ’ c ^ i ’
. have specific plans to cut
2014 to be a “year of action” and an end to Mad Men workplace cover more people
policies.
resujits«thei;e is.a Pre§uiejjt who
is aware that his time in the
Oval Office has been defined
by many bumps in the road.
Obama promised to raise
the minimum wage for those
contracted to the federal
government, to create a new
tax-free savings bond to
encourage Americans to save,
to close Guantanamo Bay
prison, to push immigration
reforms into reality, and to veto
any sanctions that Congress
places to derail America’s
deal with Iran over its nuclear
program.
However, an overarching
promise to bypass America’s
legislature hangs eerily over
every moment of his speech,
“Wherever and whenever I can
take steps without legislation
to expand opportunity for more
American families, that’s what
I’m going to do, he vows to
the American people. His last
year in office will be “a year of
action.”
In his speech, Obama
addressed several key
issues that have defined his
Presidency. These include
hot-button topics like Women
Health Care, and Immigration
Reform. In the beginning of
his speech, Obama announced
the alarming statistics,
“women make up about half
our workforce. But they still
make 77 cents for every dollar
a man earns. That is wrong and
in 2014 it’s an embarrassment.
A woman deserves equal pay
for equal work.”
Obama actually meant
that Republicans could have
improved their handling of the
issues surrounding women, and
that these mistakes costs them
the last presidential election
and several key congressional
women is more...ironic,Jhan
it seems. While the party on
the left points fingers to the
right, Americans have noticed
that both sides are at fault.
Unable to bridge the gap that
divides congress. Democrats
have turned to media to
paint the Republican Party
as detrimental to women’s
interests.
While it is the role of the
President to support his party,
he missed a crucial opportunity
to Democrats to bridge the
growing fissure between the
Right and Left in Congress
when he reminded voters of
the “Republicans failure.”
Another key point addressed
in Obama’s State of the Union
Address was Immigration
reform.
In his address to Congress,
Obama said, “If we serious
about economic growth, it is
time to head the call of business
leaders, labor leaders, faith
leaders, and law enforcement-
and fix our broken immigration
system. Republicans and
Democrats in the Senate have
acted. 1 know that members of
both parties in the House want
to do the same.”
Republicans preferred to
address the complicated but
important issue of immigration
in a series of smaller reforms,
rather than approving a
simplified and blanket approval
thrust upon at them by the
Democrats. While President
Obama is waiting with bated
breath as negotiations open
in the Republican controlled
House might be more willing
to strike a deal.
Both sides need to recognize
the complexity of immigration
reform. Democrats, hoping
to see sweeping reform, want
and increase choice- tell
America what you’d do
differently. Let’s see if the
numbers add up. But let’s not
have another 40 something
votes to repeal a law that’s
already helping millions of
Americans.”
While this sounds like
a harmless statement to
encourage the Republican
controlled House to consider
the Affordable Care Act,
it reflects the Obama
administration’s frustration
as they fought _ hard in the
Supreme Court, in Congress,
and in public perception to
amend the botched rollout of
the flagship website. However,
while Obamacare supposedly
helps millions of Americans
by giving them access to
affordable healthcare, it also
has several noticeable flaws.
The healthcare policies
that the Obama administration
so adamantly defended in
the Affordable Care Act do
not serve the Americans that
most desperately need it. If
the Obama Administration
wants to achieve its dream
of healthcare coverage for
every American, then they
must forget the bipartisanship
that divides Congress and
recognize that it is impractical
to increase government
spending in a time when there
is not money to spend.
In his State of the Union
Address, Obama called for
Congress to cooperate, but he
also made a mistake. He did
not try to bridge the growing
gap between Republicans
and Democrats. If Obama
truly wants to redefine his
Presidency, he must find a way
to bridge the divide between
Republicans and Democrats.
He must find a way to make
government work.