Administrative Experience
Question 2.9 Details

How does the campus manage e–mail spam and spyware?

Spam, or unsolicited e–mail sent indiscriminately to targeted audiences usually for a commercial purpose, has become a widespread concern on campuses as well as with the public at large. Beyond irritating recipients, it adds to the volume of e–mail traffic that campus networks must manage as well as to the risk of computer viruses and potential service disruptions.

Spyware is a large category of malicious software that has the capability to intercept information on a computer without the knowledge or consent of the computer's user. Spyware can collect many different kinds of personal information.

Find out what the campus does to control spam and spyware. Is there a campus–wide spam filter that screens and blocks mail that can be identified as having unauthorized commercial or obscene content? Is there a spyware program recommended for use on campus? If so, can individuals in the campus community alter (loosen or tighten) the filtering criteria?