OIT Announces Network Access Control System (NAC)

During the summer of 2007 Washington College’s Office of Information
Technologies (OIT) is implementing a network access control system
(NAC).  While the use of a NAC at Washington College is new it has been
common practice at most colleges and universities as well as most
businesses for several years.  Authenticating users onto the network is
a “best practice” that has become both important and necessary because
of new Federal laws that speak to knowing who is using computer networks
that connect to other places using the Internet.

As background information, in 1994 Congress passed CALEA: The
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. In 2005 the FCC
issued the rules under which we must now operate.  The intent of CALEA
is that anyone operating a "public communication network" must keep
elaborate logs and a connection easily accessible to law enforcement
agencies so they can eavesdrop on suspect individuals.

There is an exception to CALEA’s requirements.  Organizations that can
demonstrate that theirs is a "private network" need not comply.  In a
“private network,” only authorized members of a College community can
gain access to the network by logging in each time they use it. By
making our network private, we can avoid the cost, the difficulty, and
the potential intrusion that public networks face.  Given the
alternative, the College decided to move to a “private network.” This
means everyone must log onto the network in order to use the College’s
network services (e.g. Blackboard, Datatel, WebAdvisor, and Webmail). If
the printer you use is not directly connected to your computer, then you
may be using a network printer. In a “private network,” you must log
onto the network in order to print to a network printer.

While we have made every effort to ensure a smooth transition to a
“private network,” there may be some instances in which a desired
network service is not working properly.  If you experience any problems
with the network, please contact the Helpdesk at extension 7777.  We
will evaluate the problem and make every effort to resolve it. If you
have questions about CALEA or issues and concerns about network access
control, please contact Billie Dodge at extension 7760.

Our goal is to comply with CALEA by creating a private network while
also ensuring that you have uninterrupted access to academic and mission
critical network services. We ask your help and your cooperation as we
take the steps necessary to make this happen.