Networks and Security
Networks and Security implements and manages campus-wide communications networks, improves the security of the data that crosses those networks and promotes the preservation of personal security and privacy for all people at Purdue University.
Broadcast Network and Services
- Provides video services and distribution capabilities to the University, as well as to off-campus clients
- Operates BNS Academic Cable TV; Purdue’s educational access channel on Comcast Cable Channel 5 in the West Lafayette area; and the Video Fiber Network, connecting most of Purdue’s major event venues on the West Lafayette campus with the BNS facility in Stewart Center
- Offers satellite transmission (KU-Band), Internet video streaming, video conferencing, videotape or CD/DVD duplication and video engineering support for all ITaP video facilities in Stewart Center
Identity and Access Management
- Coordinates identity assignment and role-based access across the University
- Provides consistent campus-wide means of managing and identifying constituents for granting access to University resources and ensuring individual privacy
- Manages Purdue career accounts, the Purdue University ID (PUID) program, the BoilerKey authentication token, guest-account services for campus visitors and other identification services
- Designs, manages and operates the campus data network infrastructure, including all wired Ethernet connections to offices, laboratories and classrooms, as well as Purdue Air Link (PAL), the wireless infrastructure on the West Lafayette campus
- Provides network bandwidth for live streaming of important campus events and maintains links to each campus building, as well as to the Indiana GigaPOP, providing access to the commodity Internet and the academic- and research-oriented Internet2 backbone
- Supports high-capacity network connectivity for research projects with intense data communications, developing on-campus connectivity for high-end research clusters and supporting data-networking needs of users of the TeraGrid, Northwest Indiana Computational Grid and CMS high-capacity network links
- Works with Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, the group’s primary customer, as well as with University faculty and staff to support high-end or specialized unique solutions to data-networking needs
- Provides a full suite of activities, including: vulnerability-scanning and hostmaster services; security assessments, reviews, penetration tests and consultations; incident response and remediation; evaluation and development; audit response coordination; second- and third-tier technical support; and support for central firewalls, security software and campus-wide antivirus software
- Provides Windows Server Update Services (for Windows patches) and, as part of incident response and remediation, services for central logging, as well as intrusion detection and prevention
- Resolves security- and network-related incidents and issues to support Purdue, including Spectrum monitoring and notifying, EPO, Firewall, Hostmaster, FileLocker and tool automation and collaboration
- Consists of voice services, cable plant operations and network operations
- Services and maintains 21,000 telephone lines and associated equipment, such as BlackBerry devices, cell phones and pagers needed for business use
- Manages, designs and specifies all fiber-optic and copper cabling for the West Lafayette campus, including new buildings and renovation projects
- Provides telephone operator services, billing services and training on all telephone equipment and services
- Services and maintains records for all voice, data and video infrastructure plus 600 telecom rooms on the West Lafayette campus, as well as the Purdue Research Park and the I-Light fiber cable to Indianapolis
- Coordinates all cellular site requests and installations
Information Security Training and Outreach
- Offers training opportunities for Purdue University IT staff and other events, such as October presentations for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, directed toward all members of the Purdue community
- Maintains the SecurePurdue Web site – a clearinghouse for information and resources on computer security and issues for Purdue – and publishes the quarterly electronic SecurePurdue Newsletter
Information Security Policy and Compliance
- Facilitates the development of University information security policies, standards, guidelines and procedures, and consults on information security compliance activities under federal, state and local law
- Provides Purdue information security policies and other information security procedural documents, as well as information on security compliance activities, at the SecurePurdue Web site
Current initiatives and projects
- Campus Wireless Network: Expand coverage to all interior areas and add 802.11n support
- Campus Network Infrastructure: Add redundant 10 gigabit network links to all core campus buildings
- Security logging project used to support incident response activities
- NOC/SOC implementation to help focus current operational staff on further research, development, and consulting
- Post-implementation SAP security improvements
- Sungard Banner identification, authentication, and authorization efforts
- Risk Assessment self-service tool