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Important Software Updates for Desktop Security

by Jay Stamps and Linda Pilkin

If you have not already done so, ITSS urges you to make the following software updates as soon as possible to improve your PC or Macintosh computer's security. The Symantec, Eudora, and Spy Sweeper software updates are available on the Essential Stanford Software (ESS) web site at:

http://ess.stanford.edu/

See also Make Your Windows PC Invulnerable in this issue, which includes a Windows security top ten list.

Software Updates

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition version 8.1 for Windows, contains a recently disclosed, serious vulnerability that if exploited could allow a remote attacker to assume complete control of your PC. Please see:

http://securecomputing.stanford.edu/alerts/symantecav-05-feb.html

To upgrade to Symantec AntiVirus 9.0.3 (SAV) for Windows, please go to the ESS site, http://ess.stanford.edu/pc. It would be wise to remove your current installation of Symantec or Norton AntiVirus first, especially if it's a consumer edition. To remove software go to Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs.

The brief period of time between your removing the old anti-virus software and installing the new poses no great danger, but if you wish you can disconnect your PC from the network after having downloaded the SAV 9.0.3 installer and before removing the older version.

Norton AntiVirus for the Macintosh also contains this vulnerability, but Macintosh users merely need to run LiveUpdate in order to correct the problem. Virus definitions for the Macintosh from February 2, 2005 and later will disable the vulnerable component. Instructions for using LiveUpdate and running it on a schedule (as you should do) are here:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/ess/mac/docs/nav9/index.html#check

Spy Sweeper 3.5, which is available on the ESS site, provides improved sweep time and smarter shields to block browser hijacks. It also has a new option to let you decide whether to include cookies in sweeps.
All versions of Eudora for Windows prior to 6.2.1, which is the version that is now available on the ESS site, contain multiple serious vulnerabilities, the details of which are as yet undisclosed. You should upgrade Eudora by visiting the ESS site as soon as possible. For more information see:

http://www.eudora.com/security.html

In February, Microsoft released a patch for a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Office XP for Windows, as well as a few other products. Details are here:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-005.mspx

Help for those who need to update Office XP, as well as other commonly used versions of Office, but who don't have their original installation CD, may be found in the form of the Stanford Microsoft Office Patcher, available here:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/ess/pc/msoffice_patcher.html

If you use any version of Microsoft Office for Windows, it would be wise to check for the availability of updates or service packs by running the Office Patcher or visiting
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx.

Updates and service packs for Microsoft products for the Macintosh are available at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx.

For More Information and Assistance

If you run into problems, as always, contact your local support technician, submit a HelpSU request at http://helpsu.stanford.edu, or call 725-HELP.

Make Your Windows PC Invulnerable

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by Jay Stamps

By taking a few simple steps, and bearing in mind a few words of caution, you can make your Windows desktop or laptop PC almost invulnerable to the kinds of attacks, whether by hackers or viruses, that we most typically see on the Stanford campus. My focus will be on Windows 2000 and XP.

Before You Begin

Some of my advice is specific to Stanford, and I make a few assumptions:

Your Windows PC is not part of a "domain," but rather "stand-alone." If you do not have to click "OK" in response to a computer and network usage policy each time you log in, and have no dedicated local technical support, then your computer and your user account are probably not in a domain. For more information please see http://windows.stanford.edu.
You have administrator rights on your stand-alone PC. Most PC users at Stanford log in as administrators, meaning they have almost total control of their computer, within the limits imposed by Windows itself.
You have spoken to and have the permission of your local technical support staff (if you have dedicated local support) to make the changes to your system that I will describe.
You understand that changing security settings, or installing and running security software, can impair functionality. You can always undo any changes you make.

Good computer security is all about striking the right balance between "hardening" your system against potential threats and maintaining ease of use, while always remembering that you share a network with other people. You don't want your PC to spread viruses, or provide a launching pad for attacks against other systems.

Install Windows XP Service Pack 2

If possible, run Windows XP in preference to other versions of Windows, and install XP's Service Pack 2 (SP2). Windows "service packs" include significant enhancements in security and functionality, bug fixes and new features: XP SP2, among other things, represents a major step forward in terms of Windows security.

To install SP2 on an existing installation of Windows XP, use Internet Explorer to visit the Microsoft Windows Update web site, http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.

The upgrade to SP2 may require you to install other patches first, with subsequent restarts of the system.

SP2 includes a great many security enhancements, including changes to Internet Explorer (IE). If you use any Stanford business applications, such as Oracle/PeopleSoft or Kronos, you should run a small tool provided by ITSS that will appropriately configure IE: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/ess/pc/xpsp2config.html. The tool may be run either before or after the upgrade to SP2, though the instructions on the download page suggest that you run it after.

It may require an hour or more, as well as a fair amount of free disk space, to install Service Pack 2, so be sure you have time to finish the job before you get started.

Upgrade to XP Professional

If you are running Windows XP Home Edition, or any version of Windows prior to XP, on the campus network, you should consider upgrading your operating system to XP Professional if your PC's hardware will support it. Windows XP Professional includes security and other features that make it more appropriate for use on a large network; XP Home, as the name implies, is designed for home use. Windows XP, in general, is a lot easier to secure than any earlier version of Windows.

Talk to your local technical support staff or submit a HelpSU request if you need advice. Licenses and installation media for Windows XP Professional are available for departmental purchase at a very low cost through Stanford's Campus-Wide Agreement with Microsoft.

ITSS' recommendations for the replacement of aging computer hardware may be found here:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/ess/adminapps/recommended.html

The Windows Security Top Ten

Unlike some top ten lists, the following items are roughly in descending order of importance, though steps 5, 9 and 10 are special because they address your own habits as a computer user. All of the security-related software I discuss is available on the Essential Stanford Software (ESS) web site: http://ess.stanford.edu/.

More information, supplementing the material below, is available in the form of PowerPoint slides or a PDF file on ITSS' Tech Briefings web page:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/itss-customer/ip/techbriefings/#feb18

The slides will show you how to take many of the steps in my "Top Ten" list. There isn't space here to describe all the procedures in detail. When you visit the Tech Briefings web site, consider subscribing to the mailing list, which announces upcoming briefings.

Note that the Stanford Security Self-Help tool on ESS will help you greatly with steps 1, 2 and 7 below, but it also can make, at your option, a number of other important changes to Windows' security configuration. It provides an "Undo Wizard" that allows you selectively to reverse specific changes if they cause any problems, and it is very friendly and easy-to-use.

1) Patch Microsoft Windows automatically: ITSS recommends that you use both the Windows Automatic Updates service and BigFix to keep Windows patched. There will be no conflict between them, and depending on whether or not you have dedicated local technical support, Auto Updates may patch your PC sooner than BigFix. BigFix, on the other hand, is more reliable than Auto Updates, so if Auto Updates hasn't done the job properly, BigFix will handle the installation of critical security patches for you. Information about BigFix is available at http://patching.stanford.edu. You can use the Stanford Security Self-Help tool both to configure Auto Updates and to install BigFix.

2) Use strong passwords or pass phrases for all Windows user accounts on your PC: The Security Self-Help tool has a useful "Secure Password Test." For general information, please see "Passwords are Passé an article I wrote on pass phrases, in the January 12 issue of Speaking of Computers.

3) Use and properly maintain good anti-virus software, and optionally anti-spyware software: The default configuration of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 9.0.3, as provided on ESS, is quite good. You might want to consider configuring a "scheduled scan," however, since that isn't done for you. For instructions please see:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/ess/pc/docs/sav/index.html#auto_scan

Spy Sweeper, also available on ESS, can scan your system for, and provide ongoing protection against, spyware and adware. If Spy Sweeper appears to cause more problems than it solves, you can remove it by going to Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs. But it is generally useful.

4) Use a firewall, such as Windows XP's built-in software firewall: The Windows Firewall in XP SP2 is quite an improvement over the earlier XP Internet Connection Firewall, and provides good protection. It is also enabled by default. Users of Windows 2000 should either purchase a software firewall, or consider downloading the free version of ZoneAlarm from http://www.zonelabs.com/. Note that no technical support for this free software is available from Zone Labs or ITSS.

5) Do not open suspicious email attachments or respond to suspicious requests: Even if an email message appears to be from a legitimate or trusted source, never open unexpected email attachments, and never respond to requests to "update your financial information" (or the like) simply because you received a dire email message informing you that you must do so "or else." If in doubt, call your financial institution or submit a HelpSU request. In a phrase, "Be wary."

6) If you're not using it, disable the Windows File and Printer Sharing service: If you don't know what this service is, you're probably not using it. There are other, safer means to share files in any case. Please see http://filetransfer.stanford.edu/.

7) Disable any unneeded user accounts: There may be multiple unneeded user accounts on your compurer, especially if you "inherited" your computer from someone else. The Stanford Security Self-Help tool's password checking feature will show you all the accounts on your PC, and can test whether or not they have reasonably good passwords.

8) Do not use "automatic logon": If you're running Windows XP and don't have to enter a password when you start your PC, most likely your primary user account has a blank password. If you're running Windows 2000 and don't have to enter a password, then you probably have "automatic logon" enabled. This is dangerous, because Windows stores your password in "cleartext" (that is, in unencrypted form) when you use this feature, and anyone who gains access to your computer can steal your password easily. To disable auto-logon see the "Preventing the Password Prompt in a Non-Domain System" section here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;234562

These instructions actually tell you how to enable auto-logon. In your mind simply replace the phrase "click to clear the ... check box" with "click to check the ... check box." You can skip steps 3 and 4 if you wish.

9) Lock your PC's screen when you step away, and shut down your computer when you'll be gone for more than 6 hours: Note that if your PC is backed up during the night, for example, or if you need to access it remotely, you obviously can't shut it down, though you can and should log out when you leave. To lock your computer screen (locking your screen will not log you out) if you're running Windows 2000, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then press Enter (this will usually work for Windows XP as well). Also see these more specific instructions for Windows XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;294317

10) Where possible, consider using a web browser other than Internet Explorer, and treat "free" software with suspicion: The Firefox web browser is becoming increasingly popular because of the vast number of security problems in and existing exploits that target Internet Explorer. Firefox is available here:

http://www.mozilla.org/firefox/

There are cases, however, in which you must use Internet Explorer, as when you visit the Windows Update web site, or access most Stanford business applications. And Firefox, too, has its own security flaws. Your best protection overall is being careful about which web sites you visit.

And above all don't download "free" software simply because it is "cute," or appears to have useful features, or claims to provide faster connections, better performance or better security, unless you're quite sure of what you're doing. There is much excellent free software on the Internet (Firefox, for example); but a lot of it is best understood to be "spyware" or "adware"-or worse: Read the fine print.

For More Information

For more information about or assistance in making your Windows PC secure, please see ITSS' new self-help web site, or send a HelpSU request to http://helpsu.stanford.edu/.

Find It @ Stanford: New Linking Service for the Stanford Community

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by Sue-Ellen Johnson

You may have noticed a Find It @ Stanford button next to your citation results while searching databases from the Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources' (SULAIR) web site. This button is your link between citations in databases to the full text of journal articles and much more! SULAIR subscribes to many databases and thousands of electronic journals. Many databases provide only bibliographic citations, such as title and author, and not the complete article. Find It @ Stanford is a comprehensive linking solution that uses the Open URL standard to take users directly from a citation in a database to any available online full text. It also provides a link to Socrates (Stanford's catalog) and other library catalogs, supports citation downloads, and links to other relevant services.

How Do I Use It?

Simply start a search in one of the databases you normally use, e.g., Academic Search Premier or Sociological Abstracts. SULAIR keeps an up-to-date listing of Find It @ Stanford FAQ page.

When you see a Find It @ Stanford button, click on it. This will open a window with a menu of service options. From there you can get to any of the service options listed on the menu, including those listed under More options.

Figure 1: Example of the
Find It @ Stanford menu.

From the menu, click on Go for the full text option and you are taken directly to the full text of the article (in this case a PDF). See Figure 2 below. You will not lose the result list from your original search when you click on the find it @ Stanford button. Two new windows will be opened. The first will contain the list of find it services (Figure 1 above) and the second window will open when you select one of these services (Figure 2).

Figure 2, showing an example of full text of an article

Figure 2: Example of the full text
; of an article.

In the menu example below, Figure 3, you will note that since full text is not available though a direct link, you will see Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery as a service under More Options.

Figure 3 showing the list of options if full text article not available

Figure 3: List of options if full text
article is not available.

How Does It Work?

Using the Open URL metadata standard, Find It @ Stanford takes the information, or metadata, from your citation and then it uses this metadata to locate additional information in other electronic resources as well as defined library services. When you click on the Find It @ Stanford button, a menu screen appears with a list of appropriate services. The services are context sensitive so not all services will display each time you are presented with a menu. For example, if full text is available, there will not be a link to interlibrary loan/document delivery.

Where Can I Get Help?

You can request help by clicking on the Contact Us link in the Find It @ Stanford menu.

Tell Me More About the Technology Behind Find It @Stanford

Find it @ Stanford is based on SFX (an acronym for "Special Effects") technology that Stanford has licensed from Ex Libris (USA) Inc. For more information about SFX, see their web site.

Teaching New Media Production Skills in the Dorms

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by Jennifer Ly

For many years, most new students took the one-quarter, one unit, pass/no credit CS1c, Introduction to Computing at Stanford course taught by Resident Computer Coordinators (RCCs). Enrollment remained high in the 1990s but began to drop in the 2000s, as incoming students brought more computer skills and experience (and their own computers) with them to Stanford.

In the past year, CS1c enrollment has dropped by about 30 percent and RCCs have seen an increasing demand for higher-level or more specialized topics, both within the CS1c curriculum and external to the class, in the form of workshops. Such topics include HTML, the Web, Photoshop, and video editing.

Students also increasingly need these multimedia skills as instructors incorporate more multimedia elements in their courses. With the new Program in Writing and Rhetoric PWR-2 course requirement, for example, all students are expected to complete a research project involving both oral and multimedia presentation skills.

This past winter, to address the demand, Residential Computing offered a new course with an emphasis on multimedia, as a pilot project. Funded by a Curriculum Development Grant from the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE), the course was held in four residential clusters: Donner, Roble, Toyon, and Freshman Sophomore College (including Potter College).

CS2c, Intermediate Computing at Stanford, is also a one unit, pass/no credit course taught by the local RCC; it is intended as a continuation of the curriculum of CS1c. Students learn, through hands-on experience, skills such as sound editing, image editing, video editing, and preparing Powerpoint presentations and web pages, including the consideration of aesthetics in presentations and web pages. The course's multimedia equipment includes digital video cameras, projectors, and color printers.

Although enrollment for CS2c was not as high as enrollment for CS1c, Residential Computing plans to eventually expand the Winter Quarter course to all residences with freshmen, the same residences where CS1c will be taught. As a result, it is the expected that enrollment will increase significantly and CS2c may one day replace CS1c as the course taken by most new students.

New and Improved Stanford Grokker Available

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by Chris Bourg

A new version of the Stanford Grokker (Grokker 2.3) is now available for use by members of the Stanford community.

Over 2300 members of the Stanford community are already using Grokker as a great new way to search and explore many SULAIR resources including Socrates, Expanded Academic, HighWire Press and seven different search engines.

Grokker's topically organized visual maps give Stanford researchers a simple way to explore, understand, organize, and share vast amounts of information and search results.

Improvements

Grokker 2.3 improvements include:

New information sources:

RLG Union Catalog, an organization of over 150 research libraries, museums, and other cultural memory institutions dedicated to expanding access to their research materials.

IEEE Xplore, a vast storehouse of full-text, peer-reviewed transactions, magazines, journals and conference proceedings.

Ability to view the contents of your Grokker map in a list form using List View.

Expanded features and functionality for:

Academic Search Premier

Library of Congress

Socrates

Improved results and categorization for all information sources.

Give It a Try

If you haven't already, try Grokker and discover a new way to retrieve, explore and understand information.

Grokker 2.3 can be downloaded to your personal computer (Mac or PC), at:

http://grokker.stanford.edu/

You can also find Grokker 2.3 on most public and residential computer clusters, and library kiosks.

Learn More About It

To learn more about Stanford Grokker, please visit:

http://library.stanford.edu/about_sulair/special_projects/stanford_grokker.html

Also, be sure to try out the Grokker puzzles in the Stanford Daily and online at:

http://www.yougrok.com

ITSS Streaming Media Services

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by Jeff Bornstein

In an academic and research environment like Stanford, content providers have found all sorts of uses for streaming media using ITSS Streaming Media services.

ITSS is able to stream content for Stanford faculty, staff and students that can be played back using Real Networks' Real Player, Microsoft's Windows Media Player or Apple's QuickTime Player.

Who's Using It

Today, many Stanford web sites are now providing links to stream course lectures, seminars and conferences to broaden their audience and allow students to review material. Many research sites are providing links to their streamed content as it relates to their projects and results. Department and administrative sites are providing streamed content related to their services as well as training and informational material for staff.

Why Not Do It Yourself?

While anyone with the appropriate hardware and software can probably set up streaming media from their web site, such equipment and applications are not found routinely in Stanford departments. It involves many hours of staff resources, streaming server licensing fees and ongoing server support. Additionally, the amount of media you may want to offer (a few video clips, an hour class, etc.) might not justify such a large amount of staff time and financial investment. For this reason since 1998, ITSS has been providing a centralized streaming service for members of the Stanford community to stream media related to their own web sites. And best of all, it is very easy to get started.

How It Works

ITSS staff will take your content, encode it and stream the encoded file from one of ITSS's streaming servers. Staff will provide you with a URL that you can include as a link on your web site to allow your clients to view your content over the Internet. There are a number of other options that ITSS staff can explain and they can make recommendations depending on your specific use of the technology.

For example, if you'd like to combine various separate media together in a single streamed file (e.g., video with PowerPoint sides, text, graphics, and/or HTML links), you can also have ITSS "author" a streaming file generally known as rich media content. Type or copy this http://vodreal.stanford.edu/genome/040413.smil into your browser and see a presentation related to the Human Genome Project at Stanford. Or you can visit the Stanford Humanities Center and select the Steven Pinker program to see how they are using slides, graphics and video together.

Screenshot example of beginning of S. Pinker lecture

Beginning of streamed video of Steven Pinker's
"The Humanities and Human Nature" lecture.

In addition, if you provide media content in which viewers may be interested in several complete programs or only certain parts of the content, you should consider ITSS's Indexing Service. By adding keywords to your audio and video content, you can make your media searchable, which means it will be more useful and easier to use for your viewers.

For example, if you visit the Hebrew at Stanford Multimedia web site, select Search on the top navigation bar, and enter keywords such as: desk, table, people or restaurants. This will return various clip results so you can see how faculty are using streaming media along with Indexed searchable content to teach foreign language to Stanford students.

Another very popular use of ITSS's Indexing service is Silicon Genesis. If you visit their web site and enter keywords such as: moore, processors, fairchild or intel, the clip results you get back are a unique collection of oral history interviews with pioneers of the semiconductor industry.

Why Is It Useful?

The above examples show just a few ways that streaming media offers advantages over the traditional methods of providing content to your viewers. With this in mind, here are some other reasons why streaming is very useful as a media delivery technology....

Easy access to content: You provide a link on your web page that your clients can easily view at their convenience using free easy-to-download player software.

Faster content delivery to your audience: Your video and audio starts playing quickly because streamed content doesn't need to be downloaded to the user's computer.

Improved content quality: The software is designed specifically for delivering audio and video content to users ranging from low to high-speed internet connections.

For More Information

If you would like more information about ITSS Streaming Media services, please contact Jeff Bornstein at 650-723-4026 or visit the ITSS Streaming Media web site at:

http://streamingmedia.stanford.edu/

Google: Better Searching and More...

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by Eleanor Brown

Google, one of the Web's most-used (and useful) search engines, has a wide range of capabilities...and it's not just for searching. You can get definitions, use a calculator, track airline flight information, translate a phrase in a foreign language, and much more.

In this article, you'll find a short list of features, tips, and tools to help you use Google more effectively, as well as web sites that have more information about using Google.

Features

Define a term: To get the definition of a word (or words), type "define", a space, and then the word(s) you want defined, e.g., define rara avis. For a list of definitions for a word(s), just type something like define:celerity, with no space between define: and the word(s).
Use a calculator: To add, multiply, or divide some numbers; convert from centimeters to inches, or solve another mathematical problem, just type the calculation you'd like to be solved. Nancy Blachman's Google Guide includes more detailed (but succinct) information about using the calculator, including advanced math functions and the physical constants known to Google's calculator function .
Track flight information or check on delays: To find out when a flight is arriving, type the flight number, e.g., united 355. To check on delays and weather conditions at a specific airport, type the airport's three-letter code followed by "airport", e.g., sfo airport.
Translate a web page: If your search includes non-English results there will be a link to a version of that page translated into English.
Find the location of local businesses and services: To find the location of a local business or service, click on Local on the Google home page. In the resulting window, type what you're looking for in the What space (e.g., Starbucks) and it's locale (e.g., Palo Alto) in the Where space. A map with exact locations is included with the results.

Tips

To get more than 10 results per page in your search result, click on Preferences on the Google home page (or on a Google results page) to reset results per page in the Number of Results section.
Clicking on the I'm Feeling Lucky button on the Google home page, gives you the first search result for your query. For example, typing Harvard and clicking on the I'm FeelingLucky button gives you Harvard University's home page.
Adding "acronym" to your search lets you search for a term like ISBN, e.g., ISBN acronym.
Use two periods to search within a range of numbers. For example, typing laptop computer $400..$1200 returns results for laptop computers in that price range.

Tools

If you are using Microsoft Windows with Internet Explorer 5.0+, you can add the Google Toolbar to your browser for more easier searching. It also eliminates pop-up ads, if you use IE 5.5+.
Google Alerts provides email updates on the latest Google results for your search query.
Google's Language Tool , also available on the Google home page, lets you translate a phrase into a foreign language or search for pages in specific languages or located in a specific country.

More Information

Google's help page not only offers contact information and search help, it lists Google Features and Tools (with new items highlighted):

http://www.google.com/help/

For more detailed descriptions of Google's features, see:

http://www.google.com/help/features.html

Google Guide: An Online Tutorial

For an excellent online tutorial on searching with Google, including it's special features and tools, see Nancy Blachman's Google Guide at:

http://www.googleguide.com/

If you want to print a copy, you'll find a PDF of the entire guide (140 pages), as well as PDFs of individual sections at: http://www.googleguide.com/toc.html .

Free Assistive Technology You Already Own (It's Built Into Your Operating System)

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by Shelley Haven

This column often describes standalone assistive technology software such as speech recognition and text-to-speech applications. But deep within the recesses of your Windows or Macintosh operating systems are little used and under-appreciated control panels and utilities that provide some serious access assistance without add-on programs. Moreover, these features have application beyond the accessibility realm for all computer users, like graphic artists, trainers, and even gamers.

Where to Find Accessibility Options on Your Computer

On a Windows computer, one can find these under the Accessibility Options and Speech control panels (Settings > Control Panel) and under Programs > Accessories > Accessibility. On a Macintosh, their counterparts are Universal Access and Speech, both found under System Preferences.

Here are some useful cross-applications for these accessibility features. While Windows PCs and Macs have similar built-in capabilities, they sometimes go by different names. In the sections below, the Windows name is listed first, followed by the Macintosh name.

Mouse Keys / Mouse Keys

Mouse Keys turns the number keypad on a keyboard into a de facto mouse. The centrally located 5 key becomes the left mouse button. Keys 4, 6, 8, and 2 move the cursor left, right, up, and down, respectively; 7, 9, 1, and 3 move it diagonally to the upper left, upper right, etc. The 0 key is click and hold, while the decimal point releases that hold. Settings in the control panel allow the user to define both the speed of the cursor movement and the acceleration (the longer the key is held, the faster the cursor moves).

Outside of the convenience of mouse functionality without moving your hands from the keyboard, what can you use this for? This keyboard-based mouse gives the user very fine control of cursor movement. For example, in a drawing program without a "nudge" feature, Mouse Keys permits one to move the cursor a single pixel at a time. It can also be used to precisely drag the handles on a graphic. And we know of at least one person who exploited this ability in a gaming environment as a clever means to get to the next level!

While Mouse Keys may appear to have the same functional purpose as the arrow keys, there is a subtle difference. The arrow keys move the keyboard focus - that is, the location of the text entry point. In a word processing program, this is the position of the blinking vertical bar. Mouse Keys, however, moves the mouse focus, i.e., where the cursor is on the screen. Whereas the arrow keys permit keyboard-only selection of multiple words or lines in a document, users can employ Mouse Keys to select multiple objects in a drawing program or crop a picture without moving their hands from the keyboard.

Lastly, here's an application we've relied on more than once: Mouse Keys as an emergency surrogate mouse. If you suddenly find yourself with a non-functioning mouse or a balky laptop trackpad, invoke the Mouse Keys shortcut (Alt-Left shift-Numlock on a PC, or press Ctrl 5 times on a Mac). Although you must use the Numlock key to shift between keypad and keyboard on a laptop, it can get you out of a tight spot during an important presentation!

Sticky Keys / Sticky Keys

This feature permits one-fingered entry of keystrokes that require modifier keys. Thus, instead of pressing Ctrl (or Command) and S simultaneously to save a document, you can press the keys in sequence. If desired, the modifier key symbols will be displayed on the screen when pressed. Sticky Keys works with all modifier keys such as Shift, Control, Command, Option, Alt, Function, and Windows logo.

Sticky Keys can be especially helpful when using the keyboard with one hand and, say, handwriting or using another device with the other (few people have the span to type Ctrl-Alt-Delete one-handed!). One interesting but rather unorthodox use for Sticky Keys is, appropriately enough, when you want to avoid getting your keys sticky. Ever had to type something in a hurry right after that great jelly doughnut? Invoke Sticky Keys with its shortcut (press Shift 5 times on either platform), then press keys in sequence with a single clean finger or knuckle. Awkward perhaps, but effective.

Magnifier / Zoom

The screen magnification utilities on PCs and Macs work somewhat differently from each other, and each has their special niche. Windows' Magnifier (found under Programs > Accessories > Accessibility) magnifies the screen within a window, the location and size of which is defined by the user. The effect is one of a split screen - the magnified portion can either float or be docked at the top, left, right, or bottom, while the remainder of the screen remains in normal view. Thus, one can view, for instance, a full graphic image while seeing an extreme close-up of a detailed section being modified. Magnification can be set from two to nine times normal, and the window can be set to follow the cursor and/or the location of text entry.

The Zoom utility on a Mac (found in System Preferences/Universal Access) magnifies the entire screen at once and smoothes the resulting image to reduce an otherwise highly-pixelated image. One can also set the maximum and minimum zoom magnification. This ability has a very useful application in training venues, such as showing a class how to use software. Set the minimum zoom to 0 (normal view) and the maximum to, say, 4x. Using the hotkeys Cmd-Opt-= and Cmd-Opt-hyphen to zoom in and zoom out, respectively, one can quickly focus in on the cursor location and zoom back out. A trainer might use this approach to draw the audience's attention to a particular icon, for example, then zoom back out to show where it's located on the screen, or quickly display a close-up of an otherwise hard-to-see activity on the screen.

Speech Recognition / Speakable Items

While not expressly for disabilities, both the Windows and Mac operating systems include speech recognition functionality. Windows XP and above includes speech recognition for both dictation and command and control. While not as accurate or robust as standalone applications like ViaVoice, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, or iListen, it adequately converts the spoken word into text in most applications. As with the standalone products, Windows speech recognition requires the user to create a unique voice profile. Initial training takes about 15 minutes, and recognition accuracy will improve with additional training. (For more information on speech recognition in general, see last quarter's column "Just How Practical IS Speech Recognition Software?".)

The Mac's Speakable Items utility is speaker independent (it doesn't require voice training) but it only works for command and control of the computer, not dictation. Users can open and close programs, navigate menu bars, switch between applications, and execute application-specific commands.

Coming Soon to a Macintosh Near You

Apple's next release of the Mac OS, Tiger (version 10.4) will include an exciting new enhancement called Voiceover. Designed as a spoken interface for users who are blind or have low vision, VoiceOver will read aloud text in documents, web pages, and e-mail, as well as provide a spoken description of the workspace and the computer's activities. This functionality is only available in Windows through add-on programs costing several hundred dollars or more.

With VoiceOver active, you will be able to lean back and relax while the computer reads aloud a Web-based article; proofread a report (it's amazing how many mistakes you catch when you both see and hear the text); or listen to e-mails while sipping coffee (and eating that messy jelly doughnut!).

For More Information

If you have questions about computer accessibility and technology accommodations, want consultation on these issues, or just wish to learn more about the intriguing assistive technology available, call Shelley Haven in the ALTeC lab at 725-6173. ALTeC's services are available to students, faculty, and staff who need assistance due to a disability. Students should contact the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) at 723-1066 for more information. Faculty and staff who would like to access the Center should contact Rosa Gonzalez, Stanford's ADA/504 Compliance Officer, at 723-0755 for a referral.

Are Your Web Pages Adequately WebAuth-Protected?

Web View | Print View

by John Klemm

In Winter Quarter, ITSS made a change to SUNet ID sponsorship policy that makes it easy for regular Stanford faculty or staff to sponsor a base SUNet ID for anyone with a legitimate business need for network identification credentials or basic SUNet services. (You can find out more about this at http://itss.stanford.edu/services/sponsorship.) The change does, however, spotlight the fact that SUNet IDs are not limited to faculty, staff and students, which may require web sites providing Stanford services to limit access to those services using a finer filter than the basic WebAuth requirement of a SUNet ID.

So, for instance, you may be providing an online web service licensed for use only by Stanford faculty, staff and students. If you restrict access to the web site using basic Stanford Web Authentication (or WebAuth as it's known casually), anyone with a SUNet ID can use your web site, meaning access to your service is available not just to faculty, staff and students, but also to hundreds of consultants, contractors, non-registered students, recent students, NDO (non-degree option) students, and others.

How to Change Access Limits

If this is an issue for your web site, there is an easy solution that works perfectly in many situations, again using WebAuth. With WebAuth, it's easy to be more restrictive, limiting web site access to broad subsets of the Stanford community, based on an individual's official status.

With WebAuth, it's easy to be more restrictive, limiting web site access to broad subsets of the Stanford community, based on an individual's official status.

The 6 available subsets, called "system privilege groups" (privgroups), are

stanford:students
stanford:faculty
stanford:staff
stanford:stanford - a combination of #1, 2 & 3
stanford:academic - more or less a combination of #1 and 2
stanford:administrative - more or less a combination of #2 and 3.

With WebAuth, you restrict a web site to SUNet ID holders by creating an AFS file named ".htaccess", whose content looks like this:

AuthType WebAuth

To request the further limitation by a system privgroup, you simply add a line naming the desired privgroup:

AuthType WebAuth
require privgroup stanford:stanford

Under that example, the person surfing the web must not only be authenticated as a Stanford user (via SUNet ID and password, which the first line demands) but then must also be a member of the students, faculty or staff privgroups.

Create Your Own Privgroups

You can instantly create your own privgroups of specified SUNet ID holders to give the members of that group access to restricted portions of your personal Stanford web site. Departments can do the same for their web space, though they may face an initial step that requires some setup by ITSS.

For More Information

More information about privgroups, including detailed definitions of the six system privgroups, is available at:

http://itss.stanford.edu/services/workgroup/

And for details on creating an htaccess file for use with WebAuth, see:

http://www.stanford.edu/leland/howto.webauth.html

Table of Contents

Browse by Section: Highlights and Features, Library Resources, Computing News Back to Speaking of Computers Home

Important Software Updates for Desktop Security

by Jay Stamps and Linda Pilkin

Software Updates

For More Information and Assistance

Make Your Windows PC Invulnerable

by Jay Stamps

Before You Begin

Install Windows XP Service Pack 2

Upgrade to XP Professional

The Windows Security Top Ten

For More Information

Stanford Web Resources Offer Online Access to Stanford Report and Help for Webmasters

by Scott Stocker

Stanford Report Access

SU Web Resources

SU Webmasters Group

Find It @ Stanford: New Linking Service for the Stanford Community

by Sue-Ellen Johnson

How Do I Use It?

How Does It Work?

Where Can I Get Help?

Tell Me More About the Technology Behind Find It @Stanford

New Telecommunications Fee for Students

by Ethan Rikleen

What Is It?

Why?

How Much Is It?

For More Information

Teaching New Media Production Skills in the Dorms

by Jennifer Ly

New and Improved Stanford Grokker Available

by Chris Bourg

Improvements

Give It a Try

Learn More About It

ITSS Streaming Media Services

by Jeff Bornstein

Who's Using It

Why Not Do It Yourself?

How It Works

Why Is It Useful?

For More Information

Google: Better Searching and More...

by Eleanor Brown

Features

Tips

Tools

More Information

Google Guide: An Online Tutorial

Free Assistive Technology You Already Own (It's Built Into Your Operating System)

by Shelley Haven

Where to Find Accessibility Options on Your Computer

Mouse Keys / Mouse Keys

Sticky Keys / Sticky Keys

Magnifier / Zoom

Speech Recognition / Speakable Items

Coming Soon to a Macintosh Near You

For More Information

Student Computing Survey Results for 2004-05

by Rich Holeton

Are Your Web Pages Adequately WebAuth-Protected?

by John Klemm

How to Change Access Limits

The 6 available subsets, called "system privilege groups" (privgroups), are

AuthType WebAuth

Create Your Own Privgroups

For More Information

StanfordYou Changes Make It Easier to Use

by John Klemm

On-Campus Computer Training Labs Available for Rent

by Leni Silberman

Browse by Section: Highlights and Features, Library Resources, Computing News
Back to Speaking of Computers Home