Dear Editor,
I refer to Gerrard’s article, “Wireless Predicament in UTown”, in the January 2013 issue of The Ridge Magazine.
I would like to provide more details here. Representatives from Computer Centre, including myself, had met up with the committee leaders from UTown residential colleges on 22 November 2012 and subsequently on 21 December 2012 with regards to the use of personal WiFi routers in the students’ rooms.
During the meetings, we had expressed our concerns on the use of the unauthorized WiFi routers in the student residences i.e. the security breaches and incidents that arose from incorrectly configured WiFi routers.
The use of such routers had resulted in instances of students’ data confidentiality being compromised and accounted for about 50% of service disruptions for network services in hall residences.
The Acceptable Use Policy was put in place to safeguard all users from unauthorized use of unsecured equipment or resources that may result in security threats to the NUS network and service disruptions to their own and others’ detriment.
Nevertheless, we sincerely empathize with the students’ need for WiFi coverage in their rooms and are working progressively with the Office of Student Affairs, Office of Housing Services and NUS Students’ Union to avail WiFi services in all student residences by August 2013.
We appreciate your feedback on this issue and are working on a solution that meets the students’ needs and also addresses our security concerns.
With regards,
Tommy Hor
Senior Director, Computer Centre
National University of Singapore