Hi, my name is (student name) and you can look up my UBITName with the on-line UB directory…but you’ll never find out my password! 

You’re expected to practice safe and secure computing while attending UB, and I can’t stress the importance of password privacy enough.  It’s a major policy violation if you share your password, even with your family and friends, and can result in the termination of access to your account and services. Passwords are important and must be kept safe and private. You and only you are responsible for everything that is done using your UBITName. 

Since you’ve already received your initial password, change it as soon as possible. You should use a password that does not include names or easy to identify numbers such as your birthday. Try to create a password based on a random set of letters and numbers that would be easy for you to remember but hard for others to try and guess. Also, we recommend that you change your password regularly just as an extra precaution, and if you use a computer in one of the public sites remember to log out of your session before you leave. I use the first letter of each word of the title of my favorite song and substitute # for one letter.

In addition to this password policy, all students are expected to adhere to all of UB’s responsible computing policies. A complete list of these guidelines can be found on the Policies website at itpolicies.buffalo.edu, but for now, we’ll just talk about the policy dealing with copyright infringement. Copyrights apply to all materials such as written works, music, videos, movies, and games that are created by someone else. Without explicit permission from the copyright holder, like when you actually buy the materials, you are not allowed to copy or distribute these kinds of materials or try to pass them off as your own.  If you do, you are violating federal law and subject to FBI investigations, prosecution, and thousands of dollars in fines and damages.

While copyright law can be confusing, follow these simple rules to stay out of trouble:   
If you suspect you shouldn’t be doing something – you probably shouldn’t be doing it. 
If you suspect you are stealing – you probably are.

With all the information available for download online these days, from music to software, it’s hard to keep track of what is legal and what you could get in trouble for. To help you understand these issues a little bit better, UB has developed a website that specifically deals with copyright and the internet. Take a look at itpolicies.buffalo.edu/dmca and learn to protect yourself.

Keep in mind, nothing you do online is private and anything can be investigated. Take the time to review UB’s policies and ask questions if you’re unsure about what they mean.

Thanks for watching!