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THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312
Indoor Track P6
Are you Onboard? DECEMBER 17, 2014
VOLUME 30, ISSUE 4
FCPS Onboard launch causes controversy among students t is
? E R A W Y P S PROTECT
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by Ellen Kan and Lindsay Williams Print Editor-in-Chief and Online Editor-in-Chief According to the posters around the school, logging on to the new Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Wi-Fi seems simple. But the outbreak of student discontent that arose on Dec. 4 indicated there was more to the story. The controversy began when Jefferson implemented FCPS’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative. BYOD simplifies the login process and, according to Systems Lab Network Administrator Andrew Hamilton, allows FCPS to identify perpetrators of illegal activity, such as software piracy, associated with the guest network. Most importantly, students are e g n i c ll e e t R n I e y p t i o r u r t c e a S nd Consu to Microsoft mer R now able to register their personal according epor t devices on a more secure network: FCPS Onboard. “I appreciate the additional security that this approach provides,” junior Fox Wilson, a sysadmin, said. “Students who connected to the FCPS network in the past were sending network traffic in the clear. For example, passwords on websites not using HTTPS could be stolen.” The initial login process to FCPS Onboard, however, set off alarm bells among students on Dec. 4. The app used to download the certificates required to get onto the system, XpressConnect, asked students for intrusive permissions and allegedly granted administrator privileges. Many students refused to download the software, and several took to Facebook to update their peers on what they discovered. Others made their voices heard by creating hotspots with names such as FCPSoverboard and FCPSwaterboard. Senior Corwin de Boor, co-president of Computer Security Club, was one read the protect your of the students who investigated the app and recommended that students did not 3 system with 1 2 End User install it. de Boor and others acknowledged there is nothing wrong with the network License antivirus systems itself, but they found troublesome concerns relating to the third party software. watch what Agreement “The apps FCPS originally released had a lot of questionable permissions, and the Anscan your system you download droid app had another app embedded inside that looked suspicious,” de Boor said. “The OSX 4 to detect any app also installs several privileged helper tools, and we don’t know what they’re capable of.” spyware Other students maintain there is no problem with XpressConnect or the FCPS Onboard system. “School systems have Some of the sysadmins, including sophomore Samuel Damashek, have been helping students log on to been sued for millions of While the new network. They also did not find any of the rumored problems when they looked over the decomdollars for putting FCPS piled Android application and the Windows and Linux installers. Onboard spyware on computers “I think that it’s normal to be skeptical of changes and new technology in general, but most of what I’ve is not spythey gave to students to take home. heard so far is unsubstantiated,” Damashek said. “I know that the Android application in particular used to have ware, the inI don’t see FCPS risking those far-reaching permissions, beyond what would seem necessary for what it’s doing, but those permissions seem to fographic above kinds of lawsuits have been removed from the application.” provides some over a wireless network.” information about Junior James Woglom, another sysadmin, also believes that the move was a good decision on the part of the county. what spyware is, the – Network Administrator “FCPS Onboard is only used for setup: you connect to it, choose whether you are a student, staff member, or guest, and different kinds of spyware, Andrew enter your credentials if necessary,” Woglom said. “Then, you install the XpressConnect software, which installs digital certifistatistics regarding spyware Hamilton cates on your computer that allow you to connect to the wireless network Fairfax, which provides you with internet connection.” and tips on how to protect your Those skeptical of the system also have the option to manually download the certificates without installing XpressConnect. Sevcomputer systems from malware. eral students made guides for their peers to circumvent the need for third party software. “XpressConnect is not developed by FCPS, does not request permissions beyond what it requires and can be removed after connecting infographic by Sandy Cho continued on p. 2
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1 1 SYSTEM MONITORS
2 TROJANS
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3 ADWARE
4 TRACKING COOKIES
8 million households
have had SPYWARE in the past
6
P6
months
tips for protection:
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