Software piracy is the illegal distribution or copying of computer software. This activity costs the software industry billions each year, and the rapid growth of the Internet has further increased these losses, since it is now much easier to distribute illegal copies of software.

Thousands of new information systems are implemented every year. These systems will provide more information on a more timely basis - critical for making management decisions in today's business environment. Billions of dollars worth of corporate information will be stored in these new systems, so it is imperative that security not be an after-thought.

Where a business is located, and where its employees live and work, no longer need to be the same. Today's telecommunication technology gives us the opportunity to choose employees living in any part of the world or, conversely, to work for employers in any part of the world.

Industrial espionage has been made much more convenient with the increasing use of laptop computers and by businesses restructuring for the global market. People are mobile and, with high-speed communication lines, so is information. Today's business travelers must e more cautious with confidential information, and they must keep careful with on their laptops.

An educated user is the first line of defense for any organization's information system. Users who don't understand the need for security usually feel it is just another obstacle to getting the job done.

In 1977, a computer security expert noted that "as society becomes more dependent on computers, computer crime is becoming not only more disastrous in its potential impact, but also more attractive to the criminal." How right he was.

Information security is a hot issue, as companies try to balance the advantages of doing business on the Internet with the need to protect their information systems from unauthorized intruders. Unfortunately, while focusing on making their systems secure, management often neglects basic physical security.

Secret Codes. Enigmatic messages. Undercover officers. Spies. Espionage. Sounds like a Hollywood movie - or does it? Today's businesses are facing magnified risks. Business information is a valuable commodity.

Ensuring privacy of information in the age of computers and the Internet concerns us all as the abuse of access to information systems becomes increasingly prevalent. By abuse, I mean the use of data for purposes for which it was not originally collected. Almost 50 percent of organizations responding to the 1997 Computer Security Institute/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey identified some form of unauthorized use of their computers in the last year.

The Internet is growing at a phenomenal rate and along with it are growing security risks to business information systems. In a recent test conducted by the U.S. defense department, 7,860 of the 8,932 random attacks launched were successful. What's more frightening is that only 390 attacks were detected and only 19 eventually reported.

It is in everyone's best interest to use software in a legal and ethical manner. Since the use of each piece of software Is subject to different restrictions, please review the license agreements that come with your software carefully. In general, you do not have the right to: - Receive and use unauthorized copies of software. - Make unauthorized copies of software for others. - Leave a copy of commercial software on public computers.

Software piracy is the unauthorized copying or distribution of software in violation of license agreements. When you purchase or otherwise obtain software (e.g. by getting shareware or freeware from friend or the Internet), you are actually acquiring a license that permits you to use the software. You do not own the software.

Software piracy - the illegal distribution or copying of software - costs the software industry billions of dollars every year. According to the Business Software Alliance the software industry in Canada and the United States experienced a loss of $3,131,455,600 - 21% of the world total - from software piracy in 1994. Losses in Asia and Europe were higher at 29% ($4,350,981,640) and 39% ($6,002,681,255) of the world total.

Since UBC adopted the guidelines for Appropriate Use of Information Technology in 1993, Computing and Communications has received numerous complaints regarding violations. Most of the complaints are about chain mail, spamming, and e-mail harassment. Other common violations include sharing subscriptions for commercial purposes.

All Interchange and Netinfo subscribers and all other users of computing facilities and services on campus, must respect UBC's Appropriate Use of Information Technology guidelines. Following these guidelines ensures that the university is an environment where everyone is treated with humanity and respect. It also ensures that you don't break any existing policies, laws or statutes, and that the university's computing systems remain secure.

Computer Security Day is November 30 and once again UBC is an official participant. This year's theme is Management Support and I need your help. Please make all the members of your department aware of their security responsibilities on this day and throughout the year.

This year's international computer security day is Wednesday, November 30. Computer Security Day began in 1988 when the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Security, Audit and Control (SIGSAC) decided to bring extra attention to the important issue of computer security. The final day in November was chosen for computer security day so that attention remains strong over the holiday season when it might otherwise become lax.

In 1960, following his study of security in government departments, Lord Radcliffe stated that "the single biggest risk to security is probably a general lack of conviction that any threat exists" (Information Security 15-350-102, May 1992). This is still true today. Most people feel that they do not need to be concerned about security because they do not have access to anything of interest. I often hear comments like "Why would anyone want access to my account?"

On November 22, University Computing Services staff added password checking software to UNIXG to help ensure the system's security. Password checking software is rapidly becoming a common feature of North American UNIX systems. It requires passwords to meet strict guidelines for complexity. Passwords must be six to eight characters long, contain a sufficient mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and punctuation and not be found in an on-line "dictionary," which is not a published English dictionary but an extensive listing of common letter and number patterns, specialized vocabulary, abbreviations and names as well as words.

With the rapid burgeoning of national and international networks, the question of system security has become one of growing importance. High speed inter-machine communication and even higher speed computational processors have made the threats of system "crackers," data theft data corruption very real. - Daniel V. Klein, Foiling the Cracker: A Survey of, and Improvements to, Password Security, an article sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The most secure system is unusable, and the most usable is insecure." - Paulina Borsook "Seeking Security," Byte, May 1993, p 119. Before decentralized computing, mainframe computers and computer files were kept in highly secure areas; computing personnel ensured that the data, files and programs were secure, carefully managed and backed up regularly. Use of business application systems was tightly controlled, with the access often only permitted from terminals identified with a particular user and specific location. The basis of UBC's mainframe security was identification and authentication.