In the most recent effort to improve the security of the network, as of last July, the ISUN ServiceID is no longer automatically assigned to new UC Davis computing accounts. The ISUN ServiceID is named after the server (ISUN), which enables a UC Davis computing account holder to access email via Telnet and pine and newsgroups via tin. This change in service does not affect those who created their accounts before July 10.

As more of us start using Eudora and other email programs, fewer of us need access to the ISUN server.

"Security concerns were the driving force behind this change," says Dave Zavatson, Distributed Systems Administrator. "Many account holders never use their ISUN login. This presents a security risk because it means that there is a greater chance a hacker will succeed in using one of those Login IDs to enter our network illegally. If a person never uses a LoginID, she or he will never know that it has been compromised. From now on, we would like to mitigate these security risks and limit the number of inactive accounts by providing the ISUN ServiceID only to users who request it."

• New student, staff, and faculty account holders (i.e., those who open an account after July 10).
• Faculty who expect students to use email through pine or newsgroups through tin.
• Technical support staff, who help instructors set up their ServiceIDs.

Everyone else.

• New account holders who do not need to access pine or tin (through Telnet) on the ISUN server.
• Current account holders (those who got their accounts before July 10).

Unless required by instructors, students could do without the ISUN ServiceID, particularly if they use a program like Eudora to read and send email.

If you established your UC Davis computing account after July 10 and need to access the ISUN server, you can add the ServiceID to your account.

• Go to https://mothra.ucdavis.edu/services/.
• Click on "Grant New Services to LoginID."
• Enter your full name, Student/Employee ID number, birthdate, and LoginID.

Step-by-step instructions are available at: http://scg.ucdavis.edu/howto/svcid.html.