Beginning Feb. 4, Vanderbilt IT will increase safeguards against malware, spyware and viruses, along with phishing sites and sites containing inappropriate material. At this time, VUIT will switch services from the current OpenDNS provider to the Next Generation Network (NGN) control point security appliances. NGN has been developed to provide more accuracy and protection for all Vanderbilt networks and hosts.
Most Vanderbilt networks will have URL protections against malware, phishing and blocked sites, which are consistent with the current protections applied through OpenDNS. Those Vanderbilt networks without this URL protection fall into specific subnets that have already adopted the additional protection of content filtering through the OpenDNS service; this same filtering will carry over to the new environment.
Additionally, specific categories, such as sites about malware, hacking, phishing, gambling, illicit drugs, dating, nudity, etc., will be blocked for the above subnets that are currently using the URL category filtering protection.
Not only will the new NGN environment provide better protection, it will also contain notification pages that users will see if they try to visit a blocked site and a more effective review process for questionable URLs and sites.
If a user believes that a site has been mistakenly blocked, he or she can submit a review request to VUIT Network Security by contacting the Help Desk or by clicking the link in the notification page. This will open a browser session to a Pegasus form specifically designed for the request to review a blocked page. Review requests have a 48-hour turnaround window and are prioritized on a first-in/first-out basis. If additional escalation is required for a blocked-site review, the process will likely take longer.
To learn more about NGN’s enhanced protection, please contact the Help Desk at (615) 343-4357.