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User Guide

IT user at the Department of Economics

The term "users", as applied in this guide, includes the staff at the Department of Economics (scientific technical, administrative and part time employees, as well as internal PhD students) and long-term visitors. Persons in the latter group will normally become users at the start of their appointment or visit.

Some of the information and rules in this guide will also be relevant to other people associated with the Department of Economics, e.g. external lecturers and external PhD students.

The user guide
This user guide is for users of the network at the Department of Economics. The purpose of the guide is to inform about important security rules which apply to everyone who uses the IT facilities of the Department. Moreover, the user guide gives information about IT service possibilities at the Department and defines the guidelines for use of hardware, software and network facilities belonging to the Department. Furthermore the guide informs about the rules for using the ADSL-connections which the Department places at the disposal of some employees.

Other IT information
General IT policies and frameworks are defined by the IT committee. The IT committee, its mandate and members, can be found in the information system (ØI-information) at the Department of Economics. Minutes from the committee’s meetings are also in this system. See Appendix: “Relevant IT-contacts” for more information. In ØI-information are also mentioned rules for purchasing and lending of hardware, software, data, etc. for external research funds.

In Appendix: "Relevant IT-contacts" is also information about reservation of pc user-room for students, IT facilities in class rooms, IT-services from the Library and IT Services - Faculty of Social Sciences (SAMF-IT) (in Danish: Center for Samfundsvidenskabelig IT). SAMF-IT is operating servers and other central IT facilities for the Institute of Economics.

Security rules
User accounts at the Institute are created with a belonging e-mail account and with access to a network drive for saving user files on a central fileserver. Daily backup is taken of both mail server and fileserver. There is only access to e-mail and user files on the fileserver when using the network password associated with the individual user account. The user should therefore never give this password to anyone else, anyone else here including the staff at the IT office. If the user for some reason anyhow has informed about his password, he should immediately change it. Sensitive data, like topics for exams, are therefore secure, when stored on the network drive (normally called Z:-drive). The C: drive on the users desktop is not a secure location. The desktop could be stolen, or the disk could break down; important or sensitive data should therefore always be kept on the network drive.

As a user you accept to use the equipment, software and network at the Department with respect for other users and the given resources. You also commit to protect the good reputation of the Department and to follow the guidelines from the IT office and the IT committee.

IT-service at the Department

IT-office
The basic IT service tasks are handled by the employees in the IT-office. The staff helps users when they have problems with hardware or software. The office has to full-time employees (called beregnere in Danish), and the daily management is handled by the Head of SAMF-IT.

The IT-office is located in Øster Farimagsgade 5, building 25 (Office 25.0.4). The IT staff can be contacted on e-mail okoadm@econ.ku.dk or by phone 35 32 30 66. Daily opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 9 to 16 and Friday from 9 to 15.

The service tasks will normally be performed at the Department through telephone instructions or through remote support where the user gives the IT employee temporary electronic access to the PC in question. Remote support means that the user with the malfunctioning PC logs of and the IT employee logs on with an ID and a temporary password (the password is automatically changed after each shut down or restart), in order to carry out the reparation. Employees who do not wish to receive remote support should contact the IT-office.

Desktop PCs

A workplace in the Department of Economics will normally be equipped with a desktop pc of good quality, internet access, printer access, and the possibility of storing sensitive user files on a network drive (Z:-drive) with daily backup. All equipment belongs to individual workplaces (desks) and is registered with a hardware number in the inventory list of the IT-office. Thus, movement of equipment to other workplaces is not allowed without permission from the IT-office. User PCs are normally replaced every 3 years.

Standard set-up
The desktop will normally have a standard set-up in Danish or English. The software programmes which the Department has general licenses for are installed. A list of the programmes with general licenses can be found in the Appendix: “Software license list”. The list also shows the programmes with multi-user or floating licenses. Please contact the IT-office for installation of software from the list or acquisition of other types of software. Information about the approval procedure can also found in this list.

If a PC crashes, breaks down etc., the general rule is that the standard set-up and the selected programmes from the list will be re-established on a new machine.

Storage of user files
It is the user’s responsibility to ensure a safe storage of his or hers user files. The staff at the IT-office will gladly guide the user in how to ensure this and moreover help with the set-up. In this context, user files are original files (text documents, spread sheets, programme code, data etc.) which the user either has produced himself or which can only be re-established from the original source with difficulty. This means that user files do not comprise of the software programmes which have been installed on the PC by either the user or the IT-office.

Z:-drive: User files must be stored on a personal network drive, in the following called Z:-drive. (Notice that other letters can be used on some PCs, e.g. P:). Thus, every user has his own private area on one of the safe fileservers of SAMF-IT where only he has access.

Every night a central backup is performed of the Z:-drive. During the month, copies are kept on a daily basis. Moreover, a single backup for each month is kept for 12 months.

Other network drives: The individual user can have access to other network drives besides the Z:-drive, (e.g. N:, O:, P: ). These drives are used in connection with special programs or for installation of new programs. The IT-office staff can instruct in the use of these.

The purpose of the backup is to be able to restore the files when a disk breaks down or in case of other system errors. In order to recreate a single file for an individual user, a manual procedure is necessary; search for tape and search on the tape is a somewhat demanding procedure and thus a request for recreation of a single file should only be made in case of real need.

Files on the mail server are also backed up but with the present facilities in the mail server programme it is not possible to recreate files which have been deleted by the individual mail user. This means that the backup is solely a system backup for recreation of the whole system.

As a special precaution the second newest monthly backup is stored outside of Øster Farimagsgade.

If there is a special need for storing user files, e.g. to have private backup for a long period, the IT-office can help in transferring the files to CD or DVD.

The harddrive: (C:-drive): The harddrive on the PC which the user presently disposes over cannot be considered a lasting or safe place to store the user’s files. There is no central backup of the C:-drive and the PC can be attacked by theft, virus, or other forms of technical breakdown. There can also be other reasons for replacing the PC. However, planned replacement will normally happen after agreement with the user. See Appendix: "PC replacement".

Consequently, it is imperative to ensure that all user files are on the Z:-drive. This is especially important if you are away from the office for a long time. It should be noted that files on the harddrive will not be re-established in case of repair or replacement of the PC. Unfortunately, computers are regularly stolen and a small number are also expected to break down every year.

User installation of programmes
If the user installs software and stores files on hardware belonging to the Department of Economics, it is the user’s responsibility to ensure that this is done in compliance with all existing rules for license, copyright etc.

Encryption
It it can be dangerous to store valuable data on a mobile device: laptop, DVD, CD, USB-stick, mobile phone. Data integrity can also be in peril, when you transmit data, e.g.  via email or ftp.

Besides protecting the equipment itself, encryption is an excellent way of protecting data. This means that data are encoded with a secret key, and therefore cannot be read or changed by unwelcome persons. Only people in possession of the key can access them. Please note that if the key is lost nobody can read the data, if the owner has no other copy, data are lost forever.

Encryption of an Office file can be performed by Microsoft Office. Encryption of a folder can be done by Windows itself. Another possibility is to use the freeware program TrueCrypt. For further information, please visit http://informationssikkerhed.ku.dk/english/.

If needed, please ask the IT-Office for assistance in this matter

The network of the Department of Economics, e-mail and Internet access.

When a network user-id is created, a corresponding e-mail account is also established and the user is placed in the relevant mail groups.

In order to limit the number of e-mails, the use of general mail-groups (e.g. *ØI, medarbejdere) should be limited as much as possible. The size of an individual user’s mailbox is limited. If necessary, please contact the IT-office regarding the possibility for increasing the size of the mailbox or for storing of old mails on the Z:-drive, or on CD.

When a user resigns, or ends his other affiliation with the Department of Economics the e-mail account will normally be open for 3 months and thus it will be possible to have one’s mails forwarded. Afterwards, the account will be closed and people writing to the account will be informed that the account has been closed. After an additional 3 months, the account will be cancelled with no further warning. See also the paragraph "former users".

PCs at the Department are protected against known virus by the program F-Secure. The user must follow instructions on the screen from this program if a virus is found. In general, caution is absolutely necessary when opening e-mails with attachments from unknown sender, and/or unknown file types. If in doubt, please contact the IT-office.

For the time being the Institute offers all VIP and PhD employees an ADSL connection in their home. About this, contact the chairman of the IT-committee. Relative to ADSL the employee signs an agreement with the Department, where among other things it is clarified that:

• Employees who accept an ADSL connection must submit to the terms of the Internet Service Provider (ISP). E.g. commercial exploitation is forbidden and one is not allowed to transfer the connection to someone else. In addition, the Department cannot accept installation of a server on the ADSL connection.

• The employee should install a VPN connection on his computer; this gives a safe access to e-mails and files on the Z:-drive. The home computer must have an antivirus program installed; this program should automatically be updated regularly. The IT-office/SAMF-IT can help set this up. There is, however, no on-site assistance. The programme must be active when the ADSL connection is open. The firewall facilities in Windows must be used and the automatic Windows update must be active.

External PCs which are to be connected to the Department’s network must be protected against virus before they can be connected to the Department’s network. Contact the IT-office to get a CD with F-Secure for home use.

A log is kept over the use of the network.

If users want to create file sharing services or ftp-servers via the Department network they must first contact the IT-office.

Printers and other shared facilities

Printers
A large number of printers are available, monochrome laser printers and color printers of varied types. In Appendix: "Overview of Network Printers and Scanners", the locations of the different printers are indicated. In the Appendix is also a guide to installing the relevant printers.

Scanners, CD-and DVD-writers
A number of scanners can be found at the Department, see the above-mentioned Appendix.

New PCs are normally equipped with CD write capability. Blank media can be obtained at the IT-office. The IT-office has a DVD-writer and can help create disks.

Loan of portable equipment

In all situations where equipment is borrowed, the IT-Office can ask the borrower for id. Borrowers are therefore asked to have their KU id-card ready.

Loan of portable computer
The Department has several kinds of laptop lending:

• Long term loan of a portable PC to full-time scientific and administrative employees: These employees can borrow a laptop for one year at a time. The laptops are for IT-relevant teaching, frequent job-related travel, and external communication activities. They can also be used for special administrative tasks. Contact the IT-committee chairman.

• Short term loan of portable PC: Duration max. 14 days, e.g. for a journey, ad-hoc teaching or communication activities and research in the field. Contact the IT-office well ahead of the event.

• PhD students are offered a choice between a desktop PC (similar to VIP employees’) and a portable PC equipped with docking station and supplemental screen and keyboard. The portable computer can be used when travelling. Contact the IT-committee chairman.

• Loan for external teachers’ IT-related teaching: Contact the Director of Studies.

• Other long-term loans: Contact the IT-committee chairman.

All loans are personal and are registered via a loan-form in the inventory list at the IT-office. Borrowed equipment may not be borrowed to someone else without permission from the IT-office.

Loan of projectors
The Department has a number of mobile projectors which can be borrowed for teaching, seminars etc. Loan of projectors is administered as described in the appendix: "Loan of projectors".

In order to ensure good resource utilization the projector should be picked up and returned immediately before and after the event for which it is used.

External access to the network at Department of Economics and to e-mail

Users of the Department’s network can get access from external computers via a so called VPN-connection (Virtual private Network). With a VPN-connection the remote (external) computer will work in the same way as a directly connected pc. If the user is Internet connected to computers elsewhere, it will seem to those computers, as if the user’s pc was directly on the Institute’s network. A guide to setup of the VPN-connection can be found in Appendix: "IT guides to installation etc.".

As mentioned above, computers connected to the Department’s network are required to have antivirus and firewall software. This also applies to PCs with other forms of connection. Contact the IT-office in order to get the CD with F-Secure for home use.

It should be noted that computers connected to networks at other organizations, e.g. a universities one visits, not necessarily can use VPN. They can be prevented from this by local security rules and firewalls.

The user’s e-mail account can be accessed without VPN-connection; a browser can be used instead. Open a browser from any Internet connection (not necessarily a PC) to the address http://mail.ibt.ku.dk/ and follow the directions on the shown pages. This is especially relevant for users who are out of the country or who are not able establish a VPN-connection. The functionality in the web-mail is not on a par with Microsoft Outlook.

Guest login

Short term guests are not normally created as users, but are offered a guest login. Contact person for creation of short term guests are usually the secretary for the VIP unit, which is host for the guest.

Former users

Users who quit their position at the Institute of Economics, or cease other affiliation, must contact the IT-office before they leave, to arrange details about mail forwarding, transport of user files etc. User files will normally be transferred via CD or DVD.

The e-mail account will normally be open for 3 months and thus it will be possible to have one’s mails forwarded. Afterwards, the account will be closed and people writing to the account will be informed that the account has been closed. After an additional 3 months, the account will be cancelled with no further warning.

In the same way, files belonging to former users will usually be deleted 6 months after the user has left the Department of Economics. Therefore, the user should ensure that his files are available on CD/DVD before the 6-month period expires.

Please contact the IT-office if the time-limits should be extended.