Web site can show its face again at UNM

by Eva Dameron

Daily Lobo

Facebook.com is back in business at UNM.

After four months of blocked access to the site, students can once again visit the Web site on campus.

Moira Gerety, director of CIRT, said CIRT worked with Facebook to make the Web site more secure.

"It took them about a month at least to get the front screen change rearranged so it was more clear on the registration page to not use your UNM password," she said.

Then it took Facebook programmers a while to make the login secure, she said.

UNM officials were concerned about Facebook's login requirement of using a UNM NetID. They feared the site was not secure enough to prevent students' personal information from being accessed.

"It's something they didn't have any experience with," Gerety said. "That was sort of an indication that their Web site was fairly immature."

It took some time with tests and configurations before the site was ready for students to use again, she said.

"They used UNM as kind of a base test for that," she said. "We worked with them, and as a result we feel their site is more secure for all universities. It wasn't a delay - it took time on their part to implement what we asked of them."

Some students complained to CIRT after the site was shut down, asking it make Facebook accessible again.

Gerety said she did not know the exact number of students who complained.

She doesn't foresee any reason Facebook would be shut down again, unless the Web site itself wants to make revisions, she said.

But if the Web site shuts down again, some students said they won't be affected.

Student Scott Wickman never knew the site was back up because he found a way to access Facebook from his dormitory using a proxy server.

"I didn't know that it was back up by UNM sanction," Wickman said. "I'm so used to going to proxymouse.com. There are a couple of different sites out there like that."

Student Joby Elliott said he also found a way around the block.

"I found a problem in the way UNM was blocking it, so I got around it by changing some configuration settings on my computer," he said.

Some aren't as quick to find loopholes on their computers.

Student Jessicah Adkins said while she doesn't live in the dorms, she's "glad that it's open to the people who do live on campus."

Gerety said she was conflicted by the reaction of the student body toward Facebook being shut down.

"I have four kids going to school and they make tremendous use of MySpace and Facebook, so I understand why it's popular," she said. "What did surprise me is the naivetÇ of the students in terms of the necessity of some basic security, and even some naivetÇ relative to the risk of such things as stalking. Kids should be careful what they post and guard their password."

She said students have a lot of passion for the site, made evident by the public outcry against CIRT.

"The energy that students have and their passion for things - I'd love to see it directed at other things," she said. "But on the other hand, that's each student's personal choice. I believe in choice."