Rice’s Internet Firewall - Background

Next Steps

By design, once Information Technology implements the new firewall stance, inbound connections from the Internet will no longer be available. This means that some of current student network activities may no longer work as expected. It is impossible to identify a complete list prior to the changes, but once they are in place Students will no longer be able to use their computers to do the following:

• Provide web services to the Internet
• Accept inbound secure shell (SSH) connections from the Internet
• Act as the host for network-based games
• Provide login accounts for their friends and colleagues outside of Rice
• Tunnel Internet traffic to their machine

If a user has a particular requirement for more open network access from the Internet, Information Technology is prepared to assist them in developing some alternatives that will permit their desired use while still maintaining the security integrity of the rest of the campus network. In some cases, an alternative services already exists on-campus. In other cases, IT may relocate (virtually, not physically) desktop or laptop computers to different networks that can provide more open services to the Internet. If a user suspects that they may need to explore these or other options, they are encouraged to contact the IT Help Desk, 713.348.HELP(4357) or helpdesk at rice dot edu. They will direct requests to the appropriate IT staff to help develop options for consideration.