Peer-to-peer software regulations
The University is continuing to develop security controls to protect its systems and data from access by unauthorised persons.
In line with this strategy, our information security policy has been amended to prohibit the physical connection to the University's campus network of any device (whether privately or University owned) which has file sharing peer-to-peer (P2P) software installed upon it, unless that software is required for official University purposes and the device and software are registered in advance with ISS. Devices which connect only to the wireless network do not have to be registered: controls are already in place, and have been for some time, to prevent the operation of peer-to-peer applications on that network.
Details of the policy and the registration process, along with what constitutes 'file sharing peer-to-peer software', what applications are exempt from registration, and how to get help if you unsure whether this affects you, can be found at http://campus.leeds.ac.uk/isms/advice/peer-to-peer.html.
ISS will be monitoring the campus network from 1st October 2009 and anyone found using un-registered P2P applications will be contacted and asked either to un-install them, or, if they are required for on-going official University purposes, to register them with ISS.
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