Frequently asked questions about quarantine from the NTNU network due to a breach of ICT-regulations.

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Breaches could be due to downloading or sharing copyrighted material, your computer being infected with harmful software, or hacking. 

Consequences of breaching the ICT-regulations will first be given in the form of written warning, then a temporary quarantine from the NTNU network and finally a notice to your Institute which can have consequences for your studies.

NOTE: Students living in apartments or rooms owned by SiT, as well as Singsaker student home have their internet provided by NTNU, and thus are affected by these rules at home. A quarantine from the NTNU network could then include your home network.

Quarantine

- What happens when my internet connection is restricted?

Residents who are quarantined because of a breach of the ICT-regulations are placed on a quarantine network (VLAN). If you try to access a website outside NTNU, you will be redirected to a website with information about why you were quarantined. The quarantine network can only access sites under the ntnu.no domain. This does not include It's Learning as this is delivered by an external supplier.

- How do I get my internet back?

How you get your internet back depends on why you were quarantined. For more information, see the section about Infected computers and breaching copyright.

- The quarantine should be lifted, but I can still only access the quarantine network.

This is caused by most operating systems not detecting that the computer has been moved to a different VLAN. Renewing your IP address by disconnecting and reconnecting the network cable or restarting your computer should fix this problem.

Frequently asked questions about infected computers

- What happens if a computer is considered infected or compromised?

A computer is considered infected if a malicious program or virus has installed itself on the machine. It can also be considered infected if it behaves in a way where it inhibits the network normal operation flow.

- What is the most common form of infection?

The most common forms of infection and compromising can be viruses, trying to illegaly gain access to other computers, botnet, or port scanning. 

- What are the most common causes for infection?

Among the most common causes for infection and compromising are lacking firewalls or anti-virus programs, bad online habits, and lacking security updates from for example Windows.

- Why does NTNU quarantine infected computers?

NTNU IT will quarantine compromised and infected machines to stop them from continuing the disruptive and unwanted behaviour, and limits the possibility for it to spread over the network. 

- What should I do if I am told or I suspect my computer to be compromised?

If you suspect your computer is compromised, there are a few different options. This article about Viruses and other safety issues might be helpful. 

If you have already been quarantined, you have to contact Orakel Support Services. Here you can get help trying to remove the virus and look into other options. However, the only way to be absolutely sure your computer is clean is to do a reinstall of the operating system. This is often a last resort, but is sometimes requiered. 

If you reinstall your computer at home, you still have to contact Orakel Support Servicesto remove the quarantine. 

- I don't want to reinstall my computer, can't I just run a search with an anti-virus program?

It isn't always enough to just do a search with anti-virus software. This does not garantee that all malicious software and applicaitons are found, nor that they are all removed. While it might be enough in some cases, reinstallation is the only way to garantee that all unwanted elements are removed.

 - How should I protect myself against infections and being compromised?

Make sure your firewall is always active, that you have an anti-virus program installed and updated, and that all security updated for your operating system are installed. Be careful about which websites you visit, what software you download and install, and don't open or run files you don't know are safe. Malicious software often spreads by sending links and files through chat services like MSN, Facebook, or Skype. 

Breach of copyright

- I have recieved a warning for copyright infringement. What happens now?

Sharing copyrighted material is a breach on NTNU's ICT-regulations, and the sanctions for this is as follows

1. First infringement: Written warning and requiered reply.
2. Second infringement: Your internet is blocked for two weeks.
3. Third infringement: Your internet is blocked for 30 days.
4. Any next infringmenets: Your internet is blocked for 90 days and a report is sent to your place of study as a disciplinary action.

Contact

Orakel Support Services can help if you encounter difficulties. If you are an NTNU employee, consult your local IT Support.