Cluster Computers

Many Stanford students use public computers, which are located all around campus in libraries and residences. Using these computers puts students at a much higher risk of privacy invasion, though few students realize what information they expose by using the computers.

·        Cached Web Pages

Whenever you use Netscape or Internet Explorer, the pages you visit are copied and stored on the local computer. Some web sites, like Internet banking and Stanford Axess, contain codes that instruct the browser not to keep a “cached” copy on the local system. But many pages do not contain these codes, thus allowing any other user to examine what sites you visited, what images you viewed, etc. These cached pages could contain credit card numbers or “embarrassing” content which you might not like others to know that you have accessed.

·        Open Browser Windows

Similar to cached web pages, you further expose what sites you have visited by leaving a web browser window open on a cluster computer. The next user can use the “Back” button in the browser window to see exactly what pages you have been visiting. These pages could include web-based email (like Hotmail, or Stanford Webmail), personal financial information (stocks, banking), or very personal content like medical information.

·        Web Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information stored in a web browser which are placed there by Internet sites so that your user settings and behaviors can be tracked. On a cluster computer, these only present a risk if you have an account on a site that stores your user information in a cookie. In this case, any other user of the cluster computer will automatically have access to your account on the site. Example sites that use cookies to keep track of your user information include Hotmail, My Yahoo, and Evite.

·        Open Pine Sessions

Many cluster computers have a “Double-Click to Logout” icon on the desktop that requires that the next user provide their own Leland ID before using the system. However, by logging out you do not automatically close all open windows, including MacSamson or other telnet windows that you use to read email. Unless you close these windows, the next user might be able to use your Leland account in any way they desire.

·        Save Stuff Here

Though this point might seem obvious, the “Save Stuff Here” folder that appears on most cluster computers is a public folder accessible to anyone. You might not think that keeping a copy of your paper or problem set here would be a problem, but looking through these folders often yields personal information that the author probably did not intend to share with the entire Stanford community. It is generally wise to clean up your files after leaving a cluster computer.