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Frequently
Asked Questions
General Questions:
- How
do I get access to secure CatsWeb services?
- What
guidelines should I follow when selecting a password or PIN?
- What
if I've forgotten my password/PIN, my password/PIN doesn't work, or I need
to change my password/PIN?
- What
does the
mean? - What
are some of the security features of secure CatsWeb services?
- Where
can I find out more about university policies on information security?
- How
do I know I have a secure connection to CatsWeb services?
- How
do I get access to the Internet?
- Why
do certain web pages need to shut down periodically?
- What
is the Business Menu?
Browser Specific Questions:
- What
are the CatsWeb browser requirements?
- What
are the known problems using Internet Explorer?
- What
are the known problems using Netscape?
General Questions:
How do I get access to secure CatsWeb services?
You must first obtain the credentials necessary to login to CatsWeb.
Most students, faculty and
staff obtain a NetID and password for this purpose by following the
instructions on the Texas
State NetID and password web page.
If you do not have or cannot
obtain a
Faculty and staff must
obtain prior authorization from the appropriate information
security administrator before attempting to access the CatsWeb Business
Menu.
What guidelines should I follow when selecting and
managing my password or PIN?
- Avoid obvious passwords. Don't
use obvious proper names or acronyms such as your name or initials as
passwords. Nonsense combinations of letters, numbers, and characters are
much more difficult for a would-be intruder to guess. The following
password rules are enforced:
- Only the characters A-Z, 0-9, $, -, or _ are
allowed
- No spaces are allowed
- Cannot be a word that appears in the dictionary
- Must be between 8 and 31 characters in length
- Cannot use passwords you have used previously
- Avoid obvious PINs. Don't
use all or parts of obvious numbers as your PIN, e.g., the first 6 digits
of your telephone number or the last six digits of your SSN. The following PIN selection rules are
enforced:
- Only the characters 0-9 are allowed; no spaces
are allowed
- Cannot use replication of a single digit (e.g.,
111111, 222222, 333333)
- Cannot be your date of birth
- Must be between 100000 and 999999
- Don't write your password/PIN down. A written password/PIN is more easily
discovered than one committed to memory.
- Change passwords/PINs frequently. If someone accidentally discovers your password/PIN, you may not
be aware that it is being misused. Frequent changes help prevent continued
misuse in such cases.
- Be careful when typing a password/PIN. Your password/PIN is not displayed on the
monitor when entered. Regardless, don't let someone look over your
shoulder while typing your password/PIN. If you think your password/PIN
security has been compromised, change your password/PIN immediately.
What if I've forgotten my password/PIN, my
password/PIN doesn't work, or I need to change my password/PIN?
Refer to the appropriate link in the Computing Services section of the CatsWeb Student Services Index
Page.
What
does the mean?
The appears next to
all services that require authentication of the user's identity. Authentication
is accomplished via system login with a valid NetID/password combination or
a valid ID/PIN combination. See How do I get access to secure CatsWeb services? .
What are some of the security features of secure
CatsWeb services?
- Cookies. Secure CatsWeb
services use cookies to track information about your transactions. Your
browser must be configured to accept cookies in order to access secure
CatsWeb services.
- JavaScript. Secure
CatsWeb services include JavaScript code. Your browser must be configured
to enable JavaScript in order to access secure CatsWeb services.
- SSL. Secure CatsWeb
services employ a security protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) that
provides data encryption, server authentication, message integrity, and
client authentication for a TCP/IP connection. Your browser must support
SSL in order to access secure CatsWeb services.
Where can I find out more about
- UPPS
04.01.01 - Security of Texas State Information Resources
- UPPS
04.01.02 - Access to Centrally Administered Computing Resources
- UPPS
04.01.07 - Appropriate Use of Information Resources
- UPPS
01.04.30 - Release of Information Pursuant to the Texas Open Records Act
- UPPS
01.04.31 - Access to Student Records Pursuant to the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
How do I know I have a secure connection to CatsWeb
services?
- In Netscape 6 and 7, secure pages are indicated by a closed padlock
within a yellow square at the bottom right of your browser window. An open
padlock indicates the data you are viewing is not secure. Clicking on the
padlock will give you more security information about the page.
- In Microsoft Internet Explorer 4, 5, and 6, secure pages are
indicated by a closed padlock at the bottom right of your browser window.
The absence of the padlock indicates that the data you are viewing is not
secure.
How
do I get access to the Internet?
There are a number of places on campus where students, faculty, and staff may
access
Why do certain web pages need to shut down
periodically?
Web services must shut down periodically so that backups and software
maintenance can be performed.
What is
the Business Menu?
The Business Menu provides access to a restricted set of web functions that
support the business activities of university administrators, academic
advisors, and other faculty and staff. Access to these functions requires prior
authorization from the appropriate information
security administrator.
Browser Specific Questions:
What are the CatsWeb browser requirements?
CatsWeb pages have been developed and tested for use with the browser and
platform combinations illustrated in the table below. Other browser and
platform combinations may cause unforeseen problems and are not supported for
use with CatsWeb. In all cases, SSL encryption, JavaScript 1.1 and cookies must
be enabled in your browser. Your browser's help function contains instructions
for enabling these features. Information Systems and Services will expand
support for new or additional browser versions as testing
with those versions is complete.
|
Browser |
Platform
|
Current Version |
Minimum Version |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netscape |
Windows |
7.0 |
6.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internet Explorer |
Windows |
6.0 |
4.0 |
What are the known problems using Netscape?
- CatsWeb applications may not be fully functional with Netscape
versions 4.*, 6.0, or 6.1 due to problems with the browser. To avoid these
problems, Netscape versions 6.2 and above are recommended.
What are the known problems using Internet Explorer?
- You may encounter an "errors on page" message in the
status bar or a Javascript alert box containing an "object
required" error. To eliminate these errors, change the following
settings:
- Click on "Tools" in the Internet
Explorer tool bar
- Select "Internet Options" from the
pull-down menu
- In the Internet Options pop-up window, select
the "Advanced" tab
- Scroll down to the section on Security
- Check the boxes next to "Do not save
encrypted pages to disk" and "Empty Temporary Internet Files
folder when browser is closed"
- Exit all Internet Explorer windows and re-start
Internet Explorer
- Macintosh and PC users may encounter a "refresh screen"
problem at the authentication screen of the CatsWeb application. After
entering the NetID and password and then clicking the Login button, the
authentication screen will flicker and the user will appear to have been
returned to the authentication screen. However, if the user clicks the
Refresh button on the IE toolbar, the selected screen (e.g., business
menu, transcripts, etc.) will be displayed.