• Intercepting or diverting information, whether in transit or stored, for which you are not the intended recipient or would otherwise be allowed access to.
• Forging any part of an Email or News header, or information in headers of TCP/IP network packets.
• Using accounts for which you are not authorized to use, attempting to retrieve or determine account names and passwords, or otherwise attempting to bypass or manipulate an authentication system.
• Attempting to probe or scan systems or networks to determine potential vulnerabilities, services available, operating systems in use, or in order to map networks.
• Mail bombing and network flooding (ping floods, broadcast attacks, and the like).
• Attempting to cause any machine or application to crash or to consume resources such that services become unavailable or interrupted.
• Attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in any machine, application or service to gain unauthorized access to the system, use or misuse it for any purpose.
• Engaging in any activity that degrades, inhibits or circumvents CMI's ability to service and monitor its network and network infrastructure.
• Changing any assigned or listed hardware or IP addresses (dhcp, static or otherwise), or in any way attempting to conceal one's identity from CMI or masquerade as another user.

All machines attached to CMI's networks must be secured and updated/maintained regularly. At minimum, this entails using a firewall (a network firewall, host firewall, or both, as appropriate), installing operating system and application updates and fixes in a timely and regular manner, and use of an up-to-date virus scanner to scan email and any files obtained from others. Machines running public servers especially should be properly configured by someone competent and knowledgeable in computer and network security issues.

All common commercial operating systems are insecure in a default configuration, some much more so than others, and are generally not intended to be run that way. While computer and network security is quite a comprehensive topic, any users of CMI's networks must become familiar with basic procedures and requirements to prevent their machine(s) from being misused or abused by others, or have them maintained by someone that is. Computer security is not a setting that can be enabled or disabled, but the multifaceted collection of complimentary programs and hardware properly configured, with continued updating, evaluation, augmentation and/or replacement, and a general mindset and manner of conduct. Emphasis will be made of the ongoing nature of keeping a machine secure; it is not sufficient to just have it updated and secured upon initial installation.

You may liken this to the learning and practice required for driving on the highway system, and subsequent obedience to traffic laws, though we currently lack the analogous testing and licensing components. For some it comes easily, being involved with driving as they're brought up, and for others it takes diligent study and practice to understand and complete basic requirements. Once driving, you must continue to obey traffic laws, becoming aware of changes and additions to the laws as time progresses. As ones tastes change, budget allows, and misadventure or dilapidation requires, everyone exchanges their old vehicles for different, usually newer and more reliable models. And while CMI is not the "Internet police," we certainly are the administrative authority for our network and those using it.

Examples include:

• Allowing downloads from your machine via peer-to-peer file sharing programs (eg. napster, kazaa, morpheus, gnutella, edonkey, etc.).
• Running servers for http, ftp, irc, dhcp, multi-user interactive forums (muds), email or news service.
• Hosting gaming servers.
• Providing dial-up or wireless access to others, including connecting an unsecured wireless access point to CMI's network to which others can gain access.

Note that using peer-to-peer programs to download files is allowed (pursuant to Illegal Activity above), but allowing others to download files from machines connected to CMI's networks is not. Requests for permission to allow peer-to-peer file sharing will be refused, barring unusual obligating circumstances.

Almost all wireless access points are very insecure in a default configuration. Use of a private wireless access point will almost certainly require familiarization with it's security features and explicit configuration to utilize them.