Students and faculty using their university e-mail addresses can now receive e-mail attachments hours earlier than they used to due to the new e-mail security policy implemented by University Technology Services.

Under the new policy, which went into effect at the end of August, an e-mail with an attachment sent to a DU e-mail address is scanned by UTS to check for viruses. Then a notification is sent to the intended recipient of the e-mail.

The notification e-mail alerts the recipient that he or she has an incoming attachment and offers the recipient the option to access the attachment immediately.

If the recipient wants to receive the e-mail with the attachment at that time, he or she must either click on the Message ID and send the e-mail that is generated or simply reply to the notification e-mail, quoting the section of the notification e-mail that contains the Message ID.

After completing either of these two processes, the e-mail with the attachment will be released shortly.

If the recipient takes no action after receiving the notification e-mail, the e-mail with the attachment is held for four hours, then scanned for viruses a second time and released to the recipient.

The four-hour delay, which was already an established practice of UTS, is designed to allow anti-virus software providers time to discover and respond to new and constantly evolving security threats, according to Arlen Fletcher, director of network security.

UTS scans around 30 different common file types attached to e-mails, but some, such as .doc, are allowed to pass through the system immediately because they are so common.

“We’re always walking a tightrope between usability and keeping things safe,” Fletcher explained. Despite allowing .doc files to bypass scanning, UTS holds back other common files such as Excel spreadsheet files and PDF files.

Fletcher, who has fielded between one and two dozen phone calls about the change since the new policy went into effect said that no major problems have arisen.

However, some are unhappy with the amount of extra work the new policy requires to retrieve an e-mail attachment or are confused by the change.

Once most people learn that the new policy makes their e-mail attachments accessible sooner than they were in the past, they decide the change is not so bad after all.

The new policy was not prompted by any specific event but is part of UTS’s ongoing effort to stay one step ahead of those who create and circulate viruses, spyware, and malware.

Fletcher stressed that security is an ongoing, continuous process and that feedback from users is important and always welcome.

UTS can be reached at (303)871-4940 or through their website, www.du.edu/uts/security.