Computer
Security
Bulletin Board
System
USER’S
GUIDE
Mark
Skandera
Marianne
Swanson
U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE
Technology Administration
National Institute of
Standards
and Technology
Computer Security
Division
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
NIST
Computer
Security
Bulletin Board System
NISTIR
4933
USER’S
GUIDE
Mark
Skandera
Marianne
Swanson
U.S.
DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE
Technology
Administration
National
Institute of Standards
and Technology
Computer
Security Division
Gaithersburg, MD
20899
September
1992
Supersedes NISTIR 4667
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE
Barbara Hackman
Franklin, Secretary
TECHNOLOGY
ADMINISTRATION
Robert M. White,
Under Secretary for Technology
NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF STANDARDS
AND
TECHNOLOGY
John W. Lyons,
Director
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) makes
no
claim
or endorsement
of
the
information provided. This publication is part of
a
continuing
effort to assist federal
agencies
in
accordance with NIST’s mandate under the Computer Security
Act of 1987.
Questions
regarding this publication should
be
addressed to National Institute of
Standards and
Technology, Computer Security
Bulletin Board, A-216 Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
Additional copies of this publication may be purchased through
the
National Technical
Information Service, Springfield,
VA
22161,
telephone:
(703)
487-4650.
The co-author,
Mark Skandara left NIST
to
pursue his graduate degree. Special
thanks
to Larry
Keys
for all his help in preparing
this revision.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1
1.1.
Purpose
1
1.2. Bulletin
Board Access and Structure
1
1.3.
Organization
of Guide
2
2. BBS Basics
3
2.1.
Explanation of Symbols
3
2.1.1. Brackets
and Parentheses
3
2.1.2. Angle Brackets
(<>)
4
2.1.3. The Carat
4
2.2. Screen
Scrolling 4
2.3. On-Screen
Help
5
2.4.
Navigating the BBS
5
2.5. On-Screen Information
6
3.
Acessing the BBS
7
3.1. Methods
7
3.1.1. Modem
7
3.1.2. Internet
8
3.2. Your
First
Log-On
8
3.3. General Log-on
10
4. Bulletin and File Functions
11
4.1. Bulletins
11
4.1.1.
Existing Bulletins 11
4.1.2. New Bulletins
13
4.1.3.
NEWS BuUetin 14
4.2.
Files 14
4.2.1.
Listing Files Selectively 16
4.2.2.
[V]iew Archives 17
5. Downloading and
Uploading Files and Bulletins 19
5.1. Reading Downloaded
Bulletins and Files
20
5.2. Decompressing (Unzipping) Files 20
5.3.
[P]ersonal Download
21
5.4. Uploading
Files
21
6. Sending Messages
23
6.1. Sending Messages
23
6.2. Reading
Messages
25
6.2.1.
Quick Message
Search
28
6.2.1.
1.
[PJersonal
Mail
28
6.2.
1.2. List
[TJopic
of Messages
28
6.2.
1.3.
[S]can
Messages
29
6.3.
Erasing
Messages
29
6.4. Responding To Messages
29
6.5.
Forwarding Messages
30
7. Utility
Functions
31
7.1.
[E]cho Preference
31
7.2.
[GJraphics
31
7.3.
[LJines
Per Page
31
7.4.
[M]essage
Margin
32
7.5.
[R]ead
Profile
32
7.6.
[SJtatistics 32
7.7.
[U]ser Log 32
7.8.
[B]aud Rate Change 32
7.9.
[C]lock Time-Date 32
7.10.
[F]ile Protocol 32
7.11.
[P]ass
word
Change 33
7.12.
[TJoggles
33
7.12.1. A)utodownload
33
7.12.2. B)ullet 33
7.12.3.
C)ase
33
7.12.4.
F)ile .
33
7.12.5. H)ilite
34
7.12.6. L)ine Feeds
34
7.12.7. N)ulls
34
7.12.8. T)urboKey
34
7.12.9. e(X)pert
34
7.12.10. !)bell
35
IV
1.
Introduction
An electronic bulletin
board system (BBS) is similar
to a regular bulletin board,
except that
all posted information is
stored on
a
computer rather than on
a
wall.
A BBS has several
features which
a
regular
bulletin board
does
not have. For
example, on a BBS, one
person
can leave
a
message for
another person without letting everyone else read it.
Also,
documents which are
too
long
to post on
a
regular bulletin board are easily
stored on
a
BBS.
Further, BBS documents
are categorized
for
easy reference.
This guide describes the NIST Computer Security BBS and how
to use its many features.
The
guide is
written
specifically for the user who has never used a bulletin board.
Explanations are given on what
a
BBS is, how and what
a
"log-on"
is
and
continues with
step
by step
instructions on maneuvering throughout the board. The guide is also
geared to the
more experienced user as
well. The
essential functions are divided into separate sections
which can stand alone from the rest of the document.
1.1. Purpose of NIST Computer Security Bulletin Board System
The Computer
Security Act of 1987 assigned to the
National
Institute of
Standards
and
Technology (NIST) the responsibility for providing federal agencies with advice and
assistance
in computer security. To accomplish
a
portion of this task, the NIST Computer
Security Division maintains a BBS which focuses on computer security issues.
The
NIST
Computer Security BBS makes available
to
federal agencies and to the public a wide variety
of
computer
security information and encourages the sharing of
information which
can
help
users and managers protect their
data
and
systems.
Information
posted
on the BBS include an
events calendar, software reviews, publications, bibliographies, lists of organizations, and
other government
bulletin board numbers. This BBS contains no sensitive unclassified
or
classified information.
1.2. Bulletin
Board Access and Structure
The
Computer Security BBS operates twenty-four hours
a day,
charges no fee, and is
accessible
to
anyone who
has a computer or terminal with either a
modem or Internet
connection.
The BBS requires callers
to
enter
a
name and
a
password, a process
called
"logging
on." All BBS users have
equal access to
the
posted
information,
and may
use
the
BBS for
a
maximum
of sixty minutes per call and seventy minutes
per
day.
A user who
is
finished
using
the
BBS disconnects from it,
a
process called
"logging off."
The BBS
automatically logs off any inactive user, i.e., one who
does
not
press at least one
key for
a
period
of three minutes. There will
be a
warning bell
and an on-screen
message
before
automatic log
off.
If your account is
unused
after
a
period of six
months, your
account is
deleted.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
1
The bulletin board system
contains three subsystems. The bulletin
subsystem
consists of
topic menus with numerous bulletins
listed under each topic. Each bulletin
contains
a limited
amount of information, normally consisting
of one to three pages. The bulletins
can
be
viewed on the computer screen or
can be
downloaded
(i.e., transferring the entire
file to the
user’s system) for future reference.
The file subsystem consists of larger amounts of information that
can only
be
viewed
by
"downloading." The files are separated into directories that can
be
viewed prior
to selecting
files to download.
The message subsystem
permits
users
and
the system operator (sysop) to exchange short
messages,
primarily for administrative or informational purposes.
1.3. Organization of Guide
This
guide is an extensive tutorial on using all the functions operating on the BBS. You are
encouraged to
read the complete manual rather than skip from section to section. However, if
time does
not allow it,
you should
read Section
2.,
"Bulletin Board System Basics" and
Section
3.,
"Accessing the
BBS."
Because most
BBS functions operate independently of the
primary menus, this manual is divided into sections by the
following three major functions:
•
BBS Basics
(Section
2.,
"Bulletin Board Basics"
and Section
3.,
"Accessing
The BBS")
•
Obtaining
Information
(Section
4.,
"Bulletin
and File
Functions" and Section
5.,
"Downloading and
Uploading Files and Bulletins")
•
Mail Messages
(Section
6.,
"Messages")
•
Utilities
(Section
7.,
"Utility Functions")
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
2
2. BBS Basics
This section describes
several primary
elements needed to use this manual
and the
BBS. The
symbols used, the help feature,
and how
to
move
around the BBS are several
of the
topics
covered.
2.1. Explanation of
Symbols
The following
is a brief description
of symbols that
are
used on the BBS menus and
command lines
as
well
as what is
used
in this guide.
2.1.1. Brackets
and Parentheses
On BBS menus, brackets
[
]
and parentheses
( )
indicate single character
commands. The
MAIN MENU, for example, uses brackets
to
tell
you
that the command to list bulletins
is
’B’:
*»>
RBBS-PC MAIN MENU
«<*
MAIL SYSTEM
UTILITIES ELSEWHERE
-
[E]nter Messages [A]nswer Questions
[HJelp
(or
?)
[K] ill Messages [Bjulletins [F] iles
[PJersonal Mail
[Cjomment
to Sysop
[G]
oodbye
[R]ead Messages
[IJnitial
Welcome
[XJpert
on/off [Qjuit
[S] can Messages
[T]
opic of Msgs
[WJho's
on
*
=
unavailable
[U]
tilities
Current time:
2
:50 PM Minutes
remaining:
37
Security:
5
-
37
min left
MAIN command <?,A,B,C,E,F,H,I,K,P,Q,R,S ,T,U,X>?
In this manual, "choose [Bjulletins,"
is equivalent to
"type
’B’ for bulletins."
Other menus on
the BBS
use
both brackets and parentheses
to indicate
commands. In these
cases,
the
bracketed letter
is the default command. That is, if
you
type anything
other than the given
commands, the BBS automatically
chooses the default
command. For
example, in the
following:
More
[Y]es, N)o,
C)ont, A)bort, J)uinp
’Y’ for
"Yes" is the
default.
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
3
2.1.2.
Angle Brackets
(
<
>
)
Angle brackets are used both on the BBS
and in this
manual
to
indicate
two options.
One
option is that the user
must press a specific key. The
other option
is that the user
must
substitute some information
(e.g., actual file name.)
Examples:
"Press
<enter>"
means Press
the enter key,
NOT
Type the word "enter".
"Type <filename>.txt" means Type
the name of the file,
followed
by ".txt",
NOT
Type the string "filename.txt".
2.1.3. The Carat
(^)
The carat
(^)
is used on the BBS and in this manual
to denote control-characters. Hold down
the control key ("Ctrl" on the keyboard) while pressing
the specified
character. For
example:
"Press ^X" means Hold down the Control key and
type
’X’.
2.2. Screen Scrolling
Very often the BBS has more than one screen of information
to
display. In these situations,
the
BBS displays one screen at
a
time, moving
to
the next screen only when you are ready.
This
is
called scrolling. Choose one of the following options from the Scrolling
Menu which
appears at
the bottom of the screen when
you are ready to
move
to
the next screen.
More [Y]es,
N)o,
C)ont, A)bort, J)ump
Choose [Y]es
(or <enter>)
to see
the next
screen’s
worth of
information
N)o to skip the
remainder of the display
C)ontinuous display
to
view the remainder of the display
continuously (faster than you can
read
it
-
type ^S to pause
the
screen at
any time, and again to
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
4
restart
the
continuous display;
type
to abort)
A)bort
to escape from the function
you
are
using
J)ump
to skip to a
certain word in the
text. (The BBS will ask
you to
specify the word
after
you choose
J)ump.)
2.3. On-Screen Help
If you have begun
to use a
BBS function and are not sure how
to
proceed,
use
the help
command
’?’
(or ’H’). Help
screens
are organized
by
command,
so
if
you
are
unsure of
which command to use
in
order
to
accomplish
a
certain task, this manual
will
be
more helpful
than on-screen help.
2.4. Navigating the BBS
Because the BBS commands are displayed on different menus,
you
often have
to
move from
one menu to
another. When
you
are in
a
secondary menu, the a)bort command terminates the
function
you
are using, bringing
you
back
to
the primary menu from which you began. The
primary
menus
(MAIN, FILES, UTILITIES) include
a
similar [Q]uit command. [Q]uit allows
you to
leave the
menu you are using
in
order to move to a
different
menu
or
to log off
of the
BBS:
Quit S)ession, C)onference, or to Section
M)ain,
F)iles, U)tilities?
Choose
Quit S)ession
to
log off
C)onference to enter into a sub-board or
conference.
(This feature
is
currently not being used.)
M)ain
F)iles
U)tilities
to
move
to the
corresponding
primary menu
The MAIN MENU also includes commands to
quickly change
menus, i.e.,
[F]iles and
[UJtilities.
Both the MAIN MENU and the
FILES MENU
include the
command,
[GJoodbye
to
log off of the BBS quickly.
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
5
2.5. On-Screen
Information
Several BBS commands give you
information
about the BBS
and
its users. On the MAIN
MENU,
the [I]nitial welcome displays the information which you see as
you
log-on to the
BBS. This
information includes the
system operator’s (sysop)
name, other names and phone
numbers for help, and
the BBS phone numbers (for modems). [W]ho’s On shows
you
who is
logged on
to
the
BBS
at the
time
you issue
the command.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
6
3.
Acessing the BBS
This section
describes
how
to connect
to
the BBS using either
a
modem or
a telnet
connection.
The
section continues
by
walking
you
through the first log-on
session,
then
ends
with instructions on
what
to expect the next time
you
log-on.
3.L
Methods
i
There
are two ways
to access
the BBS. The
use
of
a
modem and telephone or data line is the
most
popular choice.
If
your computer has "Internet" access, then the BBS can also be
accessed by
using the
telnet
command. Listed below are instructions
for using
a
modem or
for accessing
the BBS via the Internet.
3.1.1. Modem
To access
the NIST BBS
by
modem
you
need the following
hardware and software:
•
Personal computer or terminal with serial
communications capability
•
Modem and
telecommunications software
•
Phone or
data
line (this may be your regular
phone)
Set
your computer and
communications
package for
the following parameters:
•
Modem baud
rate of
300, 1200, 2400,
or
9600
•
8
data bits
with
no
parity or
7
with even parity
•
1
stop
bit
To call the BBS, start
your communications package and instruct it to
dial the
appropriate
phone number from the table below. The BBS has two different
phone
numbers,
corresponding to different speeds of data transmission:
(301)
948-5717
300, 1200,
or 2400 baud
modems
(301)
948-5140
9600 baud
modems
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
7
If you cannot reach the
BBS and
believe
that
your communications
hardware
and
software are
working correctly, call the voice line
at
(301)
975-3359
between
9:00 a.m. and
5:00
p.m.,
EST.
3.1.2. Internet
To connect
to
the BBS via
the
Internet,
use
the telnet command.
For example:
•
Type ’telnet cs-bbs.nist.gov’ or
’telnet
129.6.54.30’.
•
The BBS will
respond,
or if all lines are
busy,
an
appropriate message
will
be
displayed.
Internet users cannot download files through the BBS
because the BBS software is personal
computer-based and
does
not download or upload files correctly over the
Internet. To
access
the
BBS
files,
Internet
users must
exit the
telnet
session and
use the/ifp command
as
follows:
•
Type ’ftp csrc.nist.gov’ or ’ftp
129.6.54.11’
•
Log in to account
anonymous,
using your internet address
as
the
password.
•
BBS files are located in the
bbs
directory .
An index is provided for each sub-directory within the
bbs
directory. The filenames may
be
slightly different than the file names listed in the file section of the
bbs.
Note: Several BBS
features work
differently when
you access by telnet: Use
and
to
pause
and
resume, instead of using
^S
twice.
(See
Section
2.2.,
"Screen Scrolling.") In
addition,
you
wiU
not have the option
to
use color or graphics.
3.2. Your
First Log-On
Upon successfully reaching
the BBS, it will ask
you
for your name. You may use
either
upper or lower
case letters.
What is your FIRST name? randy
What is your LoAST name?
smith
The BBS
will then ask
you
to verify. Type
’y’
if you have entered your name
correctly; ’n’
if
you
have
not.
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
8
Checking
Users . .
.
User not found
Are
you 'RANDY SMITH'
([Y],N)?
y
In this case, the
brackets around
the Y
mean that
"yes"
is the default
answer. Next, the
BBS
will ask for your
City and
State.
What is your CITY and STATE? Gaithersburg, MD
After you type
these, the BBS
gives
you some introductory information
to read, and shows
you
the name and
place
you
have typed. If these are
correct,
type
’R’ for register. If
you see
that
you’ve made
a
mistake, type ’C’ for change.
RANDY SMITH
from GAITHERSBURG, MD
C)hange
FIRST name/LAST name/CITY and STATE,
D)
isconnect
,
[R] egister? r
Next, you are
asked
to
enter a password for yourself. Your
password may
be
one through
fifteen characters
long. We recommend
that you
use at
least six characters.
Enter PASSWORD you'll use to log-on again
(dot echo)?
Whenever
you
type your password, only
dots
appear on the
screen (so
that no
one else can
see
it).
The
BBS
will ask
you to type
the
password again in order
to
verify. Be
sure to type
it exactly the same
way both times.
Re-Enter PASSWORD for Verification
(dots echo)?
Note: Your password should be memorized and not
shared with anyone.
You then
see
more information, including the
sysop’s
name,
a
phone number for help, and the
News. Whenever
the
screen stops and
you get a
"More"
prompt, answer
’y’
for
yes.
Because this is your first time logging
on to the BBS, ignore the message
about
new files.
This will
be
more meaningful later.
After the introductory information, the first menu
you will see is the Bulletin
Topics Menu.
For now,
press
<enter>
to see
the
MAIN MENU. The MAIN MENU commands will
allow
you
to
access all functions of the BBS.
After
pressing <enter>, ignore the
messages about mail
and
type
’N’
at
the check
conferences
prompt since
this
feature is not currently
operating:
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
9
Check
conferences for
mail
(
[Y]
,
N)
? N
You are
now ready to use all of
the
BBS functions.
3.3.
General Log-on
After the first log-on, when you
log on
to
the BBS,
you need
to type only your name
and
password. (You may type
them on the
same
line,
to
save
time.) Again,
you see some
introductory information, along
with
a message about new files and
bulletins that have
been
added to
the BBS since your last log-on. If there are any new
bulletins,
you
have the
option
to read
them.
Next, you are notified of new and old messages
and
messages which
you
have
left
for
others.
Continue to
answer ’N’
at
the check conferences prompt every time
you log-on, since that
feature is currently
not operational on this board:
Check
conferences for
mail ([Y],N)? N
After
the check conferences
prompt, the BBS
displays the MAIN MENU.
*»>
RBBS-PC MAIN MENU
«<*
MAIL SYSTEM UTILITIES
ELSEWHERE
-
[E]nter Messages [A]nswer Questions [H]elp (or
?)
[K] ill Messages [B] ulletins [F] lies
[PJersonal Mail [CJomment
to
Sysop
[G] oodbye
[R]ead Messages
[IJnitial
Welcome [X]pert on/off [Q]uit
[
S
]
can Messages
[T] opic of Msgs [W]ho's
on
*
=
unavailable
[U] t ilities
Current time:
2
:50
PM Minutes
remaining: 37
Security:
5
-
37
min left
MAIN command
<?,
A,B,C,E,F,H,
I,K, P,Q,R, S,T,U,X>?
The capabilities of each command
are explained in the remainder of this document.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
10
4.
Bulletin and File Functions
The
information posted on
the
BBS is contained in either
a
bulletin or
a
file.
Bulletins range
in length
from one to
three
pages
and can
be viewed on the screen. Files, however,
are
longer and must be
copied or downloaded
to
your computer before
you can read them.
Some
especially
long files must also be decompressed on your computer before
you read them.
Because
of the difference in size, bulletins and files are stored separately on
the BBS. For
easy
reference, both
are indexed.
When you log on,
the BBS notifies you of the existence of new files and bulletins and
sometimes
displays the "News"
bulletin. The "News"
contains information which the
sysop
deems
important for all users and is displayed automatically if it has changed since your
last
log-on.
This section
describes how
to
read new and
existing bulletins and how to view the
list of
files.
4.1. Bulletins
When you log on,
the BBS
informs you of
new
bulletins that have been posted since your last
log-on. You can choose to view the bulletins during
the
log-on
process or
view them
at a
later time. This section describes
how
to read bulletins and explains what the "News" bulletin
is and how to access it.
4.1.1. Existing Bulletins
To browse through
posted
bulletins, start
at
the
MAIN MENU and choose [B]uUetins. This
gives you a list of
categories.
Below is an example of
a
Bulletins
Topics
Menu. The actual
menu viewed when
you
log-on
may be different.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
11
BULLETIN TOPICS MENU
1 Using
the BBS
-
READ THIS!
2
Computer
Security Alerts
3
NIST
Publications
4
Upcoming
Events & Activities
5 Of General
Interest
6
Resources
7
Computer
Security Organizations
Read
what bulletin (s), L)ist,
Note: Viewing
Bulletins is
NOT straightforward!
The
BBS makes
you
view
all bulletins
from
this menu only.
For example,
if
after displaying sub-menu
1,
you
want
to view Bulletin
16,
return
to this menu and then
enter
'16'
at the prompt
at the
bottom
of
this
menu.
TO DOWNLOAD
BULLETINS, first
note the bulletin numbers.
Quit
this menu, go to the
MAIN MENU Sc type 'F' to go to
the MAIN FILE MENU. Then type
'D'
to download.
To
download
Bulletin
24,
ex. use filename
'BULLET24
'
S)ince, N)ews, ([ENTER]
=
none)?
Choose
Read
what
bulletins(s) Type the number listed next to
the
category to see a
sub-menu
of bulletins.
L)ist
Displays the Bulletin Topics
Menu
S)ince Lists
bulletins
posted
since
last
log-on
N)ews Displays the
"News" bulletin
([ENTER]) MAIN MENU is displayed
Corresponding
to
each category in the Bulletin Topics Menu is a
listing or "sub-menu"
of
bulletins. At
the
"Read
what bulletin(s)" prompt, type
a
number listed next to the
category
to
see a
sub-menu or bulletin. For example, after typing
’7’
at
the Bulletin
Topics Menu, you
will
see
sub-menu
7,
a
list of bulletins about
computer security organizations:
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
12
Computer Security Organizations
(7)
Bullet
#
Last Updated
Topic
71
11-06-89
Computer Security Resources Center
(CSRC)
72
03-03-91
Overview of the NIST/NCSL Computer
Security
Division (Excerpt from the 1990
NCSL Annual Report)
73
12-03-90
Overview of NIST National Computer
Systems Laboratory (NCSL)
-
Excerpt from
the 1990 NCSL Annual Report
74
03-13-90
Announcement of Internet Security Info
Archive Computer
75
02-05-91
Abstract of DOE ' s Computer Incident
Advisory Capability (CIAC)
76
03-05-91
NIST Computer
Systems Laboratory Bulletin
"Computer Security
Roles of NIST and NSA"
(2/91)
Notice that all of the bulletins
in
sub-menu 7
are numbered between
70
and 79. To maintain
this numbering
system, there cannot
be
more than ten bulletins in
a
sub-menu. Therefore, old
bulletins are placed in the
Files Section
of the BBS when new bulletins are posted.
Usually
there are more bulletins listed in a sub-menu than can fit on the screen.
After displaying one
screen of bulletins, the BBS waits before listing more. You’ll see the Scrolling Menu at
the
bottom of the screen, see Section
2.2.,
"Screen Scrolling."
More [Y]es, N)o, C)ont, A)bort, J)uinp
Choose [Y]es to list more bulletins. When
you see
the one
you
want
to read,
choose N)o to
return to the Bulletin Topics Menu. Then
(and only then) enter the
number of the bulletin.
The BBS
does
not allow
you to enter
a
bulletin number while you are reading a
sub-menu. If
the entire Bulletin
Topics
Menu
does not appear on the screen, you will see
the Scrolling
Menu again. Answer
[Y]es
for
more text, then wait for the BBS
to
ask for a
bulletin number
before
you
specify which
one you
want
to read.
4.1.2. New Bulletins
Recall that when
you
log-on
you are notified of new bulletins (any
which
have been posted
since your last log-on). The BBS
lists
them
by number,
and gives you
the option to
read
them immediately:
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
13
Checking new bulletins.
6 New bulletin(s) since
last call:
2 4 5 26 41
55
Read ALL new bulletins?
The double digit numbers above tell the user
that three new
bulletins have
been posted.
The
single digit numbers above refer to bulletin
sub-menus. When
a bulletin is
added to the BBS,
the sub-menu
which lists that
bulletin (sub-menu 2 lists
bulletin
26)
changes
as well. If
you
answer
’y’
at the
read new bulletins
prompt, the BBS lists
all new bulletins
in order,
displaying the Scrolling Menu after each screen. The Bulletin
Topics Menu
appears after the
new bulletins. Press <enter>
to
continue the
log-on process. If
you decide not to read the
new bulletins
at
this time, another
opportunity occurs to read
the new bulletins. Choose
S)ince
from
the
Bulletin
Topics
Menu.
The BBS
displays all of the new bulletins
in order.
4.1.3.
NEWS
Bulletin
The "News" bulletin is automatically displayed when
you
log-on
as a
new
user and every
time the
sysop
changes it. To read this bulletin
at
any other time, choose
N)ews
at
the
Bulletin Topics Menu.
4.2. Files
This
section of the
guide explains how
to
view the file listings. All of
the
commands
relevant to files are listed in the FILES MENU. Choose [F]iles from the MAIN MENU to
see
the FILES MENU:
*>»
RBBS-PC FILE
MENU
«<*
---
TRANSFER INFORMATION
UTILITIES ELSEWHERE
-
[D]ownload
file
[L]ist files [H]elp (or
?)
[Gjoodbye
[P]ersonal dwnld [N]ew files [Q]uit
[U]pload file [Sjearch files
[V] iew archives
*
=
unavailable
Current time: 2:50 PM
Minutes remaining:
37
-
37
min left
FILE command
<? ,
D, G,
H,
L, N,
P,
Q,
S,
U, V,
X>?
On the BBS, files are organized the same as
bulletins. To browse
through
posted
files,
choose [L]ist Files from the FILES MENU.
The BBS displays a list
of categories,
each of
which corresponds
to a
directory of file names.
Below is an example
of the file
directories.
The actual directory viewed
when
you
log-on may
be
slightly
different.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
14
NIST COMPUTER SECURITY
BULLETIN
BOARD DIRECTORIES
1
Archive of Computer
Security Alerts and Remedies
2
Events
&
Activities
3 General Information
4
Security Publications
5 Research Activities
6
Products, Services
& Resources
7 Risk Forums from the Internet
8 Virus-1 Bulletins from the Internet
9
Software
for
this
bulletin board
What directory (s)
(
A) 11
, L)
ist
, E) xtended +/-, [Q]uit)?
Choose (A)ll
Displays all the
files on the BBS
L)ist Displays the Files Directories Menu
E)tended
+/-
Restricts
any directory listing to
one
line per file. ’E’ turns the extended
feature on (and
off again, if you press
it twice). Alternatively,
use
’+’
and
’-’to
turn this feature
on
and
off
To list the files
within
a
single directory,
type
the number of that directory. File names and
brief descriptions are
listed.
(Unfortunately,
there is
a "bug"
in the BBS software, which
sometimes
causes
the BBS
to
tell
you that
a
directory is empty even when it is not. If the
BBS lists no files and
gives you
the
option to R)elist, choose that option, and the BBS should
list the files. File directories
are
rarely
empty.) For example, to see a list of files in directory
4,
type
’4’
at the File Directories Menu:
What directory{s)
(A)
11
, L) ist
, E)
xtended
+/-,
[Q]uit)? 4
Scanning
directory 4
-
Security
CHESS.ZIP
12845
04-24-91
They Mean To
You by David
M.
very
useful
RFC1206.ZIP 24258
04-01-91
PADGETT
.
TXT 17377
04-01-91
Peterson
TCPIP.ZIP
33246
03-21-91
TCPIP-PS.ZIP
84822
03-21-91
HGI .ZIP 20953
03-21-91
HGI-PS.ZIP 20953
03-21-91
Publications
Six
Common PC-DOS Viruses and What
Chess,
IBM
-
highly
recommended and
Information
about the Internet
Generic Virus
Detection by
Padgett
Guide to
Internet TCP/IP
protocols
as above, in
PostScript
Hitchhiker's Guide to
the
Internet
as
above, in
PostScript
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
15
At the end
of
each
screen, the BBS
displays the Files
Scrolling Menu:
More [Y] es, N) o, C) ont
, A)
bort
, J) ump,
V) iew, f ile
(s) to dwnld?
Choose [Y]es
to continue
to
the
next
screen
N)o
to skip the remainder
of the
display
C)ont
to view
the remainder
of the display
continuously
(faster than
you
can read
it
-
type ^S to
pause
the
screen at
any time,
and again
to
restart
the
continuous display;
type
to
abort)
A)bort
to return
to
the FILES
MENU
J)ump to skip
to a certain word in
the
text
V)iew
to view contents
of
an
archive file
(See
Section
4.2.2.,
"[V]iew Archives")
file(s)
to
dwnld
to download
a
file
(See Section
5.,
"Downloading
and Uploading Files and Bulletins"
4.2.1. Listing Files Selectively
Instead of listing an entire directory of
files, you may choose
to
list only those files
posted
after
a certain date ([N]ew Files) or with certain characters
in the file name
([SJearch
Files).
To list files
posted after a certain date, choose [N]ew Files from
the FILES
MENU. You
must also
specify
a date:
Files on/after MMDDYY?
The
BBS then displays the File Directories Menu.
Choose a single
directory
to
list from or
choose A)U directories:
What directory (s)
(A)
11
, L) ist , E) xtended +/-, [Q]uit)?
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
16
The BBS lists all
of
the files
that
satisfy your date and directory
restrictions/
To list
files with certain characters in the file name, choose
[SJearch
Files
from the
FILES
MENU. At the
prompt,
type
what
you
know of the correct name, with
?’s and
*’s
in
place of
what you don’t
know. These two symbols are called "wild cards." The
’?’
stands for
a
single
unknown character and stands
for
several
unknown characters.
Note: These are
the same wild card
conventions
used by
DOS users. For example, if
you
forget the
.ZIP on
the file name
TCPIP-PS.ZIP,
use
an asterisk in place of
the
extension:
file name?
TCPIP-PS.*
The BBS lists all files beginning with
"TCPIP-PS.".
Some other legal expressions for
searching for "TCPIP-PS.ZIP" are
7CPIP-PS.ZIP
TCPIP-77.ZIP
*PIP*
*
The BBS then displays the File Directories Menu. Choose a single
directory
to
list from or
choose A)U directories:
What directory
(s) (
A) 11
, L)
ist
, E)
xtended +/-, [Q]uit)?
The BBS lists all of the files that satisfy your name and directory restrictions.^
4.2.2.
[V]iew Archives
The [V]iew archives command
at
the FILES MENU allows
you to see
the contents of an
archive file. Occasionally, several
files
are combined into one file. This feature lists the
name
and size of all files that are included in this large file. The file extension of an archive
file wiU
be
".ZIP."
This extension is also
used
for a single file that has
been compressed.
See
Section
5.1.,
"Reading Downloaded Bulletins and Files" for an
explanation of this feature.
^Because of
a software bug, the BBS may not
list any files, even if
they exist.
If this
happens, choose
R)elist from the given options.
The BBS
will
list
files
correctly the second
time. Do not
be
alarmed if the
second
search finds no
files. It is
common for
selective file
searches
to
result in
no files found.
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
17
‘
' f
5.
Downloading and Uploading
Files and Bulletins
Files can be read only after you copy, or download, them
to
your
computer. This
section
instructs you
on how
to
download files and
bulletins. Although
you
can
display bulletins
at
your
screen, you
may
also wish to
download one
to your computer. Note: Internet
users
cannot download, they must
use
the command
/ip
to retrieve the files.
See Section
3.1.2.,
"Internet"
for
instructions. Once you
have found
a
file using the
[L]ist Files command from
the FILES MENU,
you
can download at the Files Scrolling Menu
by
typing the file name:
More [Y] es
,
N)
o,
C) ont , A) bort ,
J)
ump,
V)
iew,
f
ile (
s )
to download?
<filename>
Alternatively, if
you
know the name of the file
you
want
to
download and
do
not need
to
view the File Directories Menu, start
at
the FILES MENU and choose [D]ownload. The BBS
asks you:
Download what file(s)?
Either
way,
type the name of the file you want to download exactly
as
it appears in the File
Directory. If
you
want to download
a
bulletin, type "bullet" followed
by
the number of the
bulletin (ex: bullet
17).
The .zip extension
is added to
the
filename by
default. The bulletin,
however, has not
been "zipped."
When
the BBS finds the file or bulletin, it asks you to
specify a download protocol:
A) soil
C ) rc Xmodem
X
)
modem
Y) modem (IK Xmodem)
N)one
-
Cancel
Select protocol?
Choose the
appropriate protocol
by
letter. (Your communications software
documentation
will
tell you which
to use.) The BBS prompts:
<protocol> SEND
of
<filename> ready ^X
aborts
At this point,
do whatever your communications package requires
for downloading.
(For
example,
if
you
are using
ProComm Plus
communications software,
press
<PgDn> and
specify
again
which
protocol
you
are using.) If your
communications
package asks
you for
the name of the file,
make sure you type it
correctly. If you wish to
cancel
the download
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
19
before it is completed, press ^X. The downloaded
file will
be
stored in
whatever
directory
you are using.
After
the download
is
complete,
you are returned
to
the FILES
MENU.
5.1. Reading Downloaded Bulletins and Files
Bulletins and small files are immediately
readable after they are downloaded.
Exit
your
communications
software and
type at the DOS prompt:
TYPE <filenajne>
The file
can
also be
viewed
or printed via any word processing package
or editor. Large
files
have been compressed to save space and are not immediately readable
after they have been
downloaded. If the name of the file
you downloaded has a ".ZIP" extension, it has
been
compressed
or "zipped." However,
to read a zipped or compressed file,
you must
decompress or "unzip"
it.
Note: The BBS software automatically places
a
".ZIP"
extension
after bulletins.
The bulletins have
not been compressed.
5.2.
Decompressing (Unzipping)
Files
To save disk space,
many
files are compressed "zipped" using the
program PKZIP. PKZIP
software is necessary for reading (decompressing) compressed files.
If
you do
not have
PKZIP,
you
may download it from
the BBS.
It is stored in
a
file called PKZ110.EXE. Note:
PKZIP is not
a
public domain software
package.
There is
a
registration fee for using it.
The
software, once downloaded, lists the name and
address
of the vendor.
Once
you
have
downloaded PKZ110.EXE, exit the BBS and
type at
the DOS prompt:
PKZllO
PKZ110.EXE explodes into several programs which enable
you to
compress
and decompress
files.
To unzip
a
zipped file,
exit your communications software
and
type at
the
DOS prompt:
PKUNZIP <filencLme>.ZIP
Your unzipped file <FILENAME>.TXT is then readable.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
20
5.3.
[PJersonal
Download
The
sysop
may send
a
file specifically to you
without
posting it on the BBS for
everyone
else. In this case, choose
the
[P]ersonal download command from the FILES MENU
and
proceed
as
you would for a
regular download.
5.4. Uploading Files
If
you
want
to post a
file or bulletin on the BBS, you must first send it to the
sysop
for
approval.
(Advertisements,
job
listings, resumes, and executable programs are not allowed
on
the BBS.) Sending
a
file from your computer to the
BBS
is
called uploading.
Uploading is
a
slow process but
will proceed faster if
you
compress (zip) your file first. If
you do
not
already have PKZIP software, see Section 5.2 "Decompressing (Unzipping) Files." To
compress
a
file, type the name of the file plus the
".ZIP"
extension,
and then
type the original
file name. The syntax
for file compression
is:
PKZIP <f ilename> . ZIP <filename
Note: Internet
access does
not
use
the [Ujpload command, material must
be
sent using
ftp.
See
Section
3.1.2.,
"Internet."
To upload your compressed file, choose
[Ujpload
from
the
FILES
MENU. Uploading a file
is similar to downloading. The BBS asks:
Upload what file(s)?
Enter the name of the file
you want
to
upload. Include the period and the extension if the
file is not zipped. Include the location
of the file (drive)
as
well. When the BBS finds the
file, it
asks you to specify an upload protocol.
Choose
the appropriate protocol for your
communications
software and the BBS prompts:
<protocol>
RECEIVE of <filename> ready. aborts
At
this point, do whatever your communications
package
requires for uploading.
After
a
successful upload, the BBS
asks you for
a
short description
of your upload
(between 10 and
45 characters.):
Describe <filename>. Begin with
'/'
if for
sysop only
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
21
Begin your description with
7’
to avoid
having
to answer
additional
questions. To make
sure
the sysop
knows
you
have sent a
file for approval, send
him/her a separate message.
(See
Section
6.1.,
"Sending Messages.")
If the sysop decides not
to post
your information,
you
are
notified by
message.
/
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
22
6.
Sending Messages
The
BBS allows a user to
send a message
to
another BBS
user, to the
sysop,
or
to all users.
The commands
which are useful for reading and writing messages are found
in the MAIN
MENU.
Note: All messages,
private and public may
be
read
by others, including the
sysop.
6.1.
Sending Messages
To
commands can
be used
to send
messages:
[E]nter Messages
[C]oininent to Sysop
Normally, use
[Ejnter. The BBS asks you to
name
the
recipient.
To [
A]
11
,
S)
ysop, or name?
To specify
the recipient, choose ’A’ or
’S’,
or type an individual’s complete name. If you
choose to
send
a
message to all, realize that the sysop
will read it first and
decide
whether
it
is appropriate before
allowing everyone
to
read it. (Make sure the message is computer
security related.
No advertisements,
job
searches, or obscene messages are allowed!) Also,
remember that the
sysop
has
the
privilege of reading all private messages on the BBS.
Next, the BBS will ask
you
for the
subject
of your message:
Subject ?
After typing the subject
(25
character maximum), proceed to write the message
(40
line
maximum):
Type message
40 lines max (press [Enter] to quit)
r
- -
1
L
1
:_
J
The message function has
a
word wrap feature,
so you
don’t have to press
<enter>
after each
line.
Use
the
backspace key to correct errors
as
you type
them. If
you do
not
reahze an
error soon enough
to use backspace (i.e.,
if
you
are on another line), you
may
make
corrections
by
pressing <enter> twice. The BBS displays
the Edit Menu:
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
23
Edit Sub-function
<A, C,
D, E,
L,M,
R,
S,
?>?
Choose A)bort to discard the entire
message
C)ontinue
to continue writing
at
the
point
where
you left off
D)elete
E)dit
I)nsert
to
correct errors
in the message
(The
BBS asks you
to
specify
a
line
and
a word if you choose E)dit.)
L)ist
to
display
aU you have
written
M)argin
to change
the right margin
from its
default
(72
characters)
R)evise
to
correct an error in the
subject
S)ave
to send
the message
When
you are
finished composing or
editing
the
message, press
<enter> twice
to see the Edit
Menu again, and choose
S)ave. If
you have written
a
message to "all," you are finished after
choosing S)ave. The sysop checks over your message and sends it shortly, or notifies
you
if
it is not appropriate.
If
you
have written
a
message
to
an individual,
you
will
see
the Privacy
Menu after choosing S)ave:
Make message p[U]blic, p(R)ivate, ( P)
assword-protected,
(H)elp?
Normally, choose p(R)ivate. (P[U]blic and (P)assword protected messages require special
permission from the
sysop
and are not very useful.) If you want everyone to be able to read
your message, send it to "all" instead of to an individual.
Your completed message will
be
stored with your name, your recipient’s name, a
number and
a topic, and the recipient will
be
notified of new mail.
The
procedure for sending
a
[C]omment is the same
as
[E]ntering
a message,
except that you
are not able
to
specify
a
recipient (the
sysop
is the automatic
recipient), and
you
will not be
able
to
specify
a subject.
User’s
Guide
-
September
1992
24
6.2. Reading
Messages
Recall that
when
you
log-on to
the BBS,
you are
notified
of your old and new
mail:
OLD Mail
for YOU
{*
=
Private)
*1552*1556*1580
NEW Mail for YOU
(*
=
Private)
*1599
Mail you left
*1591
Please K)
ill
old/unneeded messages
Check conferences for mail
([Y],N)?
Remember to
answer ’N’
to
the check conferences prompt since that feature is currently not
operational.
The command
to
read your messages is found in the MAIN MENU:
[R]ead messages
The BBS then asks you to specify
which
messages.
Msg
#
82-1885
(H) elp, S) ince, L) ast ,
T)
o, F) rom,M) ine, text, [Qjuit)?
Choose S)ince last read (and forward)
L)ast last message and backward
T)
o messages to
me, not including
to all
F)rom messages from
me
M)ine from or
to
me,
not including to all
<text>
messages
with
<text> in the message,
topic,
or
name
Q)uit return
to
the
MAIN
MENU
n-i-
(forward
from message number n)
n-
(backward from message number n)
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
25
This section explains the options listed above; however,
the most common
option is
to
choose:
L) ast
This option displays messages to you and to "all," starting with
the most
recent and
proceeding backward. Messages are displayed for reading
with the message number,
name
of
sender and recipient, subject, and date sent and received:
Msg # :
*1557
MAIN
From: MARK SMITH
Sent
:
07-15-91
16:05
To:
KATHY
JONES
Rcvd
:
07-16-91
12:15
Re: SECURITY CONFERENCE
Kathy,
Do
you
know
anything
about
the annual NIST/NCSC Computer
Security Conference in Washington, DC?
-Mark
Remember, if the message is larger than
a
screen,
you see
the Scrolling Menu.
(See Section
2.2.,
"Screen Scrolling.")
If you
want
to read
a
specific message, the other options may be useful.
All
eight options are
divided into two
groups:
filter options and range options:
F)rom me
T)o me, not including
to
all
M)ine (from
or
to me,
not including
to
all)
<text> (messages with <text> in the message,
topic, or name)
S)ince I last read (and forward)
L)ast message
and backward
n+ (forward from
message
number n)*
n- (backward from message number n)*
*
’+’
and can
be used
even though they
do
not appear on
the Range and Filter Menu
Specify the filter options first which can vary from
none
up
to two of the
four filter options.
If you choose no filter option, you see
all messages
to
you,
from
you,
and to
all (within the
range
you specified).
Next,
you
must select exactly
one of the four range
options. The
command
executes as soon as you
specify the
range option,
so be
sure to
specify filter
options first.
To
save
time,
you
may enter the
options on one line, separated by
spaces.
FILTER
OPTIONS
RANGE
OPTIONS
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
26
Examples:
"T Watt L"
-
Read messages sent
to
me, with the string "Watt"
as part of the name,
subject,
or message, starting from the most recent message and continuing
backward.
"M
160+"
-
Read messages to or from me (but not to "all") starting with
message
number 160 and continuing forward.
"S"
-
Read
messages to me, from me, and
to
all, starting with the oldest message
which I have not read
yet,
and
continuing forward.
At the
end of each message the BBS indicates if there are more messages which meet
your
range and filter
specifications:
More
[Y]es,N)o,C) ont
,
A) bort
, H) elp,
R)
eply , T)
bread,
=,
+
,
F) orward,
K) ill?
Hhoose
Y)es
to
keep reading messages one
at a
time
N)o
to stop
reading messages. Return
to
Filter Menu.
C)ont to read messages nonstop
('^S to
pause, to abort)
A)bort
to
stop reading and return
to
MAIN MENU
H)elp to obtain help in using the message function
R)eply
to
reply
to sender
T)hread read other
messages having the same subject*
reread same message
+
read next higher
message
and continue
read next lower
message
and continue
F)orward
forward message
to
another user
K)ill delete
message
*
If
you
choose T)hread, the BBS gives you three
additional options:
User’s Guide
-
September
1992
27
THREAD
+)
forward, -)back.,
Dfrom origin ([ENTER]
quits)?
’+’
searches forward from the message
you just read,
searches backward from the message
you just read,
searches forward from message number
1
(through all
messages).
Whatever reading options
you
choose, when there are no
more messages
to read, you
see
the
range
and filter options again.
6.2.1.
Quick
Message Search
Reading through individual messages, even with the range and
filter options which the BBS
provides, is
not the fastest way
to
search for
a
message. Three
commands on the MAIN
MENU can help you search quickly:
[P]ersonal Mail
[T]opic of Msgs
[SJcan
Messages
6.2.1.
1.
[PJersonal
Mail
Personal mail repeats the mail
listing which
you see
when
you
log-on. Messages to you or
from you are listed by number. Example:
OLD Mail for YOU
(*
=
Private)
*
1552*1555
NEW Mail for YOU
(*
=
Private)
*1762
Mail you
left
*
1557*1761
Please
K) ill
old/unneeded msgs
6.2.I.2. List
[Tjopic of
Messages
Topic of Messages gives
you
the subject
of each message as well as the
number. Your
personal
messages
are marked with an asterisk. Specify
which messages to list by
choosing
range and filter options. Be ready
to use
(pause
screen) when
you use
the
[Tjopic
command; if the list is long,
the message list scrolls right off
the screen.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
28
6.2.I.3.
[S]can Messages
Scan messages
gives
you
even more information
than the [T]opics
command. A [S]can
list
includes the message
number,
date, sender, recipient, and
subject
for
each message, with
asterisks
marking personal messages. Again, specify which
messages to list with
range and
filter
options.
6.3.
Erasing Messages
You can erase
any message which
you
have written or which has been sent
specifically to
you.
The
command
to
erase
a
message is [K]ill. You may kill
a
message
by
choosing
’K’
from the
MAIN MENU
and specifying the
message
number. Alternatively,
you may choose
’K’
from the options that appear
immediately after
reading
the
message you want to kill.
6.4.
Responding To Messages
If you wish to
reply
to a
message which
has been sent to you, choose
R)eply from
the options
listed after that message. The BBS allows
you to
write
a
reply and sends this reply
to
the
original sender. The subject is the same, with an (R) next to it to label it
as a
reply.
Consider the following message which Kathy Jones
has
received from
Mark Smith:
Msg #:
*1557
MAIN
From: MARK SMITH
Sent:
07-15-91
16:05
To: KATHY JONES Rcvd:
07-16-91
12:15
Re: SECURITY CONFERENCE
Kathy,
Do you know anything about the
annual NIST/NCSC
Computer
Security Conference
in
Washington,
DC?
-Mark
To respond, Kathy chooses R)eply. The
BBS gives her the option
of repeating Mark’s
message in her reply:
Quote MARK SMITH'S message (Y/[N])?
If she
chooses ’yes’ then Mark’s message
appears,
along with the Edit
Menu:
A) bort , C) ont ,D)el,E)dit,I)
nsert , L) ist , M)
argin, R) ev subj , S)
ave
Kathy types
’C’
to continue the message where Mark left
off. Mark receives
the
following
message:
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
29
Msg #:
*1563
MAIN
From:
KATHY JONES
Sent:
07-16-91
12:30
To: MARK SMITH Rcvd:
07-16-91
13:00
Re: (R)
SECURITY
CONFERENCE
>
Kathy,
> Do you
know anything about
the annual NIST/NCSC
Computer
> Security
Conference
in
Washington,
DC?
> -Mark
Mark,
The
deadline for signing
up is September 7th.
I can
send a brochure if you'd like.
-Kathy
For clarity, the
copied message is indented and marked with >. If Mark
and Kathy continue
to
write back
and forth, the subject is unchanged, and the
message has several indentations:
Msg #:
*1584
MAIN
From
: KATHY JONES Sent
:
07-24-91
10:24
To
:
MARK SMITH
Re: (R) SECURITY CONFERENCE
>»Kathy
,
>»
»Mark,
>>
>Kathy
,
>
Mark,
Rcvd
:
07-24-91
14:06
Two users may
reply back and forth, using the
quote
option only until their message
reaches
forty
lines in length.
After that, they may continue
to
reply
to
each other,
but
may no longer
quote
each other.
6.5.
Forwarding Messages
You
can forward to
another
user any message
which has been sent to
you
(not to
"aU").
After reading the message, choose F)orward from the
options listed. The BBS
displays the
message and
gives
you
the option
to
edit it. Choose S)ave from
the Edit Menu (save
=
send)
and then p(R)ivate
from the Privacy Menu
to
send the message.
The new recipient of
the
message is informed of
the original sender
and
recipient.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
30
7. Utility Functions
Because BBS users have different computer capabilities and needs, some BBS
features are
user-adjustable. Most of the commands to make these changes are found on
the UTILITIES
MENU. There are also commands within this Menu that provide information
about the BBS.
To reach the
UTILITIES MENU from the MAIN MENU choose [Ujtilities;
from the FILES
MENU,
type
[QJuit
and choose Ujtilities. This section of the guide describes the options
that
appear on
the UTILITIES MENU.
*»>
RBBS-PC UTILITIES
«<*
DISPLAY
-
INFO
-
SYSTEM ELSEWHERE
-
[E]cho Pref [H]elp (or
?)
[B]aud Rate Change [Q]uit
[G] raphics [R]ead Profile [C]lock. Time-Date
[L] ines/Page [S] tatistics [F] ile Protocol
[M] essage Margin [U] ser Log
[Pjassword
Change
*
=
unavailable [T] oggles
Current time: 2:50 PM
Minutes
remaining:
37
Security:
5
-
37
min left
UTIL command <?,B,C ,E,F,G,H,L,M,
P,
Q,R,S,T,U,X>?
7.1.
[E]cho Preference
This
option can
be
set to have the BBS software display on the screen what
you type
or your
communications
software, if applicable, can
be set so
that it echoes the characters that
you
type. The default
is
for
the BBS software to display each character on your screen as you
type it.
7.2.
[GJraphics
This option
allows
you to
view
the BBS in color and with graphics if your computer or
terminal
permits. After typing
’G’,
the BBS gives
you
instructions
to
continue. As you read
the instructions,
keep in mind that
on the BBS, highlighted means colored.
7.3.
[LJines
Per Page
This option
tells the BBS the number
of lines that can
fit on your screen.
The BBS pauses
after the designated
lines to allow
you to
read text. [Ljines per page
should be set
to
whatever
your screen can
hold minus two. The default
setting is 23.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
31
7.4.
[MJessage
Margin
This option allows you to specify the width
of your
messages. You can also
do this while
you
are writing
a message. (See Section
6.1.,
"Sending
Messages.")
7.5.
[R]ead
Profile
This option displays
the
status of
the
features available
in [T]oggles option.
(See Section
7.12., "moggies.")
7.6.
[SJtatistics
This option displays data on BBS
use,
including your
caller number, the number of active
messages,
the next message number,
and the last message read
(by
anyone).
7.7.
[UlserLog
This option displays
a
list of aU current
users of the BBS, whether they are logged on or not.
7.8.
[B]aud Rate Change
This option allows you to
speed up
the rate
at
which
you
receive information from the
BBS if
you
have
called in at 300 baud. Using this
command
allows you to
receive information
at
450
baud.
7.9.
[C]lock Time-Date
This option displays the time, date, and how
much
time you
have left for the
day to
use
the
BBS. While this information is already displayed in most cases, it is not displayed
for those
users
who
use
the BBS in expert mode.
See
Section
7.12.9.,
"e[X]pert" for
information on
that feature.
7.10.
[F]ile Protocol
This option allows you to set a
default download protocol.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
32
7.11.
[P]assword Change
This option allows
you to
set
a
new password. Change
your
password
frequently,
but, change
it
immediately if
you suspect
that someone else knows it. Your
password should contain
at
least
six characters and
do
not
use
names, numbers or
dates
which are personally
identified
with
you.
7.12. [TJoggles
This option turns alternately on and off ten BBS features. The status of these ten features
are
displayed
by
choosing [R]ead Profile from the UTILITIES MENU.
7.12.1.
A)utodownIoad
ON
-
Several files can be downloaded consecutively without any user
intervention.
OFF
-
Each file must
be
downloaded individually.
Default
-
OFF.
7.12.2.
B)ullet
ON
-
At log-on, gives option to read new bulletins.
OFF
-
Always
gives option to read bulletins.
Default
-
ON.
7.12.3.
C)ase
Your
computer/terminal can display
upper case characters only or it will display both upper
and lower
case characters.
Default
-
upper and lower
case.
7.12.4.
F)ile
ON
-
At log-on give option
to download new files.
OFF
-
Does
not give
option
to
download.
Default
-
OFF.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
33
7.12.5. H)ilite
ON
-
Use
color.
OFF
-
Does not use color.
Default
-
OFF. This can also
be
changed
with the [G]raphics command
at the UTILITIES
MENU.
7.12.6.
L)ine Feeds
ON
-
When one line is finished,
put
the
cursor on the next line.
OFF
-
When one line
is finished, put the cursor
back at
the beginning of that
line, (overwrite
that line).
Default
-
ON. Leave this option on.
7.12.7.
N)ulls
ON
-
Insert five nulls (control characters
used to
accomplish media fill or time fill) between
each carriage return and line feed. This slows down processing.
OFF
-
Does not insert any nulls.
Default
-
OFF. Normally, leave this
option off.
7.12.8.
T)urboKey
ON
-
BBS executes commands
immediately after they
are
typed;
no <enter> required.
OFF
-
BBS
does
not execute commands until user
presses
<enter>.
Default
-
OFF. This option works only
at
prompts that do not expect
text. You wiU
see
’!’
instead of
’?’
at turbokey prompts.
7.12.9.
e(X)pert
ON
-
Show only single command lines instead of entire menus
(much faster display).
OFF
-
Show entire menus.
Default
-
OFF. E(X)pert mode can also
be
changed
by
typing ’X’ at
the MAIN MENU,
FILES MENU,
or
UTILITIES
MENU.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
34
7.12.10. !)bell
ON
-
Sound the bell at every prompt.
OFF
-
Do not sound the bell.
Default
-
OFF.
User’s Guide
-
September 1992
35
For Additional Information
If you
have specific questions
or
comments regarding the bulletin board or the
data
contained
therin,
leave
a
comment to the
BBS
sysop (via the message subsystem of the BBS). If
you
cannot access
the board and
have
verified that your communications
hardware
and software
are
functioning properly, call our voice line
at
(301)
975-3359 and
ask for
BBS
assistance.
User’s
Guide
-
September 1992
36
NIST-114A
(REV.
3-90)
U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE
NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS
AND
TECHNOLOGY
1.
PUBUCATION
OR REPORT NUMBER
NISTIR
493'3
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET
2. PERFORMING
ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
3. PUBUCATION
DATE
OCTOBER 1992
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
Computer Security
Bulletin
Board
System User's Guide
5. AUTHOR(S)
Marianne Swanson &
Mark Skandera
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION (IF JOINT OR OTHER
THAN NIST, SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
GAITHERSBURG, MD
20899
7. CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER
N/A
8. TYPE OF
REPORT
AND PERIOD COVERED
N/A
9.
SPONSORINQ ORQANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE
ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP)
N/A
10. SUPPLEMENTARY
NOTES
N/A
11. ABSTRACT
(A 200-WORD OR LESS FACTUAL
SUMMARY OF
MOST
SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION.
IF
DOCUMENT
INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT
BIBUOGRAPHY
OR
LITERATURE
SURVEY, MENTION IT HERE.)
The
Computer Security Act of 1987
assigned to the National Institute of
Standards
and Technology
(NIST) the
responsibility for providing federal
agencies with advice
and
assistance in the area of
computer security. To accomplish a portion of this
task the NIST
Computer Security Division
maintains an electronic bulletin board
system (BBS)
which focuses
on computer security issues. The NIST Computer
Security
BBS
makes available
to
federal agencies and
the
public a wide variety of
computer
security
information and encourages the
sharing of information which can help
users
and managers
protect their data and systems. This document describes
the BBS and
provides
detailed instructions on
how to
use the many features.
1Z KEY WORDS
(6
TO 12
ENTRIES; ALPHABETICAL ORDER; CAPITALIZE ONLY PROPER NAMES; AND SEPARATE KEY WORDS BY
SEMICOLONS)
13.
AVAILABIUTY 14. NUMBER
OF
PRINTED
PAGES
UNUMITED
41
FOR
OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTION.
DO NOT
RELEASE TO
NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE (NTIS).
ORDER
FROM SUPERINTENDENT
OF
DOCUMENTS, U.S.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
WASHINGTON,
DC 20402.
15.
PRICE
A03
X
'
ORDER
FROM NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SERVICE
(NTIS), SPRINGFIELD, VA 22161.
ELECTRONIC
FORM
.=.
1
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