ARPC employees gain greater internet access

  • Published
  • By Mike Molina
  • Editor
DENVER --  Airmen and civilian employees at the Air Reserve Personnel Center now have greater access to the Internet. 

ARPC officials have installed new Internet cafés in break areas on the third and second floors of the building. The computers are not connected to ARPC's networked computers and have unrestricted Internet access. 

"As the Air Force increases security on our work computers, it gets more and more difficult for us to access the Internet," said Steve Hannan, director of the directorate of communications and information. "Our solution is to give ARPC employees commercial service computers that provide access they might not have on a work computer." 

The new computers are connected to a commercial Internet service provider, meaning they are not restricted by Air Force network security patches. 

"It is not involved in any government service," Mr. Hannan said. "It's just as if you were at home using your high-speed connection." 

Examples of sites which are blocked by work computers but can be accessed on the new computers are: personal Web-mail accounts, auction Web sites, YouTube or airline and travel sites. 

The Internet cafés should be used for occasional personal use, and restrictions against accessing inappropriate material still apply, Mr. Hannan said. 

"It's unfiltered access, but it's still government equipment," he said. 

He also advised that users should always avoid putting personal information on a public computer. 

"Be careful because it's wide open," Mr. Hannan said.