October 30th, 2008
From the IT Group: As we wrap up October IT Security Awareness month, one of the most important topics involves identity theft. While identity theft has been around for a long time, the explosion of the internet has increased its frequency. The older methods of stealing identities like “dumpster diving” and “phone scams” have given way to spam, phishing, spyware, and keyloggers. These newer methods take advantage of the speed of the internet, the accessibility of internet resources, and the large volumes of personal identifiable information (PII) data stored insecurely.
While breaches of PII at various companies and institutions are out of your control, UR at the center of your own secURity, and one of the more important ways U can reduce the risk of identity theft is to practice safe computing practices:
• Keep your antivirus software up to date.
• Keep your operating system current with the latest security patches.
• Password protect your computer against unauthorized use.
• Use strong passwords.
• Run antispyware/antivirus programs regularly.
• Use a personal firewall.
• Avoid using unsecured wireless networks.
• Avoid file-sharing software.
• Be smart while surfing the internet.
• Do not open attachments in emails from someone you don’t know.
• Do not click on links in emails, IMs, social networking sites, blogs, and wikis.
Read more here about how to protect yourself and what the actual costs to you can be if you are a victim of identity theft.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2008
From the IT Group: Like cITrus in your diet, have securITy in your IT!
As part of October IT Security Awareness Month, the IT Group has citrus-scented air fresheners available to you. You may pick up an air freshener at the Student Center Information Desk, Rhodes Hall Computer Lab, or the HelpDesk on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall.
For more information and tips for safe computing, visit:
http://www.keene.edu/it/security.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
October 16th, 2008
From the IT Group: Have you ever thought it would be nice to have an IT Technician come to a department or staff meeting to answer questions you have about KSC technology? Well, it is possible! Invite a HelpDesk Technician to come to your next staff meeting to address those pesky little questions your department or team has about Outlook, file storage, or any other technology you use on a daily basis. We can give you tips and tricks, and if we don’t know the answer off the top of our head, we will find out and get back to you.
Give us a call at 358-2532 and we’ll be happy to be a part of your next staff meeting.
October IT Security Awareness Tip: Passwords are like underwear … Change yours often. Passwords are like underwear … Don’t share them with friends. Passwords are like underwear … The longer, the better. Passwords are like underwear … Be mysterious. Passwords are like underwear … Don’t leave yours lying around.
(Brought to you by your security friends in the IT Group and with permission from our friends at the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor.)
For more information regarding this and other security tips, visit our security website or stop by the HelpDesk on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall, call 8-2532, or email helpdesk@keene.edu.
Filed under: Information Technology, Tech Tip of the Week | No Comments »
October 9th, 2008
From the IT Group: Faculty – here is a wonderful opportunity to share with your students. As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (October), Educause Computer and Network Security Task Force, in cooperation with the Research Channel, announces the third annual Computer Security Awareness Contest. This year’s contest is searching for posters and short videos developed by college students for college students to raise cyber and computer security awareness. The contest is sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance and CyberWATCH.
Winners will receive cash prizes and the posters and videos will be featured on the Security Task Force website. They may also be used in campus security awareness campaigns. Please inform your students of the contest and have them visit the contest site for more details. Entry deadline is April 30, 2009.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
October 2nd, 2008
From the IT Group: October is IT Security Awareness Month, and here is a security tip: Last month a “phishing” attempt was sent to Keene State College faculty/staff email. “Phishing” is email spam (sent by someone pretending to be an organization or person) that asks you to enter your personal and/or account information. If you respond to these emails, your information is compromised.
It can be difficult to determine what is legitimate email and what is phishing. At Keene State, the IT Group will never ask you to verify any information via email or any other electronic source. We already have that information, and there is no need for you to verify anything.
Legitimate financial institutions, the government, and the IT Group will not ask for personal information through email. The IT Group uses a standard email template when communicating with the campus. Critical campus-wide messages from us will always be addressed to the Outlook Global Address List (_GAL), and we will identify ourselves at the beginning of the message.
Our messages always tell you to, “Contact the IT Group HelpDesk at 8-2532, email helpdesk@keene.edu, or stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall with questions concerning this or any other technology issue,” and our signature line provides location and contact information.
Would you like to learn how to tell if an email is legitimate or phishing? Test your knowledge with this informative five-minute test. You may be surprised by what you know (and what you don’t).
So don’t be fooled. Computer security is a partnership and you need to be responsible for your computer security too. Whenever you are in doubt, contact the IT Group HelpDesk. We can help!
If you would like more information regarding Phishing and other helpful security information, please visit the HelpDesk website.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
October 2nd, 2008
From the IT Group: Did you know that if you have installed or been upgraded to Office 2007, you can publish PDF documents without purchasing the full Adobe Writer software?
If you received a workstation upgrade this summer, you have the PDF Add-In already installed. If you upgraded to Office 2007 via the network, you need to install it by clicking here. If you need assistance, please contact the HelpDesk.
To publish a document as a PDF, click on the Office Button (top left hand corner of a Word document) and go to Save As PDF or XPS. Give it a try and if you haven’t upgraded to Office 2007 yet, visit: http://www.keene.edu/it/helpdesk/o7kregform.cfm to place your request for the software download. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the HelpDesk at 8-2532, stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall, or visit our website.
Filed under: Information Technology, Tech Tip of the Week | No Comments »
September 25th, 2008
From the IT Group: As you have already heard and may have seen in the public computing places on campus, we are well on the way to migrating the campus to Office 2007. Not only is Office 2007 available in our public computing areas, but all new workstation upgrades include the new Office suite.
If you are not due to receive a new computer in the near future but would like to install Office 2007 on your current machine, navigate to this link http://www.keene.edu/it/helpdesk/o7kregform.cfm to place your request for the software download.
Once your form is reviewed, you will be contacted directly by the HelpDesk. There are many support options available to you, such as our new Office 2007 training website, the “Get Started” tab located on the Word 2007 ribbon, as well as other information on the HelpDesk website. The IT Group plans to migrate the entire campus to Office 2007 by Fall 2009, so we strongly encourage you to make the move early and begin using Office 2007 now.
Don’t hesitate: Call the HelpDesk at 358-2532, stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall, or email helpdesk@keene.edu with questions regarding this or any other technology need.
Filed under: Information Technology, Uncategorized | No Comments »
September 18th, 2008
From the IT Group: It is midnight on a Saturday night and the entire network is down. Or maybe you come in Sunday afternoon to catch up on some work and notice the telephones aren’t working. Do you know who to report this to?
The IT Group HelpDesk is always your first point of contact when there is a technology issue on campus. But what if the HelpDesk is closed?
As with many other campus-wide situations, the Department of Campus Safety is the place to call. The IT Group has developed an “off hours” protocol to respond to technology issues: Campus Safety will contact the appropriate person to respond to the problem. By reporting the situation as soon as it develops, the IT Group will receive early notification and respond promptly to the situation.
So, don’t feel you need to wait until Monday morning when the HelpDesk is open — report the issue to Campus Safety, and they will be sure the IT Group is notified.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
September 11th, 2008
From the IT Group: When you want to share news of an exciting event at Keene State with the campus community, your first instinct is to send an e-mail addressed to the Global Address List, also known as the GAL. However, unless your message meets very specific criteria, this is not the best way to get the word out.
To share event information, the e-mail distribution list to use is the KSC “_Events” list. You can find this list in Outlook’s Global Address List and it is identified as “_Events.”
This list is ideal because the members of this list have specifically subscribed and welcome information regarding upcoming events on campus. It should always be used when communicating about upcoming events.
GAL mailings are reserved for communications that are crisis/urgent announcements; logistics announcements (construction closures, traffic routing); major news (Presidential visit); major policy and procedural changes that must be communicated quickly; financial and administrative deadlines; registration information; and academic deadlines or communications from the University System of New Hampshire. This link to the “KSC Guidelines for Broadcast E-mail” will provide you with more information.
Filed under: Information Technology, Tech Tip of the Week | No Comments »
August 21st, 2008
From the IT Group: The IT Group has been busy this summer with technology changes:
- More than 150 KSC faculty and staff members have upgraded to Office 2007. If you are interested in upgrading, please fill out this web form.
- The wireless network now includes the entire first floor of the Science Center. We have added a secure wireless connection and modified our log-in options. The new log-in options are: KSC_Student, KSC_Guest, and KSC_Secure. All faculty and staff will use the KSC_Secure log-in option, which will provide the most security to KSC users.
To be sure you have the media equipment you need and access to the tools you use:
- Log in to WebAdvisor now and request a password reset, if necessary, so you can access your class roster.
- If you need to request media equipment this semester, visit our website and reserve your equipment early; the HelpDesk has a limited supply of circulation equipment.
- There are media equipment closets throughout the campus where you can reserve equipment, pick up equipment when you need it, and return it when you are done. You can view the list of closets and the equipment available in: Outlook Public Folders –> Media Equipment Closet Schedules.
Information on the media-enhanced classrooms, Office 2007, the wireless network, media equipment requests, and more can be found on the HelpDesk website. If you have questions about any technology issue, please contact the HelpDesk at 8-2532 or stop by our office on the second floor of the Elliot Center.
Filed under: Information Technology | No Comments »
July 24th, 2008
From Kim Pare, IT Group: The IT Group has been busy making changes to the wireless network – wireless networking is now available on the entire first floor of the Science Center, and you will notice new log-in options and enhanced security when you connect to the wireless network on campus.
We have divided the wireless network into three separate services to meet the needs of distinct user groups. These three new wireless network options (SSIDs) are: KSC_Secure, KSC_Student, and KSC_Guest.
Faculty and staff must use KSC_Secure to access Keene State resources from a campus or personally owned wireless device. This secured network connection will require authentication and will encrypt data between the computer and the wireless access points. Students may use this option if they want a secure encrypted wireless connection.
Guests of the College may use the wireless network by selecting the KSC_Guest option. This login will provide them with limited access to the Internet.
You will see these new log-in options throughout all of the wireless zones on campus. If you need instructions to configure your computer to access the wireless network, visit the HelpDesk, contact us at 8-2532, or stop by our office on the second floor of Elliot Center.
Filed under: Information Technology, Tech Tip of the Week | No Comments »