Major outage of central IT systems scheduled Dec. 28-29
by G. Robertson, Computing and Network Services
published Dec. 13, 2005
A power outage has been scheduled for Dec. 28-29 to install the backup generator
for the K-State IT Data Center. This outage will require the complete shutdown of all equipment housed
in the data center, including the SAN, mainframe, servers for all central
computing services, and peripheral equipment.
- All non-essential systems and services will be unavailable beginning at 7 p.m. Dec. 28 (Wed),
and all essential systems and services beginning at 9 p.m.
- Many central IT services will be unavailable during this time,
including e-mail, KATS, K-State Online, and more.
- The outage is expected to last 10-12 hours.
IT units will be working with various campus entities to finalize the
details of the outage and communicate with the campus community.
Bot infections on the rise from instant messaging
by A. Hagedorn, Information Technology Assistance Center,
and J. Ballard, Computing and Network Services
published Dec. 13, 2005
Since October, IRC bots have infected more than 231 computers at K-State, with 75 percent
occurring in the residence halls alone. In a single day last week, 17 machines were infected.
This malicious software continues to spread because people are still
clicking on enticing links in instant messaging. Once you click, it's too late.
The latest IRC bots are targeting AOL Instant Messenger users and can actually chat
with them to trick them into clicking on links.
What is an IRC bot?
An Internet relay chat robot, or "IRC bot" for short, is a program that is
installed on machines and can be used for various tasks such as stealing passwords and bank account
information, monitoring Internet activities, and launching denial-of-service attacks.
How does an IRC bot get installed?
IRC bots are spread through instant messaging applications -- AOL, MSN, Yahoo, etc -- by
clicking live links or attachments in messages. For example,
if someone clicks a link that installs the IRC bot on
their computer, immediately the bot will send the same message to everyone in
their buddy list. That's why users have a false
sense of security that anything from a known person is OK to open. It's not.
How do I remove an IRC bot?
The computer must be completely reformatted and reinstalled. This means a total loss of all
programs and files -- documents, photos, music, and more.
How do I protect myself?
- Don't open links or attachments you receive in an instant message.
While it is very tempting to see pictures of friends at a party, or a link of
something cool that your friend sent, resist the urge to click.
- Call or e-mail the sender to make sure the message is real.
- Share this information with others in your buddy list, because protecting their systems helps protect you.
If you think your computer is infected with an IRC bot, contact the
IT Help Desk, helpdesk@ksu.edu, (785) 532-7722.
Faculty/staff: Pick up new ID cards next week
by C. Johnson, K-State ID Center
published Dec. 13, 2005
Dec. 19-23 is the time for K-State faculty/staff -- including emeriti and retirees --
to pick up their new K-State ID cards 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
in the Cottonwood Room on the second floor of the K-State Student Union.
Pick-up dates are based on the first letter of the last name:
| Pick up ID card | If last name starts with |
| Mon, Dec. 19 | A through C |
| Tue, Dec. 20 | D through H |
| Wed, Dec. 21 | I through N |
| Thu, Dec. 22 | O through S |
| Fri, Dec. 23 | T through Z |
Those who miss their assigned date can pick up new cards 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
on or after Jan. 3, 2006, at the K-State ID Center on the first floor of the Union.
When the new cards becomes effective Jan. 3, shred or cut up your old card that
shows your SSN.
For more information about the new cards, see InfoTech Tuesday's Dec. 6
ID cards article, and the
ID Center's
faculty/staff distribution schedule.
Reminder: Dec. 15 webcast on cyber security
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published Dec. 13, 2005
What: Webcast by U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Topic: Cyber security tips for the holidays.
Time/date: 2-3 p.m. Dec. 15 (Thu)
Location: Big 12 Room, K-State Student Union
See the web seminar page
for details. This event is free of charge, and pre-registration is not required.
If you have any questions, contact Aimee Hagedorn at aimeeh@ksu.edu.
Routine IT maintenance during semester break
by R. Johnson, Computing and Network Services
published Dec. 13, 2005
The semester break has been one of the traditional times used for routine IT maintenance.
It is also the time for upgrades to the university computing labs and K-State InfoCommons.
K-Staters can expect to see some disruptions in service during this period as upgrades and maintenance are performed.
A list of scheduled projects will soon be available on the IT status webpage,
which will be updated throughout the break to keep K-Staters informed.
The support of the university community is appreciated while this necessary maintenance is being completed
during the semester break.
Online computer tutorials for K-State faculty/staff
by S. Silva, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Dec. 13, 2005
Want to know how to set a blending mode for a layer in Adobe
Photoshop? Or how to create an ID style in Dreamweaver MX
2004? Or how to modify the default-save location for files
in MS Word 2003? Learn how to do these things and more when you access
the online training created by Atomic Learning.
Through Kan-ed and iTAC, K-State faculty and staff can view thousands of one- to
three-minute tutorial movies online. The tutorials cover many of
today's most popular software applications, including Adobe,
Macromedia, Microsoft, Sun, and Apple, and are available for both
Windows and Mac platforms. Some of the tutorials
can be viewed without subscription at the Atomic Learning
website (www.atomiclearning.com), but
K-State employees can access the full library of tutorial movies -- thanks to a license
agreement between Kan-ed and Atomic Learning.
To request access to the online tutorials, e-mail Sarah Silva
(gr8ful@ksu.edu) with your name and K-State eID. Once your
access is set up, instructions will be e-mailed to you.
Usenet news service to continue via KanREN
by J. Bell, Computing and Network Services
published Dec. 13, 2005
A previous article
in InfoTech Tuesday announced that K-State's Usenet news server would
be discontinued Dec. 28. While the K-State hardware will be shut down, Computing and Network Services
has received approval to redirect our service users to the KanREN news server. This change will allow
current users to continue using the service with no interruption or
configuration changes. Other options still include the use of Yahoo, Google, or other public news servers.
| Q/A: IT questions from K-Staters |
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published Dec. 13, 2005
When will semester grades be posted?
Grades will be posted and available in KATS on Dec. 22 (Thu).
Have a question or comment?
TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
|
| Web watch |
Sudoku puzzle
by S. Silva, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Dec. 13, 2005
To keep your mind active during these winter month's,
check out USA Today's daily sudoku puzzle at
puzzles.usatoday.com/sudoku.
Find a good site? TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
|
|
