Aug. 1-Sept. 13 is fall password-change timeframe
by B. Edwards, Computing and Network Services
published Aug. 1, 2006
It's time for K-Staters to change passwords on their eIDs for the fall
semester. Aug. 1-Sept. 13 is the mandatory password-change timeframe.
Passwords not changed by the end of Wednesday, Sept. 13, will cease to
work. This is a basic security measure, since long-term use of the same
password is a known risk factor. For this same reason, K-State passwords
cannot be reused in a two-year period.
Visit the eid.k-state.edu website
and sign in to change your password. If you've forgotten your password,
call the IT Help Desk at 785-532-7722 and verify your identity, so staff can set a temporary password
for you to sign in on the eID site. For more about passwords, see the
Password FAQs page.
Suspects caught in Union ID Center theft
by B. Edwards, Computing and Network Services
published Aug. 1, 2006
Three people, including at least one K-State student, were arrested July 27 in connection with the theft of
about $25,000 of computers and equipment from the K-State ID Center in the K-State Student
Union on July 19. Numerous pieces of equipment stolen from the center were recovered by the K-State Police
Department, assisted by the Riley County Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
"Though it has not yet been determined, it is likely we have recovered all of the property
reported as stolen," said Troy Lane, assistant chief of the K-State Police Department.
For details, see Media Relations'
July 28
and July 20
news releases.
K-State Online to be offline Saturday for upgrade
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published Aug. 1, 2006
As noted in a July 18 article, K-State Online version 6.0 upgrade Aug. 5,
K-State Online is scheduled to be unavailable 8 a.m.-midnight on Saturday, Aug. 5.
Service will be restored sooner if possible. If you have any questions, contact the IT Help Desk,
helpdesk@k-state.edu.
Updated CatPack to be released this week
by A. Cobb, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Aug. 1, 2006
A new version of the CatPack will be released Friday, Aug. 4, for the 2006-2007
academic year. The CatPack is free of charge to all K-Staters. It can be picked up next week from
K-State Telecommunications, the Union Computer Store, and the IT Help Desk in 313 Hale Library.
For the first time, the CatPack will include two CDs -- one for the security of
your computer and K-State's network, and another with the usual mix of helpful software
K-Staters can use to complete daily tasks.
As a result of K-State's antivirus transition
from Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition to Trend Micro, the CatPack will also feature a program called
NoNav.exe which will remove Symantec AntiVirus from a computer even if
it's password-protected. The rest of the software included on the
CatPack remains the same except for newer versions and currents updates.
August training to focus on K-State Online
by C. Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published Aug. 1, 2006
In August, K-State Online training will be the primary focus for the iTAC training group.
New features are included in these sessions:
- Getting Started with K-State Online. Create your course and import your roster.
- Creating Online Quizzes, Exams, and More! Come check out the new question types (matching and essay).
- Creating Timed Assignments. Gain more power over the time it takes your students to complete an assignment.
- Creating, Managing, and Scoring Classroom Assignments. Provide your students with online access to their
grades even if it is an in-class assignment.
Other sessions include:
- Managing Your Content. Learn how to upload and organize files within your course.
- Enhance Course Communication with E-mail, Announcements, Calendar, and more!
Check out the training calendar
for specific dates and times. Enrollment is required. If you can't make any of the scheduled
sessions and need assistance, contact Cathy Rodriguez (cathyr@k-state.edu)
or Sarah Silva (gr8ful@k-state.edu) to set up an appointment.
Security tip: Nigerian scam evolves from e-mail to fax
by H. Townsend, interim K-State IT security officer
published Aug. 1, 2006
Virtually everyone at K-State has received at least one bogus e-mail trying to trick you into "helping" a
"top official in the Nigerian government" to move millions of dollars from their homeland with promises of
sharing the wealth with you for assisting them. All you have to do is give them your bank account information
so they can deposit the money. This scam, known as the "419 Nigerian Fraud" has been around for many years
in many forms. For more information, see any of the
Websites fighting the Nigerian Scam/419.
A new form of this scam came to K-State's attention recently. On July 12, a K-State employee received
the typical fraudulent letter from "The Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" in a faxed memo,
not in an e-mail message. It was personally addressed to the K-State employee and sent to their K-State fax number.
It's ironic that criminals are resorting to an old form of technology in their never-ending quest to find new ways
to trick people into providing their bank account information.
The tip of the week? Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, even if it comes to your
fax machine personally addressed to you.
IT by the numbers: Month of the browser bugs
by H. Townsend, interim IT security officer
published Aug. 1, 2006
An interesting article in a security-related e-newsletter (InfoSec News digest, vol 4, issue 1) relates how a
security researcher set out to identify a security flaw in Internet browsers every single day in July, a month he
dubbed the "Month of the Browser Bugs". He succeeded. In 31 days, 31 vulnerabilities were identified in various
web browsers. Here's the breakdown:
- 25 in Microsoft Internet Explorer
- 2 in Apple Safari
- 2 in Mozilla Firefox
- 1 in Opera
- 1 in Konqueror
Interpretation of the results is an exercise for the reader. Which browser would you use?
CNET News.com covered this security effort in a July 5 news article,
Security expert dubs July the 'month of browser bugs'.
|
