IT events this week: Spooktacular, VPAST lecture, IDT Roundtable, security

Will you lose access to K-State's network Oct. 31?

K-Staters have one week left before the Symantec AntiVirus license for Windows PCs expires. Next Monday, Oct. 30, is the last day that K-Staters can legally run the university's licensed Symantec antivirus software on home and office Windows PCs. Starting Oct. 31, any Windows computer or server still running K-State's Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition will be blocked from K-State's network. Apple Mac users will continue to use Symantec's Norton AntiVirus supplied by K-State.

For K-State office PCs, this block will remain in place until verification (by a departmental SIRT representative) of conversion to Trend Micro. Depending on the number of blocked systems, this could cause considerable delays in access to K-State's network.

Those who haven't yet converted their Windows systems to Trend Micro Antivirus should go to the antivirus.k-state.edu website and download the appropriate version. The software can be installed on all office and home computers. For assistance, contact the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@k-state.edu, 785-532-7722.

Hotmail, MSN blocks cause delivery delays of K-State e-mail

Last week, a string of Hotmail and MSN e-mails were held up in a queue for three days due to those providers blocking e-mail delivery from K-State. K-State is working with Hotmail administrators to resolve this issue. A similar e-mail problem arose this summer with America Online and was successfully resolved.

K-Staters are encouraged to use their K-State mailbox instead of forwarding e-mail to Hotmail. Anyone who forwards their K-State e-mail to other mail providers -- which may include Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail -- runs the risk of having e-mail delivery delayed if those providers are blocking mail from K-State for any reason. People can change or cancel their e-mail forwarding anytime by signing in at eid.k-state.edu and selecting that option.

Is e-mail really for old people?

"E-mail is for old people," according to Dan Carnevale in an Oct. 6 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The author describes alternative means of communicating with students, including cellphone text messages, instant messaging, and even university Myspace or Facebook pages.

Carnevale provides food for thought as we rethink how to reach an information-infused student population. Recent articles in the Kansas State Collegian on textcasting are just one of the many indications that digital-savvy students are moving to faster, shorter, more in-touch e-channels.

Cyber Security Awareness Quiz 2 due Oct. 25

The K-State Security Incident Response Team (SIRT), in coordination with the IT Help Desk and the Union Computer Store, have put together a cyber security awareness quiz to test your security knowledge and give K-Staters a chance to win brand new computer speakers. Download and print the second quiz from the link below and answer all questions. Bring your completed quiz to the cyber security awareness table in the K-State Student Union 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, to find out the correct answers. Anyone who scores 8 out of 11 or better will be entered into a drawing to win brand new computer speakers, courtesy of the K-State Student Union Computer Store. This contest is open to all students, staff, and faculty members. Print the cyber security awareness quiz (PDF).

Revised LASER Project site now live

The LASER Project website has been revised to include more detailed information about the principles and strategies for completing this massive project. The Financial Information System (FIS) was the first of two major information systems to go live in July 2005. The focus will now be on the development of the new student information system, otherwise known as iSIS. Visit the LASER Project website to see timelines, updated project teams, and more at laser.k-state.edu.

TechBytes Oct. 27: Computer Security

Harvard Townsend will discuss Computer Security at this week's TechBytes session, 1:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in 501 Hale Library. Come hear practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computer, your data, and the institution's data. Topics will include:

• How to safely use wireless networks at K-State, at home, and while traveling
• K-State's Virtual Private Network service for secure remote access
• What to do when you get rid of a computer
• The most important things you should do to protect your computer
• New IT security policies you need to be aware of and what you need to do to comply with the policies
• Where to find more information and who to contact
• Q/A

TechBytes seminars are free and open to the K-State community. This series also will be video streamed live for off-campus viewers. Visit the TechBytes website for:

• additional details, handouts, and resources from previous seminars
• a downloadable schedule for this semester
• links to both live and archived videos of TechByte programs

HyperSnap and Fireworks Workshop Oct. 25

A "Creating Images with HyperSnap and Fireworks" workshop is 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, in Fairchild 202. HyperSnap is a versatile tool that is used to capture images of a Windows screen. Anytime you need a picture representation of a task, Hypersnap can come to the rescue and capture things like:

• your entire desktop
• a specific window
• specific components of a screen, such as buttons or toolbars

The images can then be used in a variety of ways, including documentation, handouts, tutorials, help systems, and e-mail messages. You can insert the images into a variety of software applications such as Word, Dreamweaver, and many more.

The first part of this session will focus on HyperSnap and different options for capturing images, as well as how to manipulate the images. The second half will focus on using Fireworks to manipulate captured images which can then be inserted into webpages. To register for this workshop, use the registration page.

Security tip: Secure your home wireless network

Many people have added wireless network capability to their home broadband (cable or DSL, for example) Internet service. The added convenience also increases risk. The wireless signal does not stop at the walls of your house. It can extend hundreds of feet in all directions and thereby give free Internet access to your neighbors or someone driving by. If you see someone parked in the alley behind your house using a laptop, be suspicious!

Besides providing your neighbor with free Internet service, unprotected wireless also poses a significant security risk. Someone connected to your wireless network can intercept your network traffic and/or gain access to your computer(s) to view sensitive information like credit card numbers, account names and passwords, banking account numbers, and other personal identity information.

The most important steps to secure your home wireless system:

1. Use encryption.
2. Limit wireless access to specific computers (sometimes called "MAC address filtering"). Do not buy a wireless access point or router that does not have this capability!
3. Change the default settings. Change the password for the router's administrator account, change the default "Service Set Identifier" (SSID, which is the name assigned to your wireless network), and turn off broadcasting of the SSID.

Consult the documentation that came with your wireless router to learn how to configure your device for these and other security features. You will need to configure your laptop to match the security configuration of your wireless router by, for example, entering the encryption key used to scramble the network traffic as it travels through the air.

See the federal government's OnGuard Online website on wireless security for more information about securing your home wireless network as well as safely using public wireless "hot spots".

If you're tempted to use your neighbor's unprotected wireless network, be aware that this is against Kansas law, which defines computer crime as "intentionally and without authorization accessing... a computer, computer system, computer network or any other property". (Search for statute 21-3755 on the Kansas Legislature's Statutes page.)

IT by the numbers: Central e-mail delivery stats

As of last week, K-State's central e-mail servers are averaging:

• 1.7 terabytes of mail storage space being used
• 1.3 million incoming e-mail messages per day (including spam)
• 660,000 messages delivered locally to K-State mailboxes per day
• 315,000 messages going off-campus per day (including forwarded mail)

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Managing editor
     Betsy Edwards
Executive editor
     Rebecca Gould

Popular IT

IT events
and deadlines

Fall 2006
Doctoral students will be required to submit dissertations electronically.

Oct. 10-Nov. 10
Two teaching/learning surveys will allow instructors to provide feedback on how they personalize (customize or adapt) their teaching in face-to-face classrooms and in eLearning courses.

Oct. 25 (Wed)
VPAST Lecture: "Spatial Reasoning at Sea and Ashore: Progress and Challenges". Open to all K-Staters. 1:30 p.m. Union Little Theatre

Oct. 25 (Wed)
"Building Educational Games and Simulations" is the second session in the IDT Roundtable Series. Open to all K-Staters. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Union 212. Sign up by 5 p.m. Oct. 23.

Oct. 25 (Wed)
Cyber Security Awareness Quiz 2 contest entries must be submitted 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the cyber security awareness table in the Union.

Oct. 25 (Wed)
Apple Halloween Spooktacular. Enjoy a night of frights, food, fun, and Apple Computer. 7-9 p.m.,Union main courtyard

Oct. 25 (Wed)
Last day for extended deep discounts on Dell desktop computers and monitors. See the Sept. 26 Dell article.

Oct. 27 (Fri)
TechBytes: "Computer Security at K-State"
1:15 p.m. 501 Hale Library

Oct. 30 (Mon)
Last day for K-Staters to use the university's Symantec AntiVirus license for PCs on personal and office computers. (Only Macs can continue using Symantec.)

Nov. 3 (Fri)
TechBytes: "Designing PowerPoint for eLearning"
1:15 p.m. 501 Hale Library

Nov. 10 (Fri)
TechBytes: "Getting the most out of Web 2.0 with Personalized Portals"
1:15 p.m. 501 Hale Library

Nov. 16 (Thu)
"Accessible Design: Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities" is the third session in the IDT Roundtable Series. Open to all K-Staters. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Union 212. Sign up by 5 p.m. Nov. 14.

Nov. 30 (Thu)
James Neal, vice president for information technology and university librarian at Columbia University. 10:30 a.m.-noon Hemisphere Room, Hale Library

Fall 2007
Masters students will be required to submit theses and reports electronically.

It's always a good idea to review any online assignments you create in K-State Online. There are three options for previewing your newly created assignment:

* Preview - Lets instructor view an assignment as students would see it.

* Printout - Allows instructor to print the assignment.

* Answer Key - Allows instructor to view and print the questions and answers of an assignment.

To preview an online assignment, print it, or view/print the answer key, do the following:

1. In the Assignment Manager, click Questions List.

2. Click Preview (or click Printout or click Answer Key).

3. Click File and then click Print in the browser window.

Trend Micro taskbar symbols

How do I learn more about the symbols associated with the Trend Micro antivirus program?

See K-State's antivirus FAQs, where the taskbar symbols and their descriptions are provided.

Naomi Wood, a K-State champion of technology

Naomi Wood, associate professor of English, is a champion of learning using technology.

Technology tools she's using:

What are your objectives and impetus for using the technology?

"I am aware that learning to read aloud well is extremely important for preservice teachers. At the same time, I cannot spend a great deal of class time evaluating students' abilities," she said. "This is a perfect opportunity to use technology, because students could record and observe themselves without using other students' time or class time to do so. In addition, this process would allow students to be more reflective about themselves because they would have the opportunity to see how they look to others."

Have students commented on the ways in which you use technology for teaching and learning?

"This project has in general been well received by students, who are aware of the importance of reading aloud well. Although we have had some of the usual difficulties of trying something new, in general students indicate that it is valuable for them to see themselves, both those who are pleasantly surprised by how effective they are and those who become aware of aspects of their performance that they would like to improve upon."

What else would you like to share on how you use technology?

Do you have a technology wish list?

"I'd love to see more 'smart classrooms', especially in Eisenhower and other buildings that serve humanities courses. If every classroom had an Elmo, a computer-projector-VCR arrangement, we could all serve our students better by incorporating more media into our teaching."