Kansas State University

Shredders important for security

When it comes to security technology, people typically think of things like firewalls and antivirus software. These days, you need to add a paper shredder to your IT security arsenal for proper disposal of paper, CDs, DVDs, and expired credit cards and identification cards that contain confidential data.

From a security perspective, the most important feature to consider when buying a shredder is the style of cut. Strip-cut shredders produce long, narrow paper strips and do not provide adequate security for confidential data. Cross-cut shredders are better because they cut the strips into smaller confetti-like pieces. (A micro-cut shredder seems to be a marketing term used by some manufacturers for a cross-cut shredder that produces tiny pieces.)

The most common security standard for shredders seems to be "DIN 32757" published by a German standards body. It specifies the particle size based on the security level of the information being shredded. I hesitate to recommend a specific DIN security level for your shredder purchase other than 1) get a cross-cut shredder, and 2) the smaller the shredded particles, the better. Note that starting Oct. 1, the U.S. government will require all federal classified documents to be shredded to particles no larger than 1 millimeter by 5 millimeters.

Be sure to get a shredder that can also handle CDs, DVDs, and credit cards to make it convenient to dispose of those media.

Every home should have a shredder to dispose of the following items, which should NEVER be placed in the trash or recycled without being shredded first:

• Old bank statements and other documents with financial information
• Any document with sensitive personal information
• Expired credit cards and other identification cards like driver's licenses
• Junk mail that offers pre-approved credit
• CDs or DVDs that contain back-ups of files from your computer or camera

If you have a large volume of documents or other media to shred, consider contracting with a commercial vendor that provides shredding service. Talk to your purchasing specialist about options for vendors who contract with the state or the university to provide this service.

How to "hide" courses in My Organizer

I have a lot of courses on my organizer that I am not using at this time. I don't want to delete them, but I also don't want them cluttering up my organizer. Is there any way to customize the organizer page?

Yes. Do the following to customize the My Organizer page:

1. On the My Organizer page, click the Preferences link.
2. In the Hide column, click the boxes next to the courses you want to hide.

Note: You can also reorder your courses by selecting the number in the list where you want each course to be located. To further customize your organizer, you can place comments next to each course by adding a comment in the comments box.

Common eID password questions

If I change my eID password now, do I still need to change it at the beginning of the fall semester?

Yes. If you change your password before Aug. 1, when the password-change period starts for fall, you'll have to change it again sometime between Aug. 1-Sept. 10.

I've been away from K-State for an extended period. How do I get access to K-State resources like e-mail, etc.?

Contact the IT Help Desk, 785-532-7722, toll-free 1-800-865-6143, e-mail helpdesk@k-state.edu.

Manhattan, KS, now in Google Street View

Google Street View map of Manhattan, KS

Panoramic views and photos of the Little Apple can now be seen in Google Street View.

According to Wikipedia, "Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps and Google Earth that provides 360-degree panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level."

Do yourself a favor and save on gas by cruising through Manhattan in Street View starting at Anderson Hall. Pictures for Manhattan appear to have been taken in August-September 2007 according to various clues (cost of gas posted around town; temperature readings posted; Varney's advertising for Aggiefest in September).

The usual way to find Manhattan's street views:

1. Go to Google Maps at maps.google.com.
2. Type in "Manhattan KS" in the Search box at top left.
3. Click the Street View button at the top of the map display.

Tips for navigating in Google Street View:

• Any street outlined in blue has street views.
• Zoom in far enough and you'll see an orange "person" icon that you can click and drag to any street you want to view.
• In the panoramic picture that's displayed when you zoom in, use the white navigational arrows to move around and change directions. Click and drag left/right to see views in any direction and rotate up to 360 degrees.

For more information about Street View, see Wikipedia's Google Street View entry.