Technology Bytes

The latest Text Messaging SCAMs to hit Campus Networks
A number of campuses in Mississippi have reported a recent rash of scam attempts using text messaging.  It seems students are receiving text messages encouraging them to click the link on the message to pay their student fees or to reply to the text message and provide their checking account information to pay their student fees.  DSU does not request your banking or checking account information over text messages or emails.  If you receive a suspicious email or text message requesting this information, please report it immediately to OIT (662-846-4444 or helpdesk@deltastate.edu ) or contact the Student Business Services office (662-846-4698). 

Almost 1,000 Mobile Devices are Registered for use on the DSU Campus-  Did you know that as of this writing, DSU has almost 1,000 mobile devices registered to use the campus wireless network?!  The majority of the devices are Apple products – iPhones lead the way with 20% followed closely by the iPod Touch with 10% of the total registrations.  For gaming stations, it appears that our students prefer Xbox 360 almost two to one over the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii.    After the Apple products, our faculty and students seem to have a preference for the Android technologies.  We are seeing a increase this year in Android device registrations (Samsung Galaxy, HTC Hero, etc) but iPhone still leads the way.  Curious who leads the way in registered devices?  Students!  With over 87% of device registrations, our students are definitely taking advantage of the wireless connections on campus.  We anticipate even faster growth this year with the abundance of Android applications.

Event Planning and AV Request:  A number of media-rich events are held on the campus every day.  For many, the access to AV equipment (projectors, microphones, laptops, sound systems, etc) is critical for the success of these events.  When you book a facility on campus, please keep in mind that booking the room may be only part of the process to help make your event successfully.  Make sure you complete the reservations for your AV equipment as well using the online form located on the OIT website ( AV Media Services Request Form.)  By completing this form and selecting “submit” your request is automatically routed into our help desk system.  It is critical that OIT know about your event as soon as possible, and not less than 72 hours before the equipment is needed.  This is especially true if you are hosting events in some of the large venues on campus, like the H.L. Nowell Union State Room and the Jacob Center.  Not sure if you need our help?  Give us a call, 24/7 at 662-846-4444 (on-campus) or 866-264-1465 (toll free) for assistance.

Three methods to contact the OIT Technology 24/7 Help Desk

1. Phone:  662-846-4444 or 866-264-1465 (toll free)
2. Email:  helpdesk@deltastate.edu
3. Online:  https://sungardhe.service-now.com/ 

Welcome to 2011 – the Phishers are back!
A sharp sighted employee caught one of the first phish for 2011!  The message below was received and promptly reported to OIT – and kudos to the staff member for not clicking on the link!  You can tell this is a phishing attempt as the domain is not deltastate.edu, the reply to address is not a DSU address and the email is not signed by OIT.  OIT will not send our messages where you are asked to click on a link to verify your mailbox.  Clicking on this link actually takes you to the phishers website and in that short amount of time they are working to grab your information!  If you receive emails like this, never click,  always delete the message, and report it to OIT!  Thanks to this staff member, OIT was able to block this sender from sending any more messages of this type to the campus. 

From: Serena Decator [mailto:serena.xxxxxx@esd11.xxxx ]
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 11:18 AM
To:   no-reply@admin.yyyy
Subject: 

Your mailbox has exceeded the storage limit set by your administrator,and you may not be able to send or receive new mails until you re-validate .To re-validate please Click Here<http://itshrunk.com/xxxx >. System Administrator.

OIT Service Desk Refresh

We are pleased to announce a recent change in the self service feature for the OIT online service desk.   This page can be used to self-submit technology assistance requests, or to view histories on past cases. To log in to the page just use your email credentials.  You will no longer have to decide if your case is an “incident” (something is broken)  or a “request” (need assistance) .  Simply choose the “Submit New Ticket” option and a case will be created.   A summary of the ticket creation process is below.   Remember, you have three methods to contact the OIT help desk (listed below).  If your case is urgent we encourage you to call the Help Desk. 

Opening technology support requests in self-service:

1. How do I create a ticket? Log in using your email credentials.  Choose the “Submit New Ticket” option to create your case. Please be as descriptive as possible so that we can make sure the right group receives your case.  If you have alternative contact information (cell phone #, location, additional contact person for case, etc) please make sure to provide that as well.
2. How do I view my tickets?  Choose the “View Active Tickets (open)” or “View All My Tickets (open and closed) from the navigation menu.
3. What if I have additional questions?  Contact the Help Desk at the number below

Three methods to contact the OIT Technology 24/7 Help Desk

1. Phone:  662-846-4444 or 866-264-1465 (toll free)
2. Email:  helpdesk@deltastate.edu
3. Online:  https://sungardhe.service-now.com/ 

 Protect that Smart Phone!

Security Tip:  Security attacks on Smart Phones grew 45% in 2010.  With more apps and the ability to perform financial transactions from your phone, 2011 is expected to grown even more.  To protect yourself, make sure you 1)place a password on your smartphone 2)encrypt your phone if possible 3) do not accept new apps by default 4)do not leave your smart phone where others can get it.  These few steps, although not foolproof, can help protect you from some of the threats.  To learn more, check out the article at Money.CNN.com.

2010 Service Desk Summary

OIT documented 8,189 technology support tickets during 2010.  The central help desk resolved approximately 30% of the calls, while our desktop team led the way in resolving 25% of the cases (desktop also handles event and AV requests for the campus). Most calls were of the request nature (69%), while about 36% of all desktop cases and 31% of network cases were incidents.  Our overall satisfaction rating for 2010 was 4.57% (5.0 scale).  We are striving to improve that rate that year and encourage everyone to complete the survey requests that you receive after your case is resolved.  I am pleased to say that for January 2011, our current rating is at a 4.94% and we hope to maintain that for the year.

Several technology policy revisions and new technology policies and have been approved by the University cabinet in recent months.   OIT will be complying with these policies and will work closely with faculty and staff as we begin the implementation of these policies.  For details on the new policies, please see the links below.

• Appropriate Use of Computing and Network Resources
• Bandwidth Utilization Policy
• Network Devices
• Electronic Mail Quotas: Faculty & Staff
• Mass Email for Communications Policy, Guidelines and Procedures

Web Editor Training

OIT was pleased to have Cortney Wanca on site for another round of Site Builder Editor (SBT) training.  Approximately 25 people attended at least one of of the 14  sessions.  The sessions ranged from beginner to advanced  and included two evening sessions that were open to any and all questions on how to perform tasks in the web content editor system.     In all, over 60 individuals on the campus attended the various training sessions on how to edit and approve web pages prior to publication.  If you were not able to attend the sessions, how to manuals can be found on the University website. The information is also available under the Faculty/Staff section of the OIT support page.

Dig Permits – Required

In order to protect the University infrastructure, please be aware that prior to digging on the campus that dig permits are required.  Several years ago the University passed the policy on dig permits.  If you have any projects, no matter how small, that require digging of any type on the campus, please make sure to contact OIT and they will assist you in getting a dig permit completed.   By completing a dig permit, critical underground infrastructure can be marked in order to minimize any disruption to the campus.  Not sure if you need one?  Give us a call at 662-846-4760 and we will be glad to discuss with you.

We are seeing a large number of very creative phishing attempts hit campus inboxes.  These phishing attempts have even gone so far as to include the University copyright information at the bottom of the message!  The most recent version was very deceptive and was delivered to several campus mailboxes.  While our SPAM filter blocks on average 100,000 attempted spam messages a day, the creativity of these messages sometimes allows them to get through our SPAM firewall.   Several recipients quickly notified OIT and we were able to block any further messages from being sent to the campus by blocking the domain and email address of the sender.

If you receive a suspicious email, do not open it and don’t click on any links.  The best course of action is to notify OIT so that we can prevent any further messages from being delivered to the campus and then delete the email message from your mail folder without replying or selecting any links.  By clicking on one of the links, you could potentially be providing the phisher the ability to hack your accounts as well as those of anyone in your contact address book.  The best course of action with suspicious emails is to delete them!

Be S.M.A.R.T. Online Campaign

Over 50 faculty and staff members joined us during our Cyber Awareness events during October.  Danny Creedon and Mike Tarcan, members of the SunGard security team, were on campus to discuss some of the dangers that we encounter online and how to avoid falling into those traps.  Danny Creedon met with members of the cabinet and academic council and discussed many of the security issues that are facing higher education today.  Mike Tarcan presented some great information on how thieves can steal your identity information and even had some evidence to share with the audience on how thieves steal your credit card information using skimming techniques.

We also held four sessions for faculty and staff and two sessions for students.  These sessions covered a number of technology security items that most people see everyday.  The audiences participated in a review of phishing emails and learned more about how to spot them, as well as some of the dangers of social networking, copier machines, and text messaging.  OIT is always available to present a cyber session for your organization or group.  If you are interested in holding a cyber awareness event for your organization or department, just give us a call at 662-846-4760 or send an email to askoit@deltastate.edu.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month.  Each year, our office works to hold seminars and awareness campaigns on the campus.  This year we are doing a series of  Cyber Awareness trainings entitled “Be S.M.A.R.T. Online.”  S.M.A.R.T stands for “Security Management Actively Reduces Threats”.   Today’s online environment is full of traps and dangers for anyone using the Internet and online services.   There is a huge industry of hackers that work feverishly to get your personal information and data.  Once they have your information, they use it either obtain funds or resources that impact you immediately, or they sell your data to other individuals and agencies who will then use it for identity theft.

As part of the kick-off for National Cyber Security Awareness month, our first “Be S.M.A.R.T. Online” event was one focused on Greek awareness and sponsored by the Delta State Kappa Alpha organization.  Over 50 students attended the event and learned about the importance of changing your passwords, how to spot phishing attempts, and what not to post on their social networking sites.  The evening ended with a competitive Jeopardy game that tested the students awareness after attending the event.

Additional events are scheduled for faculty and staff for the last week in October (October 26th and 27th) in the H.L. Nowell Union State Room.  We are working to have SunGard’s security team here to also discuss some of the more advanced methods that cyber thieves use to steal your data – even when you are not online.

If you are interested in holding a cyber awareness event for your organization or department, just give us a call at 662-846-4760 or send an email to askoit@deltastate.edu.

Technology can be a great tool, and it can also be dangerous.  Each fall, we see an influx of spyware/malware outbreaks on campus, most of which attach themselves to your computer through casual web browsing.  That link that looks so interesting and entertaining may in fact contain some very malicious software that can make your computing experience very difficult, and can potentially destroy all of the contents on your computer.  As much as we try to repair the damage, sometimes we cannot (make sure you keep backups!).   As these software developers, and I am hesitant to use the word developers, work tirelessly to build software that hijacks your computer, steals personal information, or worse, just erases everything on your hard drive other developers struggle to keep up with tools to stop it in its tracks. 

One of the worse culprits we have seen this month is the “Microsoft AntiVirus 2009″malware.  If a message pops up on your computer screen telling you to install this product DON’T!  Call OIT immediately and we will either walk you through blocking it or get someone out as soon as possible to try and rescue your machine. 

Microsoft has a great article that tells you more about how to prevent malware.  Check out: http://www.microsoft.com/security/spyware/prevent.aspx

Watch out for Trojans

Links are not the only way your computer can be impacted by dangerous software.  Trojans are spread manually as they typically require some sort of interaction with the user (e-mail attachments, Active-X installations, file sharing, etc).  Most trojans trick you into thinking that the software that they want you to install is beneficial for your computer.   In reality, trojans are designed to capture data from you and your computer and can provide a hacker access without your knowledge – including key logging and data theft. 

If your antivirus/anti-malware application captures a suspicious file it will usually delete the file and notify you that the file has been quarantined or deleted.   For the McAfee installations on campus, the message will continue to appear until you select the “remove message” option.  If the message you receive says “unable to clean”, give us a call asap at 4444!!  Most AV programs have a similar feature – just check your program’s help section for details. 

 The bottom line is that if you don’t know the true source of an email attachment, social media file, Active-X installation or downloaded file, don’t click  the accept button!

Lock your Computer

A new semester always brings security concerns to light.  One of the best tips we can provide to anyone that uses a Microsoft Windows computer is to make sure and select Windows+L on your keyboard before you walk away.  Why?  If you don’t lock your computer when you walk away, someone could easily sit down at your computer and steal your information, make changes without your knowledge, and send emails on your behalf.  Spread the word – Windows+L everytime you leave your computer – even it is just to run down the hall!

AV Loan and Media Services Requests

As more and more presenters are now using technology for their events, the demands for equipment continue to rise.  In order to make sure that the your event has the equipment you need, we ask that you reserve your equipment as much in advance as possible, and no later than 72 hours before the event.  If you notify us in advance, we can set that equipment aside for you and make sure it is available on the day of your event.  While we cannot be on site at every event, we can help you to test the equipment before your event begins.   And by the way, if your presenter is using a Macintosh computer, make sure they bring their adapter so that they can connect to a standard projector – otherwise, they may not be able to make their presentation!

 If you are booking an event on campus and need technology, sound, projection, etc, please make sure your make your reservations at Media Services Reservation.

Welcome Back!  The fall semester brings many new changes for the campus, including OIT.  During the summer we migrated to Banner 8, moved student email from the old system to the new Google Apps (and students love it!), worked long hours with our TFA Institute, and also brought in consultants to assist with the web site enhancement project!   The new website will launch on August 6, 2010 at 6:00 AM and we are excited about the changes.  Countless individuals have been working on this project, including all of the many staff and faculty members who are responsible for various content areas.  Jeff Slagell, the chair of the project, has done a tremendous job in leading the project and keeping all of us on tract!  We hope that the new website is a welcome change for our campus community and look forward to your feedback.

Need Technology Assistance?  There are three ways that you can request technology assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Choose which one works best for you -

1.  Call the OIT Help Desk at 4444 on campus, locally at 846-4444, or toll-free off campus at 1-866-264-1465.

2. Login and create your own case at :  https://sungardhe.service-now.com/  Use your email address and associated password to create new cases, check the status on existing cases, or review past cases.

3. Send an email to helpdesk@deltastate.edu and a case will automatically be opened for you.

Delta State is undergoing a major effort to improve the appearance and functionality of the DSU website.  The final result will provide a new look and feel to our web presence, including improved navigation, enhanced search capabilities, and additional capacity for multimedia content. In order to facilitate this project, the University has created the Web Enhancement Steering Committee. This group of individuals is charged with representing all areas of the campus to foster a more appealing, interactive website that is geared towards our students. The new website will launch prior to the fall semester. After extensive work over the summer, and the involvement of a number of individuals across the campus, the new website will launch on August 9, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. CST.   The following individuals have been appointed to the committee:  

Chair: Jeff Slagell, Dean, Library Services  

Dr. Vicki Bingham, Chair, School of Nursing and Associate Professor
Ms. Laura Fleeman, Graphic Designer, Communications and Marketing
Ms. Beverly Fratesi, Chief Information Officer
Mr. Michael Gann, Director, Communications & Marketing
Mr. Mathew Harris, Student Government Association
Mr. Nathaniel T. Hein, Assistant Professor of Art
Dr. Deborah Heslep, Dean, Enrollment Services
Dr. Scott Hutchens, Chair, Counselor Education and Psychology, Associate Professor
Ms. Julie Jackson, Director, Housing and Residence Life
Dr. Ann Lotven, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs
Mr. Matt Jones, Director of Athletic Communications
Mr. Matt Logan, Technical Director, OIT
Dr. Albert Nylander, Dean, Graduate & Continuing Studies
Mr. Brett Oleis, Instructor in Commercial Aviation
Mr. Stephen A. Patton, Electronic Services Librarian, Assistant Professor
Mr. Greg Redlin, VP of Finance & Administration
Dr. Michelle Roberts, VP of University Relations
Ms. Suzanne Simpson, Coordinator of Institutional Research
Dr. Myrtis Tabb, Associate VP Finance & Administration
Ms. Liza Vaughn, Assistant Director of Alumni

SBT Training Sessions - Hands on training sessions are being held on campus the week of July 19-23 for all SBT content editors and owners.  As SBT will now have a “content approvers” process, it is critical that individuals who are charged with editing or approving pages attend one of the training sessions.  Look for more information in campus email.

The last few weeks have been filled with activities preparing for our Teach for America institute.  The technology needs of the institute are many, and OIT staff members have been working non-stop, along with a majority of the rest of the campus, to prepare for our guests.  OIT has installed a new computer lab in the State Room complete with access to copiers and printers. The printing system for TFA is fairly complex, and requires remote authentication and print counts.  OIT teams worked feverishly to get the new system up and running in time for the TFA members arrival.  Welcome TFA and we are looking forward to a great summer!

Lab Updates – Over the summer, OIT personnel will be upgrading a number of computer labs including Broom 105 and Broom 173.  New units are also being installed in a number of faculty and staff offices, including many of the athletic offices.  Equipment that is replaced will be refurbished and redistributed elsewhere on campus.

OkraMail – now powered by Google- “Awesome!,” was one student’s opinion of the new OkraMail (now powered by Google) student email system.   Overall, student and faculty reaction to the new system has been overwhelmingly positive.  The student email addresses remained the same, so there was no need to learn a new email address or new process to obtain an email address.  The transition was completed on May 16th and by noon on the 17th, almost 300 students had logged into checkout the new email system.   Students now have a 7GB mailbox, the ability to receive email on mobile phones, a calendar system and a host of other Google Apps.  And for faculty and staff,  no more “Mailbox Full” messages!

Banner Upgrade May 14-16 - The Banner 8.4 upgrade was completed over the May14-16 weekend.  Even with the city-wide power outage that occurred Sunday evening, the upgrade was completed and operational for Monday morning.  Our administrative team has been working with a few offices over the last two days to address any issues that have occurred and resolving those as they are identified.  Overall, the migration has gone exceptionally smoothly, thanks to the planning and testing accomplished by the Banner Power Users team prior to the migration.

Web Enhancement Project Jeff Slagell has the distinct pleasure of chairing the new DSU Web Enhancement Steering Committee whose charge is to improve the appearance and functionality of the DSU web­ site.  Changes we can look forward to are enhanced search capabilities, improved navigation, improved graphics, and new templates to name a few.  The project is scheduled to be completed just in time for the fall semester start up.

Can’t find that email? If you are having trouble locating an email someone says they sent to you, but you don’t see it in your inbox, make sure to check your “junk mail folder”.  Outlook, and most other email programs, filters email based on certain characteristics.   If an email has an large quantity of links, does not have anything in the subject line, or is blind copied to a large number of recipients, it might get flagged as junk and go straight to your “junk mail” folder.    As a rule of thumb, you should take a look at this folder on a recurring basis so that you won’t miss that important email!