Tech Tip Tuesday from UM-Flint ITS

Recently I wrote the following article for UM-Flint ITS published here: http://blogs.umflint.edu/its/2013/03/19/tech-tip-tuesday-what-is-a-zero-day-exploit/

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In recent weeks many of you have probably heard the terms “Zero-Day Exploit” or “Drive-By Downloads” but what do they mean?

Let’s talk about drive-by downloads first.  A drive-by download can be one of two things; an authorized download that had unintended or misunderstood consequences, or a download that happens without the users knowledge. The first type of drive-by downloads can happen by clicking on a pop-up window or running an application that you thought was a reputable application but was actually a fraud. The second type can happen just by going to an untrusted website.

To avoid the consequences of drive-by downloads you can use the following precautions:

  • Browse the web with an account that is not the administrator on the machine. This will prohibit the installation of software on the computer without the administrator’s password.
  • Look for the https:// in the address bar to make sure that you are using a secure site for transmitting personal information such as credit card numbers and bank information.

For more information on drive-by downloads please visit these Technet articles.

Zero-day exploits are attacks on specific pieces of software.  These attacks take advantage of vulnerabilities in software that the developers most likely were not even aware of.  Java is not the only software that is vulnerable to these attacks although it does have a large number of vulnerabilities that make it a target for these type of attacks.

Zero-day attacks cannot be prevented by software patching because if the developers are not aware of the holes then they don’t know that they need patched. This is why these types of attacks can be scary.  How To Geek recommends the following things to protect yourself from being the victim of zero-day attacks:

  • If you know a software is vulnerable, don’t use it.
    • An example of this is Java.  You should disable Java on your browsers that you use for general web surfing.  If you need Java for a trusted application use that application only in a browser that has Java enabled.
  • Uninstall unnecessary plug-ins from your browser.
  • Use your antivirus software.
  • Keep your software up-to-date.

Navigate here for the entire article on Zero-Day exploits from How To Geek. http://www.howtogeek.com/140262/htg-explains-what-is-a-zero-day-exploit-and-how-to-protect-yourself/

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact the ITS Helpdesk at 810-766-6804 or itshelpdesk@umflint.edu.

Tech Tip Tuesday from UM-Flint

Recently I had the following post on device security published to the UM-Flint ITS Blog here: http://blogs.umflint.edu/its/2013/02/22/leaving-your-electronic-devices-in-your-car-is-it-safe/

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There are two things to consider when you are discussing the safety of leaving your electronic devices in your car: risk of theft and risk of damage from the elements.

Risk of Theft:

Anytime you leave anything unattended in your vehicle you run the risk of theft.  If you must leave anything of value, including any electronic devices, be sure to put them in your trunk or out of plain sight.  Expensive devices left out in plain sight are an invitation to thieves.

More tips on staying safe are provided by public safety here: http://www.umflint.edu/safety/personalsafety/tips.htm 

Risk of Damage from Extreme Temperatures:

Electronic devices left in your vehicle over night or for long periods of time can be damaged.  Proper precautions should be taken if your electronic device needs to be left in your car or somewhere without climate control.

What can happen to my device if left in the cold?:

    • Your device may run slower than normal while warming up.
    • Your devices screen could look dimmer or not function properly when extremely cold.
    • Condensation could form causing water damage in or on your device.
    • Plastic parts can become brittle and break easier when cold.

To protect your device and data follow these tips:

    • When a device has been left out in the cold over night or for a long period of time allow the device to warm-up before powering it on.
    • Avoid allowing condensation to build up on your device as water can cause damage to any electronic device.

Remember to protect yourself and your devices everyday, even the most durable of devices have their weaknesses and breaking points.  Properly protect your laptops with a laptop case or backpack with laptop compartment, never leave your devices unattended, backup important data to multiple locations, and be careful when eating or drinking around your device.

The End Is Near

Graduation is upon me finally.  I have worked for what seems like forever (really only since Aug 2005) to reach this point.  I want to take a moment today to reflect on this journey that I have had.

6 years ago I was…

  • 18
  • A new high school graduate
  • Saying my good bye’s to friends I may never see again
  • Excited about my acceptance to U of M-Flint as an Engineering Major (the same school my grandfather and uncle graduated from)
  • Working multiple different positions at a country club
  • Nearing the end of a long term relationship with my high school boyfriend
  • Living with my parents
Today I am…
  • 24
  • Happily married (for a year and a half now) to a man I have enjoyed spending the last 3 years of my life with and look forward to spending many more.
  • A proud owner of my own home
  • a proud adopter of a wonderfully puppy Ozzy
  • 6  months away from graduation at the University of Michigan-Flint where I will graduate with an English Degree.
  • A stronger women – found only through the loss of 2 of the most amazing men that will have ever been in my life, my father and grandfather, and the gaining of a man that helps me see the best in every day, my husband.
  • a happily employed Full-Time IT Helpdesk Associate
While looking at these lists they may not look like much on paper but when I think about everything that I have gone through and everything I will go through I know that anything is possible with confidence in yourself and at least one good friend at your side.  Things do not always go as you planned but those deviations I have found make life worth living.  How boring would it be if you planned something and that was exactly the way that it happened.
I am proud of my life and will walk across that stage in December holding my head high because even though it took my longer than it should have I have done it.  I have struggled through times when I didn’t think I was strong enough to get up in the morning let alone continue with school and I have succeeded.
One more semester, just one more.  I am ready for the next 6 months, I hope they are ready for me.

Writing for Improvement

Today I realized it has been so long since I wrote for me that I decided to start something new.  I am going to do my best to write three times a week about something I find interesting, something I want to write about.

Starting today I am going to write to improve my writing, to improve my writing theory and understanding and to improve my outlook on writing.  I have always loved writing but with school and work sometimes I am just to stressed to remember why I loved writing in the first place.

My goals for the following year are as follows:

  1. Attend 2 Writing Events/Conferences.
  2. Write 3 times a week here for my own improvement about things I am interested in.
  3. Learn to handle stress better in my work and home life.
  4. Finish my degree.
  5. Finish my stress management book I started a few semesters ago.
  6. Enjoy a great summer vacation with my husband.
  7. Read at least 1 book that I want to read.
  8. Become more confident in myself.

 

– Day 1 –

Something that I have run into a lot lately is writing for users of different experience levels.  Working in a Helpdesk at a university you run into many different experience levels that when writing documentation you need to find the happy medium. The part of me that wants to help everyone is fighting with the part of me that knows there is a deadline and I can’t write three different versions of each of our help documents. So here is my question:  What level do you write at?

Personally I tend to lean toward writing for the lowest experience level.  I try to make every help document as clear as possible with every possibility listed.  These steps include images in most cases and are reviewed by multiple people to ensure complete understandability.

While I know this is helpful there are unlimited possibilities of things that can go wrong or ways things can be done.  Including all of these things makes the document overwhelming and makes the document hard for more experienced users to get the information that they need. It seems like one way or another someone isn’t going to get what they need from your documentation.

The last thing to look at with documentation is the personalization and modifications that users can make to their computers, phones, or other technology.  These modifications can alter the ways that the customers complete steps, the screens that they see, and the options that they may have available to them.  This is another set of users who will not get what they need from your documentation.

So where is the line?  What level do you write your documents on? How do you decide if it is okay that some people don’t benefit from your documentation?

While this article may seem like it doesn’t answer any questions it does present many of the questions that I face everyday.

ITS is Here For You

M-Times 8-19-09 Issue (Goes to Print Friday 9-4-09)

This year ITS will be improving the way things are done on campus.  With expanded HelpDesk support hours, more HelpDesk locations, and a new printing solution all across campus.

As the campus becomes larger and technology becomes more abundant the need for more support has become quite obvious.  Last August there were lines out the door to receive assistance from the one ITS HelpDesk location in MSB.  This year there will be a HelpDesk in each ITS computer lab on campus ready to serve you.  HelpDesk employee Hilary Walker believes that this “will offer greater convenience and a more open atmosphere.”

The computer labs with HelpDesk support are located in 206 MSB, 205 FH, and 3174 WSW.  ITS will also continue the ITS HelpDesk and OEL support from behind the front desk in First Street Residence Hall.  Keeping the First Street Residence Hall support allows phone support from 6am to 1am every day.

When discussing the quality of service from the ITS HelpDesk for the up in coming year Mark Turnpaugh, HelpDesk Coordinator, stated “We are creating a lot of internal documentation to improve training of the helpdesk staff.  This will allow the helpdesk to effectively utilize its four locations to efficiently assist the campus community.”

Nick Gaspar, Blackboard Administrator, discussed with me the extension of phone support until 1 am.  He said this was done with the doctoral PT and Nursing programs in mind.  A greater range of support times for us means that students all around the country will be provided with the best support possible.

Along with new hours and more support ITS will be saying goodbye to Uniprint, the previous print solution on campus.  Starting September 8th UM-Flint will be adopting PaperCut.  During the summer semester ITS did a trial run of this printing solution and after viewing the benefits has decided to use this in place of Uniprint.

What does this mean for students?  As a student here at UM-Flint you will now see the number of black and white pages that you have available to print rather than a dollar value.  This provides less confusion when monitoring your print account.  PaperCut also allows you, the student, to monitor your print usage and account online rather than just at the printer.  For assistance with the new printing solution please speak with the HelpDesk representative available in your lab.

For current hours and more information about the ITS HelpDesk or PaperCut please visit www.umflint.edu/helpdesk or http://blogs.umflint.edu/itshelpdesk.

Technology woes? Fear not

M-Times Article 9-3-09 Issue Link to Online Publication

With each new semester comes new classes, friends, environments and technology. So where do you go when you need to e-mail your professor or catch up with friends from home, but your computer is not connecting to the Internet? Or maybe you’ve forgotten your password? The ITS HelpDesk is your answer.

The ITS HelpDesk is available to help you with all of your technology questions and concerns from anti-virus programs for your computer to passwords and printing assistance.

There are ITS HelpDesk locations in every open computer lab and one in the lobby of the First Street Residence Hall. The ITS open computer labs are located in 3174 White Building, 205 French Hall and 206 Murchie Science Building.

If your question does not require a personal visit to one of these locations you can reach an ITS HelpDesk associate at 810-766-6804 Monday-Friday from 6-1 a.m. and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The ITS HelpDesk also provides a wide array of Quicknotes that will provide you with a step-by-step walk through of many common problems or questions related to using a computer on campus. These Quicknotes are available along with a listing of hours for all ITS computer labs at www. umflint.edu/helpdesk.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the ITS HelpDesk, please visit the campus comments section of their blog found at http:// blogs.umflint.edu/itshelpdesk or e-mail the HelpDesk at itshelpdesk@umflint.edu.

Dana can be reached at daschlos@umflint.edu.

When Technology Takes Over

When I was a child I never thought my life would revolve around technology so much.  Everywhere you look there is something that is tied to technology.

As a student I remember the days when assignments had to be hand written, legibly. Now I look at the work turned in by students and it is all typed and researched on a computer.  The libraries sit full of books and hardly any students.  The research tables in most school libraries have been replaced with computers for research.  The sessions that used to teach about the Dewy Decimal system now teach about how to use online databases and how to find accurate information.

It isn’t just the schools that have changed.  I remember when we only had a computer for typing papers and a land line telephone.  Now I can talk to people on my computer that are anywhere in the world.  I can buy things from China from the comfort of my chair.  I carry a phone with me that does as much as the computer that I am typing on right now.  I don’t even have a land line phone anymore.  My phone goes with me everywhere I go.

Who would have thought that society would be this attached to technology today, my grandpa surely didn’t expect it.

Today’s Thought: What would happen if all of the technology stopped working? Could we go back to the way society used to live.  Where do we go from here? How much will we let technology take over our lives?

The HelpDesk Moves Across the Hall

M-Times Article Published: 3-31-09 Link to Online Publication

Spring Break was not a break for the employees of the ITS HelpDesk and the 206 MSB Computer Lab. It was a time for movement and improvement.

This year, ITS made the decision to move the HelpDesk out of the extremely cramped office in 207 MSB across the hall to 206 MSB. “The bigger location will allow less cramped quarters and make us more efficient,” said Mark Turnpaugh, ITS HelpDesk Coordinator.

As the population of students on campus grows, so does the need for ITS assistance. Since January, the HelpDesk has created 5,535 work tickets for the students, faculty, and staff of UM-Flint. This proved the need for more space and HelpDesk personnel. The merger has begun to solve both problems.

The HelpDesk associates currently on staff are enjoying the change in scenery and availability to the campus they support.
“The HelpDesk is getting more organized since the move, both administratively and in how we provide customer service in that we are better able to accommodate more customers at one time,” said HelpDesk Associate Thomas Stockwell.

Students also are impressed with this change. Paul Woolcock, a student and employee at UM-Flint, feels the ITS HelpDesk is now more accessible, easier to find, and more inviting for students in need of assistance.

Since the MSB HelpDesk is now located where only lab staff once sat, the MSB lab staff will now gain a new job title of HelpDesk associate. According to Turnpaugh, in the spring, MSB lab staff will begin HelpDesk training. This will help to increase the number of employees currently on staff providing more face-to-face and phone support for the increasing population on campus.

Recently, Turnpaugh has become the supervisor for lab staff in addition to the HelpDesk and has many ideas in the works for expanding the HelpDesk to better suit the changing campus.

According to Turnpaugh, this move is just the start. Currently within ITS, a plan is proposed to merge lab staff and HelpDesk in all ITS computer labs on campus. This proposal, if approved, would allow for face-to-face support and phone support from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekends for things such as student password resets, wireless setups and other supported problems.

When Stockwell was asked about the proposed merger of lab staff and HelpDesk he said, “(The) Helpdesk-Labstaff merge will lead to more efficient use of ITS funds and will make customer service more efficient. This means that clients will have a one-stop shop for everything to do with ITS services.”

With changes across campus, ITS will not be left behind. It is Turnpaugh’s goal to continue to grow with and support the campus in the best way possible. Continuing to make the HelpDesk the place to get technology problems solved efficiently.

If students have comments or concerns and would like to share them with the ITS HelpDesk, they can visit http://blogs.umflint.edu/itshelpdesk/campus-comments/.

Updated Password Change Policy, What Does this mean for UMF?

M-Times Article Published: 11-24-08 Link to Online Publication

Through years of technological advancement and campus growth user account security has been on the minds of everyone here at UM-Flint. In recent months, UM-Flint’s ITS department has been designing a new policy to increase password security among faculty, staff, and students as a means of protecting everyone and their campus computing accounts. So what does this new policy mean for users here at UM-Flint and how will it affect changing passwords here on campus?

“The effect of this new password change policy will be two-fold. First, it will make clear to everyone that there is one source (ITS) for assistance with a password/PIN change which will lead to better customer service and less confusion. Second, this new policy will take great steps towards ensuring that passwords/PINs are only reset for the actual account holder and will greatly reduce the possibility of fraudulent activity.” UM-Flint Director of ITS Scott Arnst said.

The new password change policy currently being implemented by ITS will become effective Winter 2009 semester. Users are required to appear in person at one of the three ITS Helpdesk locations with photo ID for password changes. In the event a user is unable to come to campus (i.e. user is a NetPlus! Student) the helpdesk will then follow a strict phone verification processes that includes calling the user back at a number on file with the school.

UM-Flint students are encouraged to make sure that their address and telephone number are updated with the school.

Updating personal information is quick and easy using SIS. A student can log into his or her SIS account using the UMID and PIN. Once within SIS click Personal Information, then View/Update Address and Phone: Within this page a student will be able to view the information currently on record with UM-Flint as well as choose to edit the information if it is incorrect. If a student is unable to update information through SIS for any reason he or she will need to do so through The office of the registrar in the University Pavilion.

ITS Helpdesk Coordinator Mark Turnpaugh suggests adding a mobile number to the UMF Emergency Alert system, also done through SIS Personal Information. With this number in the system the Helpdesk can then ask for permission to use the number on file with the Emergency Alert System as a call back number, making password changes easier for all involved. As an added bonus, this also puts a student’s phone number on the contact list for the emergency alert system so that he or she will be notified in the event of an emergency on campus.

While these changes may cause some minor inconveniences from time to time they will create an overall safer computing environment for all involved.

Don’t Be Afraid of Email Lists

M-Times Article Published: 11-10-08 Link to Online Publication

UMF_Students, sadnews, classifieds, happenings, its-security-updates, umf_fac_staff, and allusers. This list would not make sense outside of UM-Flint, but as a student at UM-Flint, you have seen at least one of these words or phrases in the ‘from field’ of an e-mail. These are group mailing lists. They are a part of the list.umflint.edu mailing system at UM-Flint.

The lists above are only a few of the many lists at UM-Flint. According to ITS Helpdesk Coordinator Mark Turnpaugh, the UM-Flint mailing lists are moderated by different groups. Jessie Hurse of the Office of Student Life regulates the umf_students list, while the User Advocate Committee regulates the other UM-Flint lists. There are also many other lists for clubs, departments and organizations that are moderated by a designated person within that group.

UM-Flint lists, such as the ones listed above, are lists that, according to your campus standing, you are automatically a part of. For example, students are part of UMF_Students and faculty are part of UMF_Fac_Staff, whereas allusers includes anyone with a UM-Flint email account. To view the lists in their entirety and subscribe or unsubscribe, you can visit http://www.umflint.edu/its. On this page, click Support Centers (found under “popular services”). Clicking Communication and Collaboration will take you to the next step. Finally, click e-mail lists and Guidelines (found on the right under Resources). To access lists for clubs, organizations and departments, you can go to http://list.umflint.edu/mailman/listinfo.

Before you head to your computers and start unsubscribing or altering your subscriptions please think twice. These lists, UMF_Students particularly, are there “to promote University related material that can be utilized by all students” Hurse says. UMF_Students is a way of helping promote University-wide events and campus unity. If everyone were to unsubscribe, the goal of this list would be unobtainable. Jessie says “unsubscribing will be doing a huge disservice” to you as a student.

Many students may want to unsubscribe from these lists because their mailbox is reaching its maximum size. If this is the real reason, the question then becomes whether you are being impatient with emptying your mailbox or if you really are receiving that many e-mails.

It is then your decision to unsubscribe or check your mail more routinely. It was said best by Samuel Johnson:

“In all evils which admit a remedy, impatience should be avoided, because it wastes that time and attention in complaints which, if properly applied, might remove the cause.”