Safe and Secure

Do you ever store an Excel file document with student or staff information on your laptop? If it were stolen, would the thief gain access to private data? From something seemingly as minor as one single PC theft, the University of California exposed 7,000 students to identity theft since social security numbers and names were recorded in a file on the laptop.

Have you ever provided an outside vendor names and addresses for a mailing? Did you take security steps to ensure they would not sell those names? Did you ensure that you did not provide further identifying information to that vendor? Tufts University had to alert 106,000 alumni that an external vendor's database had been breached.

Do you keep a file of your staff's important information such as home address, emergency contacts, social security numbers, and driver's license numbers? With that information, an identity thief is home-free. Take extra steps to protect your employees. Use the SamID instead of the ss#; password protect your confidential files.

If a student walked in your office right now, could they see a password on a Post-It note on your monitor? When's the last time you changed your password? SHSU needs the complete focus of all faculty and staff to ensure we're not headline news for a scandal regarding an information loss. We cannot ensure 100% that a determined hacker won't break in---but we can make major progress in stopping opportunistic thefts.

Departmental Technical Liaisons

These are the departmental contacts that we received last month in response to the Update. There should be more, lots more. If your department has an individual whose responsibility involves administering a server, managing software, or assisting departmental users with technology decisions, we need contact information. Please send the department, username, and percentage of time spent supporting technology to the Helpdesk.

Macintosh Fire Hazard

Did you get a 15-inch Powerbook G4 last year? Apple has announced a recall of the battery due to its overheating. You can check online to see if your battery is affected by this recall and needs to be exchanged.

Managing the T: Drive

There has been confusion as to what the T: drive is for and how it is used. The folder called "Common Area" is going to be renamed next month as the "Unrestricted Area" to clarify that the T: drive itself is called the Common drive. Do not store confidential data in the T:\Unrestricted Area. It is meant as a temporary storage space---and is open to all.

If you want to provide information to your students, please use Blackboard for this purpose, rather than the T: drive. That allows students easier access from on- or off-campus, from a PC or a Macintosh.

Look at the T: drive for your department right now. Make sure you restrict confidential information of University employees, donors, students, and applicants in folders that only authorized users can open.

Thanks for Reading

We have toner cartridges available for someone: an HP 27A and an HP27X which work with the HP Laserjet series 4000-4050. First-come, first-served. Just e-mail us and ask.

Cleaning and Chilling

Do you use a projector in the classroom or at staff meetings? The projectors and bulbs are quite pricey. You can help extend the life of both.

Cleaning: A dirty filter makes the projector hotter which makes the bulb burn out sooner. You should regularly (once a month or at least quarterly) clean the air filter on the projector. Check your manual to find out where the filter is. You can do this with canned air, a vacuum, or at least blow on it!

Patience: Give the bulb time to cool down properly when you're finished using it before moving it. If you have an older projector, make sure you turn off the lamp before powering down the projector. The newer ones should have this safety feature built in. Do not move the projector while it is on. The lamp is very sensitive.

Hot Enough to Fry an Egg : Do not leave a projector in your car on a hot Texas day---or if you're traveling, it shouldn't be in temperatures below 40 degrees.

No Touching Allowed: Do not touch the glass portion of the bulb when you're changing it. Handle only the metal portion of the bulb; the oils from your hands can damage the bulb.

Blackboard

Blackboard faculty, we have the news that many of you have been waiting for. We have a workable portfolio solution. So if you are interested in implementing exportable portfolios for your students, and would like some training, get in touch with Jacob Spradlin.

New questions and answers have been added to the Blackboard FAQ. Point your browsers to Blackboard Central and look for the questions and answers that you have been searching for.

Expanding Your Skills

You've survived the Spring semester. Take advantage of the semester break to learn about your role in maintaining campus security as well as how to enter your own work orders.

We are offering a session on using the SamWeb Computer Services work order system on May 20th at the Olson Auditorium at 9 a.m. Whether you need a software, hardware, or telephone change, you may now enter the work order yourself. The old Gold-R system on Nell is being replaced with the SamWeb version. Come see how it works and offer improvement suggestions. We want it to make sense to you.

We are also offering a Security Seminar on May 24th at the Olson Auditorium at 10 a.m. If you're involved with student confidential information, wireless access, or managing servers, we encourage you to attend and learn what safeguards you should be using to protect yourself and the campus.

As an extra enticement for you to attend our SamWeb and Security training this month, we will be giving away door prizes for your department's use including a black & white Dell 1700 personal laser printer.

As always feel free to use the Training-By-Appointment option to sign up for any Training sessions not listed on the calendar.

Losing Help

Steven Piraino and Wade Williams are leaving our Computer Services department. They have both accepted computing positions elsewhere. We have been fortunate to have these two Sam alums as student workers and as fulltime programmers; we will keep you posted as to their replacements. Just check with the Helpdesk if you previously got assistance from them.

What's Good, What's Not

The Helpdesk provides support for university equipment and software on the local area network. Each month's Update will now include the versions of software and minimum requirements for hardware with the new or changed information highlighted and bolded.

• Memory Sticks: Purchase (and encourage your students to buy) flash drives that are USB Mass Storage Compliant.
• Operating Systems: The supported version of Macintosh machines is OS X. The supported version of Microsoft's Operating System is Windows XP.
• Software Packages: The supported versions of Office suites are Microsoft's Office 2003 and WordPerfect Office 2000 for PC's and Microsoft Office 2004 for Macintoshes.
• Hardware Configurations: The minimum requirement for SHSU Local Area Network support for a PC is a 1Ghz processor,  with 512mb RAM, and a 40GB disk. The minimum requirement for a Macintosh on the LAN is a 733 mhz processor, with 512mb RAM,and a 40GB disk.

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