Phishing Attempt 5/28/2013

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A phishing attempt was sent to a number of users on campus.  The subject line of the email contained the phrase, “Update,” and was sent from “ Webmaster@uiowa.edu.”  The email informed users that “Your e-mail needs to be updated…”

Do not click on the links in these emails. If you have already done so, immediately change your password using the Password Manager at http://password.smcm.edu.

To report this email as a phishing attempt to Google, please follow the directions on this support page: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/184963?hl=en

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Support Center at x4357 or open a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu.

Learning Technologists Available for Course Consultations this Summer!

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Have some ideas about how Google Apps might boost engagement in your course?
Are you looking to revise an assignment, a topic or unit, or even the whole course to fine tune the learning environment?

We would love to help!

Learning Technologists (Ben Casto and Jennifer Wright) are available throughout the summer to consult about any and all technology issues related to course development and revision.  We understand that the week before school starts is a busy time for everyone, and that planning and revision of courses is a process in which faculty engage in advance, so we are offering the opportunity to meet as you are planning and revising your courses in order to make efficient and productive use of your time.

Some suggestions for possible ways we can assist you in preparing your courses include:

  • Learning and setting up web-based tools (Google Apps, SafeAssign, Blackboard gradebook, journals, or blogs, etc.) to make the administration of your course more efficient
  • Incorporating digital tools to support group work, organization, and collaboration in course assignments
  • Best practices for setting up assignments, tests, and quizzes for your students using online tools
  • Efficient and effective course layouts in Blackboard
  • Creation of a Google Site for course or SMP support
  • Tools for student feedback in formative and summative assessment

If any of these topics spark an idea that you would like to discuss, feel free to fill out the form below, and we will contact you to set up a time to meet.  Not on Campus much this summer? That’s ok! We can work by Google Hangout (and its awesome ability to share a computer screen while talking), phone, or plain old email if that is what works for you.

Don’t know where to start? We can help with that too.  Just let us know about something in your course that you would like to improve and we can brainstorm along with you for ways to boost engagement and efficiency that work with the way that you want to teach.

Phishing Attempt 5/16/2013

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A phishing attempt was sent to a large number of users on campus.  The subject line of the email contained the phrase, “Attention,” and was sent from “HELPDESK.”  The email informed users that they “have exceeded your email limit quota. You need to upgrade your email limit quota to 2GB within the next 48 hours..”

Do not click on the links in these emails. If you have already done so, immediately change your password using the Password Manager at http://password.smcm.edu.

To report this email as a phishing attempt to Google, please follow the directions on this support page: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/184963?hl=en

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Support Center at x4357 or open a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu.

Phishing Attempt 5/15/2013

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A phishing attempt was sent to a large number of users on campus.  The subject line of the email contained the phrase, “FROM THE MAIL SERVICE TEAM” and asked users to “…upgrade your email account:You are to click the below link for upgradation.”

Do not click on the links in these emails. If you have already done so, immediately change your password using the Password Manager at http://password.smcm.edu.

To report this email as a phishing attempt to Google, please follow the directions on this support page: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/184963?hl=en

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Support Center at x4357 or open a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu.

More IT Humor

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someecards.com - Sorry but your password must contain an uppercase letter, a number, a haiku, a gang sign, a hieroglyph, and the blood of a virgin.

Reminder to Enroll in the New Password Manager Program

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Don’t forget to enroll in the new SMCM Password Manager program!

OIT has implemented a new Password Manager program that allows the user to reset his/her network password (Portal, Blackboard, and Google Apps) or unlock a network account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in just a few minutes.

Currently, the enrolled users include:

  • Faculty: 52%
  • Staff: 53%
  • Students: 44%

All you need to do is enroll in the Password Manager program by setting up three security questions.  If you are locked out of your account, you can reset your password or unlock your account in just a few minutes by answering the questions.

Along with the implementation of this program, OIT has been able to relax the password reset policy for enrolled users, so that passwords will only need to be reset once a year.

After May 1, 2013, users needing password resets by OIT staff will need to come in person to the IT Support Center in Baltimore Hall with a current SMCM ID card in order to have a password reset.

For more information about the new password policy and enrolling in Password Manager, please see our previous posts:

If you have any questions or concerns about the password policy or new password manager program, please contact the IT Support Center by creating a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu or by calling x4357.

Student G: Drive Storage Space to be Retired

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With the implementation of Google Apps for Education on campus, every user has access to 5 GB of file storage in Google Drive.  This storage space has several advantages over the previously provided 500 MB on student G: drives:

  • Google Drive storage is approximately 10 times larger than the G: drive space accessible to students.  
  • Google Drive files are backed up by Google in multiple ways, resulting in better recovery options during a disaster.
  • Google Docs files (Forms, Spreasheets, Documents, etc.) do not count toward the available 5 GB, meaning a larger total storage space.
  • Documents and files stored in Google Drive can be easily shared with other computer users, including options for limiting sharing to within the SMCM domain

As a result, student G: drive folders will be removed from network access as of June 1, 2013. It is highly recommended that students copy files currently stored in their G: drive folders to hard drives, flash drives, or other storage devices.  After June 1st, students will need to schedule a visit to the IT Support Center to transfer files to a personal flash (thumb) drive.

Google Drive also has options via downloaded apps for syncing files with a desktop or mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.).  These apps can be part of a viable backup strategy for users in protecting files from accidental loss or damage.

Please see the following links for more information about working with Google Drive for storage, sharing, and syncing files among computers and mobile devices:

If you have any questions or concerns about the retirement of the student G: drive folders, please contact the IT Support Center by creating a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu or by calling x4357.

Phishing Attempt from “Microsoft Support”

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OIT has received phone calls from a party identifying itself as “Microsoft Support” attempting to inform the user that the PC running Windows has been infected with malware.  This is a phishing attempt and should be disregarded.

Do not give your private information to anyone who calls with this story.  OIT will never ask you for your password.  If you have received this call and provided private information, please log on to Password Manager and change your password immediately.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please create an IT Support Center ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu or call x4357.

Google Apps Access Has Been Restored

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Google is now reporting via their Google Apps Status Board that all access has been restored.

If you are still having problems logging into Google Apps, please close your browser and reopen it to try accessing the login page again.  If you are still experiencing difficulty, please report the issue to the IT Support Center via web ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu or by phone at x4357.

Thank you for your patience during this time.

Google Apps Experiencing Sign in Problems

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Google Apps for Education is currently experiencing problems with user login.  Other institutions are experiencing similar problems. OIT and Google are aware of the problem and will update you as further information is available.  Authentication (the ability to login to your account with your network username and password) is working intermittently for some people.

If you are currently signed into your Google Apps account in a tab of your browser, please DO NOT  log out or close the Gmail tab.

If you are experiencing difficulty signing in to the SMCM Google Login page, you can try signing in to a generic Google page by going to http://www.google.com in your web browser and clicking on the Sign In button in the top right corner of the page.  

To keep updated with Google’s reports of the problem, you can view the Google Apps Status Page for information.  Please be aware that this page can be slightly delayed in reporting status as problems and solutions are verified by Google staff.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the IT Support Center by creating a ticket at http://itsupport.smcm.edu or by calling x4357.