OIT Newsletter

OIT Maintenance Updates

Many thanks from the OIT staff for your patience and support as we worked through the technical issues below.

DST Updates Successfully Completed - OIT was well prepared for the recent change to Daylight Savings Time (DST). The event went well and all changes were implemented quickly and without issues. The biggest issue we heard from the campus was they were tired of hearing about DST!
New DHCP Server Implemented – OIT successfully implemented a new DHCP server for the campus. This implementation will create better security and access for campus connectivity.
Exchange Server Update - During spring break, the campus encountered a significant issue with the Microsoft Exchange server which provides email to faculty and staff. This issue included not having Exchange available to the campus for certain periods of time. Frequent notices were sent out to the campus via the CANS (Campus Alert Notification System) to keep them abreast of the situation.

Microsoft Says Xbox Security Issues “Not Our Fault”

In a statement made this week, Microsoft states that the recent theft of identifies from users playing Xbox live is not related to their software or services. Microsoft believes that most of the issues are due to game players (Halo, for example) sharing personal information over the online game and thieves are using this data for other purpose. Microsoft urges its customers to never share personal information with other online gamers as this could result in identify theft. See Security Focus for more information.

Banner Unified Digital Campus (UDC) Day held on March 8-9

The recent Banner/ Unified Digital Conference on campus was a success. The sessions produced tremendous insight into how information entered into Banner may be utilized across multiple departments. It also demonstrated several opportunities where improvements can be readily made to our existing processes. Thank you to all who were able to attend and we hope the event will provide ideas regarding next steps to enhance our utilization of the Banner system on campus. A special thank you to Keith Fulcher and the Alumni/Foundation team. They donated some great prizes as well as helped to host the event on campus. Judy Haney in Nursing won the Alluvian evening. Congratulations Judy!

New Feature: Technology Defined

Botnet – slang for a computer program that runs remotely on a computer, usually without your knowledge or consent

Issue No. 76 - March 23, 2007

Protect your Campus Identity

It is critical that you keep your username and password secure at all times. Anyone who has access to this information can quickly use this information to take advantage of your access, including sending emails out on your behalf. This applies to both faculty staff mail and student email systems. Tips to guard your identity:

Never share your username or password with anyone
Never write your username or password down
Never place your username or password under your keyboard or on your monitor (this makes it too easy for thieves)
Never leave your computer logged in or unattended (Remember: Windows + L will quickly lock your computer)
Never leave your laptop unattended or locked in your car

How E-mail Works

From HowStuffWorks.com

Every day, the citizens of the Internet send each other billions of e-mail messages. If you are online a lot, you yourself may send a dozen or more e-mails each day without even thinking about it. Obviously, e-mail has become an extremely popular communication tool.

Have you ever wondered how e-mail gets from your desktop to a friend halfway around the world? What is a POP3 server, and how does it hold your mail? The answers may surprise you, because it turns out that e-mail is an incredibly simple system at its core. In this article, we'll take an in-depth look at e-mail and how it works.

To read the full article, Click Here.

Congress
Re-Introduces Spyware Legislation

Congress recently re-introduced the Internet Spyware (I-Spy) Prevention Act last week. This act could have significant impacts on those individuals that use spyware to access computers without authorization. The bill includes prison terms and large fines for those individuals convicted of using spyware to obtain personal information and using it to commit crimes. Congress also introduced the Spy Act in February that addresses other spyware issues like keystroke logging, web browser diversion, remote access, and the use of botnets. For more information, see MacWorld

Questions or comments ~ feel free to contact Glenn Trammel at 662-846-4840 or email at gtrammel@deltastate.edu