Campus PCs Upgrade to Symantec Endpoint Protection
On Thursday, July 23, 2009, ITCS upgraded the Symantec AntiVirus software on all INTRA Domain (campus) PC systems to Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) version 11.0.4202.75.
With a new look and improved features, SEP integrates antivirus, antispyware, firewall and intrusion prevention protection into one product. Now you can feel safe from malware such as viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, ‘bots and more, all with one product! There’s no longer a need to download three or four different freeware programs in addition to having Symantec AntiVirus to protect your campus Windows system.
The software should have installed automatically and comes pre-configured for regular Live Updates, but you can check out other features by double-clicking the program icon in the notification area of your computer’s desktop (lower right of the screen).
Endpoint Icon
When you open the program, notice the green status bar that lets you know SEP is working and your system is protected. There are also links on the left to scan your system, change the settings or view the quarantine area.
To learn how to use Symantec Endpoint’s features, such as deleting quarantined items or scanning your system, visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/endpoint.cfm . If you suspect the program is not installed on your campus PC or you have any questions, call the IT Help Desk at 328-9866.
Malicious E-mails Increase After Major Events
When a major news event happens, be sure to watch out for an increased number of phishing and malicious e-mails with a subject line related to that event. These e-mails usually include an attachment containing malware to infect your computer or links to a spoofed Web site.
For example, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team within the Department of Homeland Security reported an increase in phishing, spam and malicious code related to the deaths of singer Michael Jackson and actor Farrah Fawcett.
Staying safe online is a combination of tools and behavior. Keep these tips in mind:
Keep your operating system up to date
Install Symantec Endpoint Protection and configure all auto-protect features (Endpoint protects against Trojan horses, worms, viruses and keyloggers)
Configure Live Update to run automatically
Delete e-mails that ask for your account information
Remember that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
For more information about email safety, please visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/itsecurity/Email.cfm.
Give Your Site “Web Presence” Using Keywords and Headings
One question often asked by CommonSpot users at ECU is, “How do I get my Web site to show up in a search list?” By understanding how the ECU site is indexed, it’s surprisingly simple to optimize your department’s Web pages so that their links appear in a search list.
Add keywords
Choose three or four terms which truly describe your page’s content and add them to the Standard Metadata (Other) tab of your CommonSpot page.
Use headings
Just as a book has one main title with many chapter titles, create the most important title on your page as an H1 heading with subsequent subordinate titles on the page as H2 or H3 headings.
If possible, include one of the keywords in your H1 header. The graphic shows how to change the type format.
Use back links
A back link means your page is linked to another page. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Glossary at Springboard SEO Web site (http://www.springboardseo.com/seo-glossary.html ) gives this example: If a Web page from Site A links to a Web page from Site B, then Site B has a back link from Site A.
ECU’s Google Mini begins indexing at the ECU home page and follows each page’s links until there are no more links to follow. Therefore, if your page is not linked to another page within the ECU site, the mini has no way of finding or indexing your pages.
Word of caution
Don’t just make up a bunch of nonsensical keyword terms that don’t really pertain to the subject on the page so that you can get more hits. Two to three genuine keywords will do the trick.
There are many online resources explaining Web presence and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on the Web. A good place to start is the SEO entry of Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
E-Mail Housekeeping To Reduce Spam
Approximately 92% of the incoming e-mail addressed to PIRATEID@mail.ecu.edu is quarantined as spam. Therefore, ECU will discontinue the use of this address effective September 13, 2009. This will help MailMarshal, ECU’s spam filtering program, maintain a more efficient system.
How do you know if you still receive mail addressed to the outdated PIRATEID@mail.ecu.edu account? ITCS recently activated a feature that shows ******Mail.ecu.edu****** in the subject line of these messages.
If you need to unsubscribe from a listserv digest or newsletter addressed to the old *****Mail.ecu.edu****** e-mail address, ITCS has created a tool that allows you to unsubscribe using the old address.
To use this tool, go to https://pirateid.ecu.edu/dropthemail and follow the steps below. However, keep in mind that your unsubscribe requirements may vary according to the newsletter’s unsubscribe policy.
Step 1. Login using your PirateID and passphrase. Press Continue.
Step 2. Complete the necessary information on the next screen. Below is an example. Please note that the requirements for your listserv or newsletter might be different. You can usually find the instructions for unsubscribing at the very bottom or at the top of the e-mail.
Click the Process button.
Unsubscribe from a Listserv or Newsletter
ECU Twitter Alerts One More Way to Stay Informed
You’ve bookmarked the ECU Alert! page to check for the latest emergency notices and instructions. You’ve downloaded ECU Alert software to both your office and home PCs to receive pop-up alerts for emergency and safety announcements. You’ve signed up to receive emergency text messages on your cell phone and Google e-mail account. And…you’ve added an RSS feed to your Firefox Live Bookmarks and Outlook RSS folder.
Anything else? Yes! Alerts are now just a tweet away on Twitter.
Twitter is a free online service where users post short messages, called “tweets,” and also “follow” other users’ posts. Updates can be received by mobile phone, your personal Twitter page, RSS feed or Twitter client.
ECU has set up two different Alert Twitter accounts, http://twitter.com/ecualert for official alerts, and http://twitter.com/ecusafety, which reports any safety alerts relevant to the ECU campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
To learn more or to join Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/home for more information. For instructions on how to subscribe to any ECU ALERT service, go to http://www.ecu.edu/alert/.