What Can I Do to Stay Safe?
According to the anti-phishing group, Antiphishing.org, the number of unique phishing Web sites detected in June 2009 rose to 49,084—the second highest number recorded since APWG began reporting this measurement.
During the month of October, ECU is conducting a phishing scam education campaign to celebrate National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
So, first ask yourself, “What can I do to stay safe on the Internet?”
Next, make sure you follow these very simple steps:
1. NEVER reveal your passphrase to anyone.
2. Legitimate businesses NEVER request personal information through e-mail.
3. If an e-mail asks for personal information, DELETE that e-mail.
4. If you’re unsure call the business directly, do not call the phone number in the e-mail.
5. E-mail alerts from ECU always originate from ITCS Notifications and are listed on the ITCS Help Desk home page.
6. If you have provided account information, change your password immediately at http://pirateid.ecu.edu/.
7. Never click the links in an e-mail.
8. Symantec SAV software for your home computer is available at http://download.ecu.edu.
9. Keep your operating system and other software up to date.
For more information on phishing scams and other security-related topics, visit http://www.staysafeonline.org/.
Transfer Analog VHS to Digital DVD and Save the Memories
You may have noticed the quality of your VHS tapes is not as clear as it used to be. You may have found it harder to purchase blank VHS tapes. Or you may have scrambled to find a classroom equipped with a VCR.
Why not consider transferring your hard work from analog VHS format to a digital format? It’s easy and ITCS is here to help.
There are several good reasons to consider transferring your VHS tapes to DVD format. First, after many showings, VHS tapes start to deteriorate, along with the quality of your data. Transferring that data to DVD format will save the quality, plus DVDs do not fade, break or tangle the same as a VHS tape. Secondly, once a machine breaks down, it may not be replaced as it is becoming difficult to purchase VCRs. This will make it more and more difficult to find classrooms equipped with a VCR.
If you’re interested in converting your VHS tapes to DVD format, but you don’t know how, first enter an online IT Help Desk request or call 252.328.9866. A member of the Smart Classroom team will contact you for a consultation in the Walk-in IT Help Desk (Austin 103/Health Sciences Building 3330). During the consult, you’ll be coached on how to use the direct transfer equipment. From then on, work at your own pace to transfer your VHS tapes to DVD.
A note about copyright. You are required to sign the Copyright Ownership Verification Form, Standard Agreement before beginning this project. This ensures that you have read and understand the copyright statements, and that if you are transferring copyrighted material, you have provided the necessary permission letter.
Try Autodesk’s Latest 3D Design Products
Autodesk, the designers of AutoCAD, have created a new Autodesk Student Community site where users create an account to become a member of their education community. Members can download—free of charge—Autodesk’s latest 3D design products, including Inventor Professional, Revit Building and Civil 3D for their personal use.
Access step-by-step tutorials for these products, post questions for the Autodesk experts as well as network with other student community members around the world.
Visit http://students.autodesk.com to become a member today.
New Operating Systems Not Yet Compatible at ECU
Many new computers are now being shipped with the newest operating systems, OS X Snow Leopard, version 10.6, for Mac and Windows System 7 for PC. While we all love getting the “latest thing,” especially if it’s for a new computer, these softwares are not yet compatible with ECU’s core software applications such as Banner, Blackboard, etc. ITCS has also had reports of users who can’t run the SPSS statistical program with OS X Snow Leopard or Windows 7.
As is common with any new operating system, there is a period of time before current software applications are fully compatible with the new operating systems. However, ECU is in the process of certifying that the new programs work with the current versions of major online systems and supported software. When this happens, ITCS will make a campus announcement to the ECU community.
Until the approval announcement, ECU users (faculty, staff and students) are being urged to consider using an established, approved operating system if they are purchasing a new computer or upgrading an existing computer.
For the latest information on OS X Snow Leopard and other Mac operating systems, visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/mac/Macintosh-Operating-Systems.cfm.
Spice Up Your Department’s Web Site
It’s a new semester, a new year, and you’re thinking it’s time to dress up your department’s Web pages.
What to do?
ITCS has added several exciting new features worth checking out. Here’s a quick overview of three:
Tabbed Interface Element
Sometimes called a “notebook interface,” this element allows you to add a tabbed feature to your page. This is a great way to divide a lot of information into manageable “chunks” that users can easily scan. This element is very easy to configure; just name the tab and enter the information into the rich text editor box and format as you would any regular text box in CommonSpot. The hardest decision is which color to make the tabs.
ECU Tab Bar Element with Custom Icon Control
True, the ECU Tab Bar element has been around for awhile, but this new, updated version lets users choose up to three custom icons, add a Facebook or Twitter link or not show any icons at all. However, the old tried and true icons are still there if you need them, but you can choose only those you want to show on your page.
Insert the YouTube Custom Element
If one picture is “worth a thousand words,” think what an entire video can do. Easy to configure, users choose whether or not to include related videos, border, player size and whether or not to use a purple skin. Very useful in letting the world know what’s new in your department.
These are just three of the newest elements the ITCS Web team has hatched out for CommonSpot users. We’re adding new elements all the time! To find out what’s new—and to learn some of the old tried and true elements, if you need to—visit the ITCS Learning Center at http://collab.ecu.edu/sites/ITCS-LearningCenter. Sign in with your piratemail address and passphrase.