May 11, 2012 - by Charlie
Posted under: Information Security
This is an update to the Geek Speak blog post on April 11, 2012, written by Kees, Malware for Mac OSX (Flashback.)
At that time it was stated that we believe that no Macs that are
managed by Adelphi IT had been compromised on our network. While that
statement is still true, today there are several Macs owned by students
and alumni using the Adelphi network that are currently being detected
by our Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and appear to be infected with
this virus.
With
the information from the IPS we will attempt to locate the owner(s) of the
compromised Mac and contact them through the IT Help Desk. If you get a
voicemail, email or a door hanger tag from the Help Desk asking you to
contact them please do not ignore it! The security of the information
on your Mac and on the Adelphi network are at risk until the virus is
removed and the security fixes are applied.
Apple has recently released a Java software update that includes automatic detection and Flashback removal ability.
This software security update is recommended for all Mac users to
install, even if you have previously checked your system for infection.
Go to “Software Update” from the Apple menu to download that update and
remove the trojan if it is on your Mac.
For other tips to secure your Mac read 8 Simple Tips to Secure a Mac from Malware, Viruses, & Trojans.
April 16, 2012 - by Charlie
Posted under: News & Announcements
Do you like to work in the quiet confines of the "Stacks”, or prefer to do group work in a study area but there are no PCs in those areas? IT has a solution for you: The Student Laptop Loan Program.
Just come to the Help Desk on the 2nd floor of Swirbul Library with your Adelphi student ID and ask one of the Lab Consultants for a laptop loan. You will get a Dell E6420 with a power supply running Microsoft Windows XP that you may use anywhere within the library. The entire library building has wireless network access coverage so no matter where you choose to work within Swirbul you will be connected to Adelphi's fast and secure AU2 wireless network.
The loaner laptops have the same base software image as the desktop lab computers and if there is a software program that is not part of the image please let us know and it will be considered during the next software upgrade. Sorry Mac users, only PCs are available for loan at this time :-( All loaner laptops must be returned to the Help Desk 30 minutes before the library closes.
All general use lab PCs on campus, including the loaner laptops, utilize SmartShield technology from Centurion Technologies. This special application will return the computer to its original state upon reboot to ensure a clean, stable and virus-free environment. Remember to save your work frequently to a USB drive or cloud storage location to prevent unexpected data loss.
So next time you are in Swirbul and want to work on a PC somewhere other than the Infocommons, just as for a Student Laptop Loan.
April 11, 2012 - by Kees
Posted under: Information Security
For the last few days, the media have been reporting about MacOSX being actively targeted by virus writers. The malware is known as Flashback, and its discovery was
first announced in September of last year.
Since then, the authors of the malware have been making it more effective at infecting computers (Macs, specifically). As it appears now, there is a network of about 600,000 computers that have been infected with Flashback. The infected computers and are under the control of some unknown outsider and form a botnet.
While the Windows-world has been very much aware of the fact that malware can strike at any time, MacOS users have been under the impression that they are less likely to be vulnerable to security problems. As current events prove, that is not the case. While it is still true that many malware authors never target Mac OS X, there are now enough of them out there that it is worth doing so. Interestingly enough, the first virus ever to be seen in the wild was called Elk Cloner, and it targeted Apple DOS 3.3.
The most common way for virus to spread to day is via the Internet; either as attachments to emails, or small embedded programs on web sites. Some experts estimate that there are about 4 million compromised web pages that are serving up this malware.
There is no system out there today that should not run some form of antivirus; this is true for any computer, running any operating system, including Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. Just like antivirus should be present on every computer, vendor updates should be applied as soon as they are released. Users who do apply patches as they are being released would most likely not be infected in the first place; the vulnerability exploited by Flashback has been patched by Apple months ago.
All computers allocated by Adelphi IT have antivirus installed on them, and are configured to automatically update themselves. This, combined with the security controls that are built into our network have made sure that we believe that we no Macs that are managed by Adelphi IT have been compromised on our network.
If you own a computer, please consult the Adelphi IT web site for guidance about obtaining, installing and maintaining an antivirus product for your computer and for information about configuring automatic updates.
If you want to check if your Mac might be infected with Flashback, you can easily do so yourself: osxdaily.com has a good writeup that details how to do that.
While Apple does provide antimalware, it does not yet have the capabilities to detect and/or remove the Flashback exploit. Apple has
announced that they are working on a tool, but it is not yet available.
March 26, 2012 - by Christine
Posted under: Smartphone Web Apps
Congrats to the AU WebTeam, particularly Web Services Manager Scott Finkelstein, for their work on Au2Go.
LISTnet
, Long
Island's tech communities largest networking organization, has
acknowledged Adelphi's mobile web app AU2Go with a LISA award for
excellence in the area of software and technology solutions. The award will be presented on May 2, 2012, at the Garden City Hotel.
Through
the AU2Go app, students, faculty, and staff can access some of Adelphi’s essential information
on their mobile device, including semester grades, shuttle schedules,
campus directory, news and events, the academic calendar, and campus
maps. The Webteam is continually working to add more features to the app, which we will announce here as they are launched.
On a smartphone or tablet, open your browser application and type
in m.adelphi.edu.
March 23, 2012 - by Charlie
Posted under: Google
As you may have noticed, Google is rolling out a new look for the Google Apps
interface. The new look offers improved consistency, usability, and
flexibility across different browsers and devices. And we think it's a
more polished, streamlined look.
The
new look is now the default for Gmail, and is the interface for Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Sites. You can only switch back to the old interface for Gmail until Tuesday, March 27, 2012.If you do switch back, the newer look will become permanent for
your account sometime between March 27 and April 6.
To adjust the your Gmail Inbox for the new look:
Choose the how much white space you prefer in your inbox:
Click the Settings gear menu, and then choose a display density: Comfortable (most whitespace), Cozy (less whitespace), or Compact (least whitespace). The Compact setting provides a similar amount of whitespace as the old interface.
To temporarily switch back to the old interface for Gmail:
Click the Settings gear menu, and then choose Revert to the old look temporarily:
To go back to the new look, in the lower-right corner of your Inbox, click
Switch to the new look:
To adjust the new look for Google Calendar:
Choose the how much whitespace you prefer in your calendar: Click the Settings gear menu, and then choose a display density: Comfortable(most whitespace), Cozy (less whitespace), or Compact (least whitespace).
To adjust the new look for the Google Docs list :
Choose the how much whitespace you prefer in your Docs list: In Google Docs, click the Settings gear menu, and then choose a display density: Comfortable (most whitespace), Cozy (less whitespace), or Compact (least whitespace):
If you have questions or need help:
Contact the IT Help Desk at x3340 or helpdesk@adelphi.edu
Thanks for trying the new look for Google Apps!
March 05, 2012 - by Scott
Posted under: iPhone and iTunes
We're very excited to announce the launch of Mobile eCampus; A new AU2Go service which will allow you to access the following set of services which have been optimized for your smartphone:
- AU Gmail
- CLASS2Go (for students and faculty)
- iTunes U
- Announcements
- Message Center
- OrgSync
- Campus Alerts (for managing your RaveAlert contact information)
You can access Mobile eCampus by tapping the icon on the AU2Go homescreen and logging in with your universal username and password.
We plan on adding additional services to eCampus as they become available in mobile formats. In the meantime we would love to hear your feedback!
February 07, 2012 - by Scott
Posted under: iPhone and iTunes
Attention all current AU students: We want to know which smartphones and tablets / eReaders you use.
We're asking all currently registered Adelphi University students (undergrad and grad) to sign into eCampus and click the iPod Touch banner to complete a brief, four question survey.
After completing the survey you can submit your official @mail.adelphi.edu email address to be entered into a drawing for the chance to win an 8 GB iPod Touch. Your email address will not be stored with the survey answered.
Your responses will be extremely helpful in our ongoing mobile application projects.
January 24, 2012 - by Scott
Posted under: iPhone and iTunes
To help kick off mobility for the new semester, we are pleased to announce a few new updates to AU2Go.
First off, as we continue to add new services to AU2Go, we recognize the need to keep the home screen organized. Therefore we have made some improvements that will allow us to break the service icons down into pages. You will now be able to swipe between multiple pages of icons similar to the way iPhones and Androids organize their apps into pages.
Second, we added a Course Directory feature which will allow you to search for available classes on the go.
This is only the beginning of an exciting new year in mobility. Watch this blog for updates as we continue to add new services and enhancements to AU2Go.
January 18, 2012 - by Christine
Posted under: Software
A new semester is about to begin in less than a week and I'm faced with the decision of whether to buy the traditional textbooks for my courses or to go digital. I've noticed over the past two years that more and more of my classmates have gone to eTextbooks, but I'm still hesitant.
The pros:
- They cost less
- They weigh a lot less : )
- Can bring it everywhere with you
- Less production of texts over time cuts down on trees and other manufacturing impact on the environment
Cons:
- I already look at a computer screen for 8 hrs a day at work
- Can't write notes in the margins
- Smaller type is harder on my eyes
- Not easy to find chapters/indexed info
Granted, all but the first con are things I probably just haven't figured out how to work around. I found
this FAQ on
the BN site, which states that textbooks are not meant to be read on a
tablet, so if I need to read it on my laptop, it takes away the pro of
weighing less and being more portable than the physical book.
In a class I took last fall, there was a group assignment in which we had to present a part of the textbook. I had a traditional textbook and at least one of my group partners had it on an eReader. She could not figure out the pages/sections we were covering because of the way the e-book was organized. Now that I have a Kindle Fire I see what she means.
If you have any tips on using eTextbooks for classes, please enter them in the comment sections below. I really want to give this a try but I'm afraid it might hinder me in some way.
August 31, 2011 - by Scott
Posted under: Smartphone Web Apps
We are very excited to announce two brand-new AU2Go features just in time for the Fall 2011 semester.
The first is My Schedule for CLASS2Go, which provides both students and faculty with a comprehensive listing of their courses for the current semester. When you view the details for each course, you will be able to view the course's times, instructor's name (which links to their email address), and the building location (which links to a campus map).
To access this new feature, tap the CLASS2Go icon on the homescreen, and after successfully logging in and confirming whether you are a student of faculty member, select My Schedule.
The second feature is a Career Services reference app which provides great advice and tips on preparing for your next big job interview. The Career Services app currently includes the following features:
Appointment: Enables you to quickly set up an appointment with a career counselor.
Reference: A virtual treasure trove of advice for landing the perfect job or internship.
Events: A listing of upcoming events hosted by the Center for Career Development.
Contact: Departmental and staff contact information for the Center for Career Development.
We will be adding additional content to the Career Services app in the near future.
In the meantime, we would love to hear from you regarding what new features you would like to see added to AU2Go. Please, feel free to post your comments on this blog.
May 20, 2011 - by Scott
Posted under: iPhone and iTunes
In an effort to improve data entry behind the scenes of AU2Go, we have made some changes to the Shuttle Schedule interface. The main difference you will notice right off the bat is that after selecting your departure and arrival locations, you will be prompted to choose the days for which you want to schedule you want to view.
We are constantly working on making both small and large improvements to AU2Go and would love to hear your feedback. As always, feel free to leave your comments on the blog.
May 11, 2011 - by Scott
Posted under: iPhone and iTunes
We are very excited to announce a new service for AU2Go just in time for Finals—CLASS2Go!
In order to access this new service, on your mobile device go to m.adelphi.edu. After tapping the new CLASS2Go icon on the homescreen, you will need to log in with your Adelphi username and password . Once your login in accepted, you will be asked to confirm your role (student or faculty) and you will be presented with your available CLASS services.
In this initial launch, we have made two services available: "My Grades" for students and "My Rosters" for faculty. We plan to add additional CLASS services in the near future.
We would love to hear from you regarding what new features you would like to see added to AU2Go. Please, feel free to post your comments on this blog.
May 10, 2011 - by Kees
Posted under: Information Security
With the summer vacation around the corner, this is a good time to review some best practices for staying secure during the time that you are away from campus.
Computer viruses have been around since the early 1980's and they are not likely to go away any time soon. The first computer virus ever to be seen in the wild targeted Apple machines, which demonstrates clearly that antivirus software is necessary on ALL computers, Windows PC's and Apples alike.
Modern computer viruses are extremely good at hiding their tracks and are very difficult to remove. Generally speaking, modern malware is either after financial information (online banking passwords, credit card information, etc.), or after files containing personal or sensitive information that might reside on your computer.
If you are a Windows user, make sure that you keep Windows up-to-date and run current antivirus. Run Windows Update regularly and install patches when prompted to do so. Note that cyber criminals are regularly using specially crafted web pages, that appear to be Windows Update, Antivirus Update, or UPS Tracking sites.
In most cases, they will ask you to save and run a special program to look at the content. Only install software you asked for, and that came from a reputable source! The web sites can be quite convincing, but unless YOU initiated the installation yourself, it is most likely a hoax.
If you have any questions, or if you have doubt about specific cases, please call the IT Helpdesk at 516.877.3340, or visit http://infotech.adelphi.edu/security.php for more information.
May 04, 2011 - by Kees
Posted under: Information Security
With the summer vacation around the corner, this is a good time to
review some best practices for staying secure during the time that you
are away from campus.
Phishing is an ongoing problem, and
cyber criminals will leverage everything that they can find to make you
give up personal information. Expect to see wide-spread phishing emails,
tweets, blog posts, etc. around Osama Bin Laden's death. In all cases,
cyber criminals will try to have you visit web sites that serve up
malware, ask for personal information, or go after your banking details.
Unless you know who is sending these messages, assume that they are
malicious in nature and do not click on the links.
We have
been seeing more and more examples of emails with PDF attachments that
appear to be coming form the U.S. government. No government agency will
send such notices to you by email. You should not respond to them, no
matter how convincing they look.
Another approach used by cyber
criminals is sending you email with appears to be an order confirmation
with a link to a (fake) UPS tracking site. Merely clicking the link and
going to the site will infect your computer with a form of malware that
tries to steal online banking information.
Three tips for using email securely:
1. Never send out personal or financial information via email or phone,
unless you are sure that you know who you are talking to, and they are
doing something you asked for.
2. Do not click on links in emails.
Rather, copy the link and paste it into your browser's location bar,
review it, and then decide if you want to visit the site.
3. Only open email attachment when they come from a trusted sender and when you know they are coming.
If
you have any questions, or if you have doubt about specific cases,
please call the IT Helpdesk at 516.877.3340, or visit
http://it.adelphi.edu/security.php for more information.
March 31, 2011 - by Scott
Posted under: News & Announcements
I'm pleased to announce an exciting new update for AU2Go that we think you will find useful.
When you click on the Campus Directory icon, you will notice three links, Departments, Personnel, and Buildings. You might recognize the first two links, but Buildings is a new feature that lists all of the buildings on Campus along with their location on the campus map.
Under Campus Directory, the Departments listing has been expanded to include a full, searchable list of Adelphi departments. Clicking on a department will not only bring its contact information to your fingertips, but also a couple of new links:
Map Location
Clicking this link will take you to a campus map showing a pushpin on the building in which the department is located. Clicking the pushpin will pop open a "talk bubble" containing the building name along with a link which lists all the departments located in that building.
Staff
Clicking on this link will display the department's staff listing with quick access to their phone / fax numbers.
Buildings
You may also notice a new link under Campus Directory called Buildings. This contains a full listing of all the buildings on campus along with their location on the campus map.
Shuttle Schedule
A few months ago, we moved the Shuttle Schedule from the home screen to within the Visitor's Guide. This proved to be an unpopular move, so when you spoke up, we listened! The Shuttle Schedule icon is now back on the home screen.
Keep your eyes on this blog for more exciting updates in the coming months.
