August, 2008

Click here to see an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of this newsletter, suitable for printing.

Archives of CATPrints are available at http://www.oneonta.edu/technology/comptech/newsletter/
 

New Calendar Dates available for Outlook

Users of Outlook can download a set of pre-entered campus events for inclusion in their online calendar.  These events are grouped in categories based on audience.  There are sections for Academic Calendars and Employee Calendars for different bargaining units.

To obtain these dates and integrate them into your calendar, open Outlook and then use Internet Explorer to visit http://www.oneonta.edu/calendar.hol, choose Open, and then you will be presented with a dialog box listing all of the calendar sets that are available.

 

Choose the categories you wish to load into Outlook and then click OK.

Getting Support on I.T. Related Projects

Is your department developing a new web application or considering purchasing a new computer program? 

More and more of our functions and procedures are moving to web or network-based applications.  The efficiencies and customer service benefits can be great and vendors are always happy to discuss the money and time saving possibilities of their products.  Often, we attend conferences and come back with a new vision of what we can offer to our students and the College based on the latest technologies and software.  Or we see a need in our business process and begin searching for solutions.

The answer may be a commercial product or it may be developed by a member of the campus community.

If your department is considering a new application, website, product or hardware, don’t go it alone!  Long before you spend any money on a commercial product or go live with a custom page, you should contact us to discuss your needs and the requirements of your planned solution.  There are always technical and security considerations to be addressed before something new is deployed.  Even if you do not think there will be any issues with your project or the vendor assures you there is nothing to worry about, you should contact us during the planning/assessment phase.  Waiting can delay the implementation of your project if we find that there are technical or security issues to be addressed.  Chances are, your project will require some support from Networking, Academic or Administrative Computing, TLTC, Web Development or I T Security.  It may require special network settings, firewall rules, accounts on our systems, enhanced security or even a new server.

Too often, we hear about projects in the very late stages of the process and have missed the opportunity to offer our assistance, ask questions and plan the work required.  Call the Information Technology Helpdesk the next time you are investigating a program, service or webpage and have them assign a ticket to the appropriate support office, and we will be happy to assess the technical and security aspects of your project and help assure a smooth implementation.

Asset Classification Survey

The Department of IT Security is conducting a survey in order to classify the College’s data assets (information, digital or paper, which the College collects and stores). This is an important requirement of SUNY Oneonta’s Information Technology Security Program.  To protect our information assets, we must know what they are and where they are stored.  Once we have collected survey responses, we will be able to identify steps to take to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information that is vital to the College.  The survey is being sent to the College community through an e-mail with a link to an on-line form that will take about ten minutes to complete.

(We want you to be assured that it is not a Phishing attempt, but extra credit to those of you who called to check!)

When you receive the e-mail, please take a few minutes to respond to the survey and think carefully about all of the data you collect or access and where it is stored.  Almost everyone who works for the College has access to some information that requires protection, and it is critical for us to know who needs that information and how it is being protected for security and business continuity purposes.

We appreciate your cooperation and comments!
 

Why do they call it that?

"Booting" a computer:  A term that was originally "bootstrapping" and which was used as early as 1958, describing the process by which computers load code elements of increasing complexity until the operating system is ready for you to use it.  Supposedly because the computer was starting up and loading all necessary software without any intervention from the operator - "lifting itself by its own bootstraps".

PIN Security

Every employee and student at Oneonta has been issued a PIN with which to log into Webservices.  With that PIN you can access a number of important services including computer account creation and password resets.  It is extremely important that you never share you PIN, that you change your PIN regularly and that you choose a PIN that is as secure as the system will allow.  We have recently implemented some enhancements to PIN security that we encourage you to take advantage of.

Not these...

You can now choose a PIN that has both alphabetic and numeric characters. Changing to an alphanumeric PIN will make your PIN much harder to crack.  Also, PINs will now expire after 180 days from their creation or from the date that they are changed, in the case of established PINs.  You will be notified that your PIN is about to expire with a message upon logging into Webservices.  If your PIN has expired when you attempt to log in, you will be prompted to change it. 

...or these

If your PIN expires and you don’t remember the old one, simply put in your Oneonta ID # or SS# and click the “forgot pin” button. If you know the answer to your security question, you will automatically be able to reset your PIN. If you don’t know the answer, or don’t have a question, you can click the “form” link at the bottom of the page and a reset PIN will be emailed to your Oneonta user account. Remember that 5 failed attempts to log in to webservices with your PIN will disable your account. If you have any problems with resetting your PIN, students should visit the Registrar’s Office with their Oneonta ID card, Faculty and staff should visit the Help Desk, also with their Oneonta ID card.

You may change your PIN by visiting https://webservices.oneonta.edu.  Watch for notices of future PIN security enhancements and if you have any questions, please call the Information Technology Helpdesk at x4567.
 

Changes in Administrative Information Technology

John Bugyi has joined the College’s Administrative Desktop Support Team, working side-by-side with Ryan Swan.

Administrative Desktop Support supports the Information Technology needs of all Administrative users, with services ranging from new hardware acquisitions to software installations to remediating hardware failures.  They are also responsible for the maintenance and support of OAS and Sodexo equipment, including cash registers, credit card terminals, vending machines, ID card readers, ID card creation, and the servers each system requires.  In addition, Ryan and John work in collaboration with other departments to utilize new technologies and develop ways to increase support capabilities.

Of course, all problems should be reported to the Help Desk at x4567 – they will assign a HEAT ticket to the appropriate staff member and you will be contacted shortly after.

Ryan Swan is a 2006 graduate of the college, originally from Saratoga, NY.  His experience includes working as a Lead Academic Desktop Support Technician as a student, and after graduating he traveled around the country installing cash registers and servers at many universities and healthcare facilities for a company based out of Ithaca, NY.  In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing lacrosse and softball, and cooking – he was a chef at a restaurant in Saratoga, NY for 5 years!  Ryan returned to the college in his current position as a technician in October 2007.

John Bugyi has been hired to fill a vacant position after the departure of Pete Solano to pursue new opportunities in Manhattan.  John is a 2003 graduate of the college, originally from the area.  His degree in computer arts and computer science has given him a broad range of capabilities when supporting users’ software and systems.  His experience includes work as a Desktop Support Technician and Network Administrator for a local insurance company, and most recently as an IT Manager at a local newspaper.  John returned to the college in his current position as a technician in July 2008.  On his free time, he enjoys working on photography and videography projects and designing websites.  John looks forward to working with everyone at the College.

Miro Trunec will be moving on in mid-September, having accepted a position at a New Jersey facility of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  He has served the College in several different capacities within the Computer Center for the last seven years, and he will be missed by his colleagues.  Good luck, Miro!

Some of you have been asking: Where’s Walter?  His smiling face was Desktop Support for many years, but his role has changed after a promotion and he is now responsible for the servers that support Networking and I.T. Security, he manages the Administrative Secure Desktop Program and other back-end administrative server functions, and does all his great work from an undisclosed location on campus.  I.T.-spotters out there have a hard time finding him, but he is most easily spotted at any location serving coffee and is characterized by his brilliant plumage and unusual cell phone ringtones.

If you have a question for Computer and Telecommunication Services about:

Computer Problems or Related Issues - Call the Information Technology Help Desk at 436-4567

Telephone Service or Problems - Call the Office of Telecommunications at 436-2577

Directory Assistance - call 436-3500