A Good Year for Apple Hardware

This year has been a fairly extensive one in terms of updates and new releases from Apple. From the latest MacOS update “Mojave” to this year’s round of iPhone refreshes, the Cupertino-based company has served up a considerable number of new items for consumers to choose from.  I will highlight two that have greatly enhanced my personal workflow.

The first is what I call Apple’s most underrated product of the year—the MacBook Pro refresh.  It didn’t get a big Apple Event debut but came packed with new features—especially if you hadn’t purchased last year’s model. Eighth generation Intel processors, True Tone display, T2 security chip, updated graphics and a slightly-tweaked keyboard are all highlights packed into the MacBook Pro’s trademark aluminum chassis. As expected, the MacBook Pro continues its trend of releasing 13 and 15 inch models.  While I had never warmed up to the Touch Bar, these new models showcase the efforts developers have included over the past few years to bring out the features of the Touch Bar.  Add to that the capability of Touch ID and you have a device that feels incomplete without it.  And to top it off, “Hey, Siri” is now supported!

Unlike the MacBook Pro, Apple’s other winner did get a lavish debut this fall--the iPad Pro.  If you’ve previously used an iPad or iPad Pro—forget what you knew. Throw it out.  This third generation tablet is a complete refresh in every way including the overall look of the device.  It comes in 12.9 and 11 in models, but it’s smaller in size than previous generations.  The home button is gone, and the Liquid Retina display extends nearly all the way to the edge.  

The iPad Pro (third generation)

Internals include a new superfast A12X Bionic processor and a TrueDepth camera with Face ID—yes, your iPad now recognizes you (similar to Microsoft’s Windows Hello tech).  For us digital artists, the iPad Pro has a new Apple Pencil, which has double tap feature for switching between brushes, erasers, etc.  Like the Surface Pen, the Pencil now magnetically attaches to the iPad—but it also CHARGES it.  No more strange connection sticking out of the bottom (see previous iPad Pro’s).  And while I’m not sure the full benefit of it yet, the new USB-C port is undoubtedly a move in the right direction.  And for those who want a keyboard, Apple's Smart Folio Keyboard attaches with magnets located across the entire iPad, providing a strong grip.  I went for the less expensive Smart Folio case which essentially provides protection from the front and back, but leaves the sides exposed.  Apple continues to proclaim the iPad can replace your laptop and while I'd be lost without my MacBook Pro and Surface Pro, the new iPad Pro takes a giant leap in that direction and with a few tweaks to iOS could become one's daily driver.

As I mentioned, these are only two devices that Apple launched in 2018.  Beyond the three iPhones, there was the Apple Watch and the long-awaited updates to the MacBook Air and Mac mini.  With semi-recent updates to the iMac, MacBook and AppleTV there are many worthy options available to you.  The best recommendation I can offer is to do your research and make sure you know how you're going to use your new tech in advance.

ESU students, faculty and staff get a discount on most of Apple’s hardware, so make sure to take advantage of that if you’re in the market for a new device.  

Brian Osbourn

Director, IT Web & Digital Strategies

Stay safe online this holiday season!

The busy holiday season is in full swing and between choosing gifts, baking cookies and keeping track of holiday activities, time just seems to fly by!

In all the busyness and rush, it is important to remember that the online world is just as active - who else ordered most gifts online? Sadly, this is also the prime time for cyber criminals who take advantage of our distraction.

Here at ESU, we work diligently to put new technical safeguards in place but we have also learned that the best defense against cyber criminals is you! So how do you stay safe online this holiday season?

1. Lock down your login: Protect your online shopping, email, banking and other important online accounts. Create unique passphrases for each account and use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
2. Your information is like money. Value it. Protect it.: Monitor your financial accounts regularly and request a free credit report once a year. Learn more about identity theft prevention at identitytheft.gov.
3. Keep clean machines: Only download trusted apps, software, and updates. Make sure your devices are free of viruses and malware before you shop. Keep up-to-date and download ESU's free antivirus software here.
4. When in doubt, throw it out: Avoid links from unknown sources in emails, text messages, and on websites. Be especially cautious with emails about problems with your credit card or account or status of an online order. Report anything suspicious to the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@emporia.edu immediately.
5. Do your research: Be aware of scams and ads that sound too good to be true. The Federal Trade Commission publishes a list of scam alerts here. Before you shop, research the websites you are going to use. Read reviews and pay attention to other people's experiences with the company. Pay special attention to the URL of popular sites. For example, criminals may create a fraudulent site called www.shop-amazon.com instead of the legitimate www.amazon.com.

 Keep your friends safe and share the Cheer to Safe Cyber Shopping tip sheet! Happy holidays :)

The End of Microsoft Edge

News that Microsoft Edge's discontinuation is becoming apparent and the replacement will be a Chromium-based web browser. Today Microsoft CVP Joe Belfiore solidified these rumors by concluding this move will add "better web compatibility" and "less fragmentation" throughout the web.

This change to a Chromium base will ideally run and function better on Windows 10. For developer, this means they will have less cross-browser compatibility to worry about when building websites. Edge will advance faster with this change.

World wide implementation of the Chromium-based Edge web browser will appear sometime in 2019.

Donald Goode
Student Web Developer
Web & Digital Strategies

What You Need to Know About the Marriott Data Breach

Since the end of last week, you may have heard about the data breach involving the Marriott International Starwood guest reservation database. Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission released an alert to provide affected users with recommended actions.

Here is what you need to know:

• The information exposed includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, dates of birth, gender, Starwood loyalty program account information, and reservation information of as many as 500 million customers. Payment information may have been exposed as well - while this data was encrypted, it is unclear whether intruders gained the ability to decrypt it.
  
• The breach began in 2014 and anyone who made a reservation at a Starwood property on or before September 10, 2018 could be affected. Starwood brands include W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, and other hotel and timeshare properties.
  
•  Marriott set up an informational website, https://answers.kroll.com, and a call center, 877-273-9481, to answer questions. Affected customers can sign up for free monitoring services. 

What does this mean for you?

There are some steps you can take in addition to using monitoring services.

• Review bank statements and credit card statements regularly.
  
• Review your credit reports and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your files.
  
• Assume that your Marriott account password was compromised and change your password as well as similar passwords on all other online accounts.
  
• Proactively check if you have been affected since the Starwood brand spans multiple hotel chains.
  
• Scammers often take advantage of situations like this by posing as the company and emailing affected customers fake links. The safest way to check if you have been affected by the breach is accessing the website directly. Remember, Marriott will never ask you to provide your password via phone or email.

Did you know - December is National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month! Learn more about identity theft at https://www.identitytheft.gov

Be aware of the latest IRS email scam!

If you are an employee at ESU, you may have received an email from our Payroll department this week warning you of a new IRS email scam.

The IRS released a statement on November 19 warning the public of fraudulent emails impersonating the IRS. While similar scams have been used in the past to impersonate banks and other financial institutions, this particular email pretends to come from "IRS Online" and includes a malicious attachment called "Tax Account Transcript." The attachment carries a well-known malware and has a great potential to infect your computer.

It is extremely important that you do not open this email or its attachment. The IRS (or any other legitimate institution) will never send unsolicited emails to the public containing sensitive information, such as tax transcript. If you receive an email like that in one of your personal email accounts, you can delete or forward the scam to phishing@irs.gov.

If you receive this scam to your ESU email, please contact the IT Help Desk immediately at ext. 5555.

In honor of National Computer Security Day, follow our basic computer security tips found here!

National Computer Security Day!

November 30th is National Computer Security Day! Computer security is a vital step in protecting your accounts and information since your computer is typically your storage spot for everything. This is largely due to the fact that it's convenient and comfortable to you. Sometimes it being too comfortable leads to us not taking proper steps to ensure everything is secure. Therefore, the following are some quick tips on how you can secure your computer:

Have Antivirus Software

Start with running a scan for any form of spyware or malware. This will provide a fast and efficient way to make sure your device doesn't already have some form of malicious software harming it. If you don't have any installed and are a student or staff/faculty at Emporia State University, you can get a free copy of this software. To do so, simply go the help desk website and follow through downloading/set up.

Always Update

Next check to see if all of your applications and software's are updated. It's best to do this often, especially with apps, because of the constant updates being provided to you. This will allow you to find/schedule a time for your updates to complete on a regular basis. If they aren't updated, be sure to do this because updates tend to include better security or fixes to bugs. Overall, by updating your protecting and providing a better service to yourself.

Check Downloads

Finally, always check before completing a download. One way hackers target people is by inserting malicious software or viruses into downloads. These can be through emails, apps, or websites; therefore, new just assume because it's available to you it's safe. Always take a second to see who is providing the download to you and any suspicious signs. These signs could include misspellings, executable files (.exe, .bat, etc.), and the size of the download (too small or too big for what it should be).

Learn more by visiting hornet.emporia.edu and clicking on the "Information Security" tile. Finish the semester strong!

Cyber Shopping Tips!

With the holidays approaching fast it's important that we take the time to refresh our cyber skills. This is especially true with Black Friday and Cyber Monday being only a few days away. Each of these "holidays" are about taking advantage of great deals, but we need to make sure hackers aren't taking advantage of us while shopping. Here are a few quick tips for protecting your information while protecting your back account during this shopping season.

Check the Website

During this busy shopping season, it's important to check what sites your getting your deals on. Chances are you're clicking the sites with the best deals, but those might not be the safest ones to use. Always make sure you evaluate the reviews to make sure its a legitimate and safe site. One great source for authenticity is the Better-Business-Bureau. It will provide a rating and relevant reviews of the business.

Look for Https

One key step in making sure your information is safe when processing a payment is looking for https rather than http. Another way to check the security of a website is to look at the lock symbol to the left of your web address. If it is closed it is a secure site, if not be cautious about the information you put into the site. Since https is used when a site in secured and uses encryption to protect data, it is a protected site.

Watch for Scams 

Recently there has been news about a new form of phishing popular during the shopping season. This involves emails that appear to come from popular online shopping sites, like Amazon. They state that there has been an issue with your order and instructs you to click a provided link. This link takes you to a site designed to collect your information and then store it for the hackers use. Therefore, if you do have orders for that site go directly to the site to check the status of your orders.

Secure your Information

Finally, make sure your are taking steps to protect your information. This can be done through keeping complex passwords unique to each account. Make sure you don't save your login information to any device, since this can open your account to unwanted individuals. If possible limit what sites have access to your financial information, as this can protect you in cases of a breach. Simple checks and securities now can keep you from major issues later on.

Eerie or Revolutionary? You Decide.

Google announced Google Duplex during the Google I/O 2018. This is a new revolutionary technology that allows your AI personal assistant to conduct natural conversations and carry out “real world” tasks over the phone.

Imagine telling your Google Assistant to complete tasks such as scheduling hair salon appointments, or even booking a table at a restaurant. The system is very well developed and conversations between a fully automatic computer system and real businesses sound natural and human like. This is a huge leap in Artificial Intelligence technology as the assistant can understand complex sentences, fast speech, and long remarks, so it can respond naturally in a phone conversation

It will positively impact businesses who regularly schedule clients like doctors and lawyers and could have the A.I. do that on their behalf. Small businesses can also benefit, as research shows that 60 percent of small businesses who rely on customer bookings don’t have an online booking system, according to Google’s blog.

Final release dates are yet to be announced, and is most likely to arrive first in the Google Pixel phones.

For more information see what Google has to say; eerie or revolutionary? You Decide.

Saandhyarag Sasidhar
Student Operations Manager
Web and Digital Strategies

Do More With Your Wix Sites

Whether a student is a Web Designer, looking to make a personal website, or already has a website, students can customize more with "Wix Code" implemented by Wix.

Wix created Wix Code which is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) similar to Atom.io, NetBeans, Microsoft Visual Studio, and many other IDEs that allow a user to develop a website how they want/need. The code/programming languages Wix Code uses are HTML (site structure), CSS (site aesthetics), and JavaScript (site behaviors).

Building on website with Wix now gives users four major categories for building sites: Front End, Back End, Database, and additional components.

Wix provides students with a great option for building personal websites and is used by ESU for a number of special project sites and communication needs.


Donald Goode
Student Web Developer
Web & Digital Strategies

Careers in Cyber-Security!

This week is National Cyber-security Career Awareness Week! Chances are you've never really considered a career in cyber-security since its a relatively new area. While many careers are clearly outlined and expected we're in a time of frequent data breaches, cyber-security is a continuously growing and evolving career field. This means that the amount of open positions and the demand for qualified applicants is incredibly large. So, its a great time to consider stepping into the cyber-security area.

Characteristics

What make you suited for a job in cyber-security? People who normally want to problem solve through thinking critically typically excel in the area. Now while you make think the issues are purely technical, this isn't true. The issues can be in anything from behavioral, legal, logistical, technical, and financial. All of these areas must be considered when analyzing cyber-security because all of them pay an integral part in the overall position. For example, you might think that behavior has nothing to do with cyber-security; however, you must take into account how users and hackers will use your programs with different intentions.

Benefits

One great thing about careers in cyber-security is the fact that they are constantly being added to make up for the growing need. They are also still developing a lot of the positions, which means that were is a level of excitement and unpredictability. It's not your typical office position where you'll have repeats of the same mundane day, there's always something going on somewhere in the world affecting you. Examples of this could be new technologies, changes in policies, or even breaches. 

Requirements

Now that that you're interested in the area, its important to know what you'll need to get into this field. The majority of these positions will ask for a bachelors degree with a major in cyber-security, information technology, or computer science. From there, it's recommended to complete some form of advanced training, typically a masters program or security clearances. However, some employers may only need a certificate to consider you for the position. To make sure you're on the right track look up potential companies you might be interested in and see what they require.

How Clean is Your Machine?

Many of us get caught up in our everyday tasks that we forget to take a second to make sure our devices are clean. Now I don't mean clean as brushing off the dust (which is still a good idea). Keeping a clean machine means updated, protected, and cleaned.

Update

While it seems like there is always so form of update coming out, they really do serve an important purpose. A lot of update include fixes for security issues or a new form of security. By not updating your devices you could be putting yourself in harms way. So, whether it's your phone, tablet, or computer take that minute to keep your software up to date.

Protect 

Always keep your passwords secure and unique. Chances are the password you've been using since freshman year of high school isn't as safe as it could be. Changing it to a pass phrase that includes special characters, numbers, and capitalization can be a great first step to protecting your accounts. Next, implement 2-factor authentication for your accounts. This will require you to prove that you're you, but it means that someone who isn't you can't access your information.

Clean

Finally go through your old documents or applications and get rid of what you don't use. A lot of apps require certain permissions that might not be relevant to the true purpose of the app. For example, a calculator app probably doesn't need access to your pictures or contacts. By clearing out unnecessary applications your taking one step further in securing your accounts and cleaning your machine.

myIT Tip of the Week

Banner 9 is Live!

Are you an INB user? Banner 9 Administrative Pages are now live and will soon take the place of INB. The current (INB) Banner 8 will be shut down on December 3, 2018. 

 You can find links to Banner 9 under Quick Links in BuzzIn or go to hornet.emporia.edu, click on ‘Faculty’ or ‘Employees’ and then click ‘Go’ on the Banner 9 tile.  

Currently, INB takes a separate password, with Banner 9 you will no longer need a separate password, just log in with your ESU username and password.  Running Banner 9 is no longer dependent on using Java, which means you are no longer limited to using Internet Explorer.  You may use any browser to access it. Google Chrome is the recommended browser. 

 Right now, you can use INB or Banner 9. We recommend that you begin using Banner 9 to familiarize yourself with the new interface. Both INB and Banner 9 are running in parallel. So, any changes you make in one system will carry over to the other. 

The SSB portion of Banner will not be upgraded to Banner 9 at this time. You will continue to access SSB through the links in BuzzIn. 

If you have any questions you make contact the help desk at 5555.

Check-ups are for More Than Just Colds

When was the last time you had a check up? You've probably had a medical check up within the few months for something minor. Chances are when you read check up you assumed that's what I meant. But, when was the last time you did a security or privacy check up on social media? Check-ups are an important way to make sure everything is working properly and actions don't need to be taken, both physically and virtually.  Facebook in particular has a great check-up system in place to make sure your settings are what you are comfortable with. There are 3 areas in particular to be careful with on Facebook that the check up covers.

The first area is your privacy. This covers who can see your future posts and your previous posts. Knowing who has access to what you have on your account is vital. What you might show to your best friend is probably different from what you would show your coworkers or future employer.

The next area is your photos. Not every picture taken should be posted to everyone on social media. An easy way to limit who has access is to change your audience. This could be making it so only your friends or custom groups can see those unflattering pictures.

The third area is your profile. Depending on how you have your account set up, you could have a lot of information on your profile. Overall, what do you want the public and your friends seeing. This can also go a step farther with who can look you up or contact you on Facebook. Always make sure that you are comfortable with who it's available for.

Take the Facebook privacy check-up by clicking here!

Managing your Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are our connection to the world around us, so it makes sense that we would have a lot of information stored in them. The majority of the data stored in our devices, we wouldn't want just anybody having access to. So, it's important to know how to manage your mobile devices. Here's a couple quick areas you can focus on to ensure your mobile device is safe.

Storing

At the end of the day, you are the only one in charge of protecting your information. So, you need to make sure you have a strong front line of defense, also known as a passphrase. This means that not everyone can gain access to your device. Next, really think about what information certain apps need to function. There's pretty good logic that a calculator app shouldn't need access to your camera or contacts. So, why would you let it have access to that information? Finally, turn off your WiFi or Bluetooth if you aren't using it. While these can be incredibly helpful while in use, they can open your devices up to potential harm when not in use.

Connecting

Similar to the last point, always be careful about what WiFi or Bluetooth devices you connect with. If it's not a known and secure network others who manage or are on it can possibly watch what you are doing or get your information. Therefore, never access important accounts like your email or bank on a public network. A common way hackers target your information is through phishing, or using fraudulent messages that appear as real ones to get your information. So, if you don't know the sender or if the message doesn't seem right don't act on it, simply delete it.

Cleaning

Another way to protect the information on your mobile device is to only keep what you need. A lot of times you'll out something important in your phone and then forget it's there. So going through and deleting what you don't need anymore is important. This is also true about apps, many times we download an app just for a specific time like vacation and then we forget about it. Well, many apps request access to your information through contacts or pictures. Just because you stop using the app doesn't mean that it suddenly stops collecting that information. 

Managing Social Media for Young Professionals

In today's society, it's difficult to find someone who isn't involved in social media in some way. Social media is a great tool for connecting with others about what is going on in our day to day lives. However, many times we don't really think about the effect a simple post can have on our future careers. Employers are looking into how we act on our social media accounts, because it lets them know how you act outside the magnifying glass of interviews and applications. At this point in our lives our focus is on getting the career we've been working on, so make sure your social media past isn't interfering with it. 

Think First

Before clicking "post" on that hilarious meme or fantastic picture of how you spent your Saturday night, take a second to think. Who do you want to see that picture? Better yet, think about who you don't want to see the picture because once it's posted it can't be fully taken down. Think about how your online decisions can influence other's opinions of you. Always THINK: T - is it true? H - is it helpful? I - is it inspiring? N - is it necessary? K - is it kind?

Think Privacy

One way to protect yourself from potential problems is through privacy restrictions. This can be limiting what the public has access to through to show to only "friends". This is very common and a great way to start limiting what people can see. You also might have managers or colleagues on your social media accounts. While you might have a great working relationship, they probably don't need access to everything you post. Taking advantage of custom privacy settings is a great way to remain friends with coworkers and still have freedom to post. 

Think Branding

Social media accounts typically are an accurate depiction on our personalities and how we spend our time. That being said, how we represent ourselves through these accounts are vital. You want employers to see you as a competent individual that will be a great investment, not someone who could embarrass the business. Doing routine checks periodically of what other are posting about you is a great start. The next step would be removing any questionable content that could hurt you. Instead, focus on positive or career centered stories that show you are connected to more than just the latest hit on Netflix. Overall, you have to manage your own online identity.