Passphrases vs. Passwords

myIT Tip of the Week

Passphrases vs. Passwords

Like many of you, we find it difficult to create new, unique passwords when we have to change them.  It can be awkward to find the right combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters, non-repeating characters, etc, etc.  And then, having to remember them is tough!  We would, and do suggest the use of passphrases.  Passphrases are generally easier to remember, and easier to make longer, which can add another element to the security of the password.  With any passphrase, it’s a good idea to add uppercase letters to them and also add random numbers.

For example:  wehavetwobrownhorses is good, but to meet our complexity standards it could become weHave2browNhorses (adding capital letters and numbers). It’s still easy to remember and easy to type.

Another way to increase the strength of Passphrases, is to use random words strung together.

For example, window staple red moose could become windoWstaplereDmoos3 (again, adding capital letters and numbers).

Both of the above examples are easier to remember than a string of characters, such as B7r#qrlt9! And ultimately, we need to be able to remember our password/passphrase without writing it down on a sticky note on our computer, or desk.

Want to see how your password stacks up? Try this website

IT Social Media Contest!

NCSAM 2018 – Social Media Contest

“Information Security” 

September 15 - October 15 

Win an iPad as first prize!

In celebration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Information Security team is hosting its second contest in search of information security awareness social media posts developed by college students for the campus community. The content of the posts will be featured on the university’s communication channels, including websites, social media etc. Winners will be notified by October 31, 2018. For more information go to the Information Security Tile on Hornet 365.

Purpose:

The objective of this contest is for students to develop a social media post explaining one or more information security problems and providing suggestions for specific actions university students, faculty and staff can take to safeguard their computers, mobile devices or personal information. Positive, action-oriented messages are highly recommended, as the goal should be to motivate a change in behavior on campus.

Prizes:

1^st Prize: iPad mini

2^nd Prize: Bluetooth headphones

3^rd Prize: home speaker system

General rules:

Submitter must be a currently enrolled ESU student.

·        Group work submitted by a team of students will be admitted, however, only the submitter can claim the prize (prize cannot be split).

·        Outside, professional and faculty/staff assistance is not permitted. The use of university resources, e.g. cameras, videography equipment, specialized software etc. is not permitted, with the exception of lab computers and laptops.

·        All submissions must be original and not infringe upon any copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.

·        Submissions must fulfill all requirements outlined below and be submitted by submission deadline (Monday, October 15, 2018, 11:59 p.m.)

IT Professionals Day

Today's National IT Professionals Day! This means to give a big thank you to all of the people who do the "background" work to keep this university going. While they may not be in the limelight a lot, they work day in and day out to make sure all of your devices and networks are working, which can be a big job some-days. Nevertheless, they show up and do it everyday, which deserves a thank you. So while your out and about today say thank you to those IT Professions for all they do!

Here are just a few examples of IT Professionals:

System Administrators

A system administrator is in charge of keeping things like servers up to date, configured, and reliable for the entire computer system. When you get to systems the size of this university it can be a daunting job, especially if problems arise. Therefore, they are just one integral aspect of our IT system. 

Network Engineers

A network engineer is responsible for designing the computer networks the organization use to access, share, and store information. Keeping track of every network an organization uses can be difficult but with the right person in the job it can be accomplished. 

Database Administrators

Database administrators handle the software and changes that go along with the organizations databases. They also make sure that where the organizations data is stored is secure and optimized. This is important when you think about all of the important information the data contains.

Information Security Professionals

Information security professionals are in charge of planning and implementing security measures to keep the organization safe. They must stay up to date on the newest technologies and threats to know what to expect. Another large responsibility they have is to handle security breaches when they occur. 

Developers

As it sounds, developers develop the software and applications for the system to use. This includes writing, debugging, and executing the code behind the application. This can be a detail focused job since many codes require a lot of attention.

IT Support Techs

IT support techs handle the day to day interactions with users who are having problems. This can range from simple issues to entirely different complex ones. A large portion of this position involves being able to figure out what exactly the problem is and then how to fix it. Neither of which is always easy. 

Keep in mind this only highlighted the main focus of each job, not all of the other responsibilities these positions hold. Like with any job, the more you know, the more responsibilities you get.

Learn more by visiting hornet.emporia.edu and clicking on the "Information Security" tile. Have a great fall semester!

Collaborative Hornet365

Hornet365 is a collaborative platform that brings people together, using industry-standard tools. The perfect innovative zone to create, communicate, collaborate and get work done. In today's highly functioning society, this is the way people function.

Microsoft has combined best-in-class apps that you know and love like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook; along with incredibly powerful cloud services like OneDrive and Teams. This platform is everything you need for home, school, and work. It lets anyone create and share anywhere, on any device.

Are you trying to get work done?

1. Head over to hornet.emporia.edu.
2. Select your role.
3. Click on the OneDrive tile and log in! (Remember to use your ESUusername@emporia.edu)
4. Open a NEW Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote or Forms document.
5. Want to collaborate with a group? Click the Share button within the document and include the people you want to. (Since we have a combined address book, you can add any faculty or student with ease.)

Welcome to the world of working together in real time! You can co-author with your group! What that means is, that it will allow you to work in the same document with others on files stored in the cloud. Plus, see where others are typing in Word 2016 and view their changes in real time.

Hornets ENJOY working in a collaborative manner and get more work done faster!


* Note
At this time, students do not have access to the Outlook feature. However, if you are an employee of ESU, you have access to it.

Saandhyarag Sasidhar
Student Operations Manager
Web and Digital Strategies

Apple New Releases

Apple held their annual main products release event on September the 12. They have released 4 new products:

All the new phones are sporting Apple's new faster A12 bionic system-on-chip:

• Apple watch (Series 4)
• New Watch OS
• Better CPU
• iPhone X R
•  Liquid Retina Display
• IP67 Water Resistance
• iPhone X S
• Gold stainless steel
• 5.8" OLED Display
• IP68 Water Resistance 
• Dual-Sim support
• iPhone X S Max
•  6.5" OLED Display
• Same features of X S but bigger!

We will continue with a follow up blog post for more details and how you can benefit from these new technologies.

Ahmad Alaliwi
Student Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies
Information Technology

National Video Game Day

Happy National Video Game Day! This is the day to celebrate one of the great ways you can relax and have fun. Over time video games have dramatically evolved from simple one player handhold's to a complex worldwide network of players interacting. However, i
t also opens up the amount of risk associated with those playing.

Here are a few quick tips to stay safe while playing online video games:

Watch what you download 


At a quick glance, any site or app may seem like its reliable; however, you never really know if it is truly secure until you take a moment to check it out. For starters, always make sure you are downloading your apps from a secured source, like I-tunes or the Google Play Store, which preform self checks of the apps they provide. Second check out the developer of the app, if the name isn't familiar to you google it. Also, make sure to check out the reviews before downloading. This can give you a heads up if the game isn't worth getting or if it isn't safe.

Limit in-app purchases 

Now a-days everything is connected, which makes every day actions easier; however, ease isn't always best. Many of us have our bank account information connected to our phones to make purchases. This isn't a problem if your the only one using it, but if you have little siblings or cousins begging to play on your phone it can be. That game that they "need" to play right that second might end up costing you in the long-run. Always require your account to get permission through a password before allowing charges.

Check a "cheat" before using it

Many games have certain actions or inputs you can do to get you perks during the game. These allow for gamers to do things they otherwise wouldn't be able to, which is why many want them. However, you should always be careful about where you get the codes you're using. There are hackers out there who will use a "cheat" code as a cover for a virus. We unknowingly put them in to get something for the game and lose our information in the process. To avoid this, always get your codes from a reliable source and check any comments available. 

Keep up to date

You should always make sure the device, app, or software you are using is up to date. While it might be inconvenient to stop in the middle of a game to perform an update it is a necessary piece of staying safe online. Typically updates are to fix some form of bug or to implement better security. In either situation, you are better off in the long run to go ahead and update right away. It can save you from problems in the game itself or even problems with you information you provided.

Be careful buying virtual "property"

If it’s too good to be true it probably is. Many times schemers will use urgency and savings as a combination to get your information or money. On a lot of games your "property" is from actual money spent on the game, so it's important to understand the difference. Also, if an message pops us telling you that an outrageous deal from someone else on the game, always take time to check it out before handing over your information or "property". You don't want to loose something that took forever for you to earn on the game on accident.

Learn more by visiting hornet.emporia.edu and clicking on the "Information Security" tile. Have a great fall semester!

Testing New Tiny Computers

Last week Keith told me he got a box in the mail from Lenovo, and he wanted me to take a look at it. Inside the box lies a tiny little computer. 

This is the new ThinkCentre M715 Tiny Desktop from Lenovo, and I'm about to go into some nerdy details about it.

Normally I wouldn't be too excited about a piece of hardware like this. For the products that we buy, the size of these small form-factor machines have remained about the same for the last 5 years, and any updates are usually just spec bumps for the current platform. This one is a little different.

As noted on the spec sheet pictured above, this machine is based on a completely different platform. While the spec sheet shows one possible configuration, our model has a Ryzen 5 Pro 2400 GE with Vega 11 graphics, 8gb of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD just to name a few things. 

This is a part of AMD's new lineup of mobile APUs that will be coming to laptops and other small form-factor devices. We'll be running some extensive tests on this machine to see how it stacks up against other processors, but here are the Cinebench results for anyone that cares.

Overall it seems to handle various workloads surprisingly well! Keep in mind, this is judging from the limited time that I've personally spent with it thus far. We're going to run more tests in the coming days to get a better idea. While we don't know the exact pricing or configuration that we'll be shooting for, this could potentially be a great budget-focused option for small form-factor machines here at ESU. Stay tuned for more in the future!

Tyler Gastineau
Digital Experience Coordinator
Information Technology
Emporia State University

Need a To-Do App?

Microsoft has a noteworthy application called "To-Do." There is no easier way to create a to-do list now with Microsoft. Not only can you create to-dos, but also set a time, a reminder, and even steps to remind you how to complete a task. Also, you can set due dates for your tasks and categorize them. For example, you created a "work out" category, you can add to that category "Go to gym" at 6:00 and "Protein shake" at 7:30, etc. The application has many more features that might help organize your tasks.

So, why load your head with to-dos when you have Microsoft To-Do? Check it out.

You can download here for:

Android

IOS & Mac OS

Windows

Youtube Signature Devices 2019

YouTube recently released a list of nineteen Signature Devices for 2019, that are able to deliver the
best-in-class YouTube viewing experience. Some of the factors that they took into consideration were:

1. High dynamic range support
2. Reliable DRM performance
3. 4K decoding
4. 360° video
5. High frame rate
6. Next generation VP9 codecs

+ Samsung Galaxy Note 9

+ Xperia XZ2 Premium
+ U12+
+ OnePlus 6
+ G7 ThinQ
+ Xiaomi Mi 8
+ Xperia XZ2 Compact
+ Xperia XZ2
+ Nokia 8 Sirocco
+ Mi Mix 2S
+ Samsung Galaxy S9
+ Samsung Galaxy S9+
+ Google Pixel 2
+ Google Pixel 2 XL
+ Huawei Mate 10 Pro
+ Samsung Galaxy Note 8
+ LG V30
+ Samsung Galaxy S8
+ Samsung Galaxy S8+

The following devices demonstrate the latest in video technology, and can enjoy vivid 4K HDR videos, immersive 360° video, and fast video load times - all while using less bandwidth.

However, you would have noticed by now that no iPhones have been mentioned in this honorary report. Now, it would be wise to take this report with a grain of salt, as Google owns the Android platform, the YouTube platform, and has designed the highly optimized VP9 codecs that give you the above mentioned abilities.
Apple doesn’t support the VP9 codec, and this is why Safari users don’t have the option to watch 4K footage on YouTube.

Although, this wouldn't make a huge difference while purchasing new hardware, it would definitely be making the rounds in the new device marketing.

Saandhyarag Sasidhar
Student Operations Manager
Web and Digital Strategies

An Upgrade for Student Projects

Blue Yeti Nano and Blue Yeti. | Photo: Blue

Students are given projects some semesters where they must recorded a video on a particular topic. Most student use their default computer mic which is likely to be low quality and hard for professors to understand what is being said. A microphone can improve the audio quality, but most students do not want to pay hundreds of dollars for the improvement... enter the Blue Yeti Nano.

Blue Microphones has created the Blue Yeti Nano: a smaller and cost effective alternative to the company's original Blue Yeti.

Having a microphone like the Blue Yeti Nano will improve student's quality of audio work while staying relatively inexpensive. After graduating college, students can use microphone in their career to deliver professional performance to any work or meetings requiring audio.

Donald F. Goode
Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies

Share with Care on Social Media

The majority of the population, especially that on college campuses use social media. Whether it’s to keep up with family and friends at home or to connect with those new friends at college, it’s important to remember to keep yourself safe. Being safe online in general is key but Particularly when using social media since many people forget the possible dangers of social media.

Here are a few quick tips to stay protected on social media:

Strong passwords

The key step in any security is making sure your account is locked down with strong and secure password. Always make sure you are the only one with access to that password, always air of the side of caution. Also, remember to have distinct passwords for each individual account, that way if one account is hacked the rest of your accounts are protected. A distinctive password should be easy to remember but challenging for others to guess. Good examples of passwords include sentences with a combination of numbers, special characters, upper-case, and lower-case letters. Each additional detail will make your password more secure. 

Never share personal information

          While it should go without saying, sometimes we all need a reminder to be cautious about what we post to social media. Always protect your personal information and never give information that can be used to access any personal accounts. It’s surprising how one bit of information, like an email address, could be used to access a wide variety of accounts, such as social media, email accounts, or even bank accounts. Never share your email address, passwords, account information, or social security number with anyone and especially not any social media. 

Don't over share

           We all have exciting events happening in our lives, whether it’s a new home or trip it’s important to hold back key information. When it comes to a new home, avoid posting the address and try limiting the pictures taken outside of your home. While you may want your personal friends or family to have that information, you shouldn’t give it out to all of the others on your social media. Taking a vacation is an exciting event but if shared inappropriately it can put you at risk. Allowing others to know when you won’t be home can open the door for robberies. Therefore, wait until you are safely back at home before posting those amazing vacation shots. 

Be careful who you accept

            The easiest step in protecting your social media accounts from potential threats is being mindful of who you accept or allow to follow you. While we all want to have a lot of “friends” on social media, you need to make sure they are people you actually know and don’t want to do harm. Many times, hackers will use pictures and information to create a phony account to gather information from those that accept it. Hackers will even make an identical account to someone and add all of the friends of that person. They do this so it appears that you are receiving a request from someone you know and accept without thought. Therefore, always verify that you know the individual and if the request is for a duplicate account reach out to the person off of social media to find out if they really did make a new account. 

Be careful about links you click 

           A major threat in our cyber world today is malware, which is used to collect personal information from unsuspecting individuals. While this is common is email attacks, it is always being found increasingly in social media. Once a malicious link is clicked it will lead to a fake site that may look authentic. Next the victim will be asked to insert their sensitive information, which will be stored and used against them. One way to avoid this happening to you is to always check if the link is from a reputable source and if the destination matches the given IP address for it. In order to check the destination, simply hold your cursor over the address without clicking on it. If there is any indication that the link may be harmful, do not click it!


Learn more by visiting hornet.emporia.edu and clicking on the "Information Security" tile. Have a great fall semester!

Biology Department: New Hornet TV Sign!

The IT department partnered with the department of Biology to set up a new Hornet TV digital sign outside of their office. This sign will be displaying their own department's content as well as campus content. Keep a lookout for this new added feature to our university.


Sam Derksen
Student Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies