IT Only Takes a Minute - Welcome Back Fall 2019

This week, Emporia State welcomed new and returning students to the start of the Fall 2019 semester.  Each year, we share all of the great new and updated services available to ESU students.  The following highlights are only a few of these new things!

SkyPrint PLUS + Credit.   You'll notice some of the SkyPrint release stations have a new look this year.  These new multi-function units, called SkyPrint PLUS, now include the ability to scan and copy, as well as print.  Also, you can set up fast login using your Hornet Card.  This means you only need to tap your card in order to release your jobs.  Find more info, including all of our SkyPrint locations from Hornet 365's TechSite.  All ESU students get $8 worth of free prints, which you'll find freshly loaded to your account!  Learn More
 

Hornet TV.  Look for a newly redesigned 24 x 7 livestream with even more new content from across campus, plus check out the interactive digital signs!  We've been busy mapping out floors, finding rooms and building staff directories for every building with an interactive sign.  And the best feature, scan the QR code on the sign to download a copy of the sign's content to your smartphone! Watch Now
 

Office + Symantec.  All ESU students and employees get Microsoft Office and Symantec Anti-Virus free to install on your personal devices!  Students, make sure to log in with username@emporia.edu, DON'T use "g.emporia.edu".  Click the Downloads tile from Hornet365!
 

Hornet 365.  The new portal is live!  With the help of users all across campus, we built a next generation portal to bring the ESU experience to one central location!  And now it's even easier to get to--just go to HORNET365.COM!  Dont' forget to send us your feedback and look for more enhancements in the days ahead!
 

Virtual Campus Explorer.  Are you new to campus?  Or maybe you're just an explorer at heart!  Now, you can explore the ESU campus with our new Virtual Campus Explorer.  In addition to campus maps and building info, we've also started creating 360 degree experiences of interesting spaces across campus, Check back as we add even more as the semester progresses!   View Virtual Campus Explorer

A Strange Thing happened on the way to class...  Not really, but you might discover something both interesting and informative as we launch the IT + Information Security fall campaign with this year's "Stranger Things"-inspired theme.  Debuting at tonight's block party, we'll have a digital guidebook, free giveaways and the chance to win a bluetooth speaker!  Start exploring now by visiting emporia.edu/strange!

Good luck from ESU Information Technology!

Posted by Brian Osbourn, Director, Web + Digital

IT Hosts Hornet 365 Event and Promo Campaign

The month of April saw a major marketing push to promote the new Hornet 365 university portal and digital platform.  The ESU Web & Digital Strategies team hosted a tabling event in the Memorial Union this past week to bring awareness directly to students.  In addition to meeting around 200 students, we were able to demo Hornet 365, answer questions and hand out custom t-shirts and mugs.  The month's campaign featured the IT Robot, a character created for the marketing initiative.  The robot appeared in short video vignettes, but made his public debut at this week's tabling event.

The campaign included weekly email updates, video vignettes, one-on-one meetings, the tabling event, digital, printed and animated posters, a project website and culminates with a digital scavenger hunt this week.  

A special Hornet 365 issue of IT Showcase, our regular publication, will be available in printed and digital editions the first week of May.

Hornet 365 is fully functional and available now at hornet.emporia.edu.  The current portal, BuzzIn, will be shutdown later this summer.

Brian Osbourn
Director, Web & Digital

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.)

ESU is a National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion!

 

The Information Security team is proud to announce that for the third year in a row, ESU is a National Cyber Security Awareness Month Champion!

Please join us in our celebration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month at the following events:

•  Video Contest for students (details to come) – September 15th through October 15th

•  Social Media Privacy Workshop
   Oct. 2, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
   Oct. 18, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
   Oct. 22, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
   (Richel Lab)

•  Ice Cream Social – Oct. 8, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (CH 1^st floor commons)

• Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day – Oct. 15 (social media campaign)
  

•  Wine Tasting & Board Game night – Oct. 26, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Twin Rivers Winery)

Stay tuned for updates as it gets closer to October!

Celebrated in October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is a shared initiative led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Under the motto "Staying safe and secure online is our shared responsibility," the initiative's mission is to provide people with resources to stay more secure online. As a champion this year, ESU has committed to promote this mission and make resources available during the month of October.
To learn more about National Cyber Security Awareness Month, please follow this link: https://staysafeonline.org/ncsam

Are your online accounts protected?

This Thursday, we celebrate World Password Day to remind us to keep our online accounts safe. Using the same password for all accounts has long caused a serious security risk. As soon as someone figures out your Facebook password, now they also have access to your online banking. But seriously, who can keep track of all these accounts?


Here are some simple tips you can use to increase security for your online accounts on this year's World Password Day:

•  Use passphrases instead of passwords. This can be as simple as using your favorite song lyrics, football team or hobby, for example Il0vemyM0t0rcycl3! and remember - the longer, the stronger!
  
  
• While it is strongly recommended that you create unique passphrases for all your accounts, pay special attention to very important accounts such as email, banking and healthcare. Always use a unique passphrase for your work account.
  
  
• Are you having trouble keeping track of all your passphrases? Try using a password manager! Password managers are programs that store all your passwords in one encrypted database. This makes it simple to manage unique passwords for each account! Learn more about password managers here. Alternatively, write down your passphrases and store them in a safe place away from your computer.
  
  
• To add an additional layer of security, try using multi-factor authentication. Enabling multi-factor authentication on your important accounts will prompt you to provide another piece of information in addition to your passphrase before being able to access your account. For example, you will enter your passphrase (something you know) and a security code sent to your phone (something you have). This significantly reduces the chances of anyone being able to hack into your accounts. To learn more about multi-factor authentication, visit www.lockdownyourlogin.org/strong-authentication  

Implementing these tips won't take long and let's face it - you have enough to worry about :)  

Friends don't let friends go without backup!

World Backup Day is this week, on March 31, and serves as a reminder for people to back up their valuable data. But what exactly is a backup and why should you care?

A backup is a separate copy of all your important files, for example family photos, videos and documents. Instead of storing it all in one place, you keep a second copy of everything in a safe place in case you lose your device or data gets wiped out by malware. 

So, how do you back up?

For ESU data, we have got you covered! Every employee and student has 1 TB of storage on OneDrive which comes with the Microsoft account. Simply sync your folders with OneDrive and it will automatically make backups as you go, so you never have to worry about it! The Help Desk has put together a great section with instructions and videos, which can be found here. 

For your personal data, you have different options – there are pro’s and con’s to each and it really just depends on your preference.

1. The first option is backing up to a hard drive or flash drive. Instructions on how to set up your backup can be found here. People are often most familiar with this option, but there are some things to consider. In order to back up your data in real time, the hard drive has to be plugged in to your device at all times. That means, if your device is lost or stolen, your hard drive might be as well. You might also consider potential natural disasters and hardware failures as you make your decision. The advantage of using a hard drive is that you are in control of your data and you don’t have to trust a third party with it.
   
2. The second option is backing up to a cloud storage provider. The process is going to be similar to setting up OneDrive. You can purchase a personal license from Microsoft which includes 5 GB of storage or use other providers that meet your needs. The advantage of this option is that you set up synchronization once and won’t have to worry about it again. On the other hand, you are trusting a third party with your data and the cloud storage has to be configured correctly.
   
3. The third option is Network-Attached Storage (NAS). NAS is basically the best of both worlds, your own “mini cloud storage.” It attaches to your home network and provides you with your own personal cloud space. You can connect multiple devices, such as computers, smart TVs and tablets, and access your files with all of them. It can be a bit of an investment, depending on how much storage capacity you need, but it may be worth it. 

Now that you’ve learned about the different options, take the World Backup Day pledge on social media and win a security gift bag! And don't forget, friends don't let friends go without backup!

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