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Archive: September 3, 2003

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Security and Internet Services

Security home

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ATTENTIVE
The recent outbreak of viruses and worms on the Internet (e.g. Welchia and Blaster) should remind everyone that they should update anti-virus software daily. Weekly updates are no longer enough protection. In addition, checking for Windows updates and patches on at least a monthly basis is another important part of keeping your computer secure.

SELF-TEST AND MORE ON SECURITY WEBSITE
We suggest you make a habit of visiting the OIT Security website frequently: http://www.umn.edu/oit/security. Currently you will find a link there to a vulnerability self-test for the Microsoft RPC software bug: "a dangerous vulnerability announced by Microsoft in Windows 2000, XP, NT and Server 2003."

Network and Telecommunication Services

NTS home

NEW ADDRESS FOR BILLING QUESTIONS
NTS has a new e-mail address for any billing questions; it is billing-nts@umn.edu. The telephone number is unchanged; it is 612-626-2000.

NEW SERVICE FOR CRITICAL SERVERS
To develop a more productive relationship with our customers, NTS is offering a new service for network and critical server administrators. This service is part of our Technical Assistance Center (TAC); and it is intended to provide University Network Administrators with better outage and change notifications and to allow for a more direct communications with the NTS staff. A letter will be mailed [MORE]

UPDATE: NETWORK UPGRADE PROJECT
The Network Upgrade Project is now planning the installation timeline and schedule. Proposal evaluations are near completion, pending additional information on gigabit 100/1000 capability. This year the full upgrade proposal will be presented to the regents in late fall for a tentative start of installation in January 2004.

DONE: ENORMOUS APPLETALK/IPX PROJECT
The Appletalk/IPX Abatement project is now completed. During the final week of August all VLANs were cleared of any remaining active Appletalk or IPX traffic. The success of this enormous project is due mainly to the hard work and cooperative effort of the many University Network Administrators. We thank them again. As part of the project, NTS will continue to provide technical help. E-mail your problem to NTS at appleipx@umn.edu.

Academic and Distributed Computing Services

ADCS home

UNTIL SEPT 30: DEEPER DISCOUNTS FROM DELL
Techmart update: this past April in order to save the U of M money on its computer hardware purchases, ADCS/OIT and the Purchasing Department were able to create a program with Dell for Aggregated Purchasing. Once again Dell will give U of M departments a deeper discount on selected systems. [MORE]

HELPLINE RESPONDS TO SECURITY BREACHES
In the past two weeks the Technology Helpline has had hundreds of calls from computer users who either needed help cleaning machines infected by the Blaster and Welchia worms or who had their ethernet ports shut off because they were infected. Many calls were from those who had cleaned up their computers and were asking to have their ethernet connection turned back on. [MORE]

FALL COMPUTER TRAINING INFO ONLINE
Get instant gratification: see all our new short courses with one click! Go to http://www.umn.edu/uttc and click on "what's new" or click on other links to see more training options. Tell us what you want to learn! Send your course ideas via e-mail to uttc@umn.edu. This fall, we've added courses geared towards Unix certification, updated and expanded our offerings on video, updated our FileMaker Pro 6 classes, and made more changes.

TECHNOLOGY HELPLINE REMINDER ABOUT PASSWORDS
Passwords, don't you love them :-) The Technology Helpline often gets comments from our users about the number of passwords that we all must use throughout the day; about how hard it is to remember them all and keep changing some of them. It is easy to forget why there are different passwords [MORE]

UPDATE: SERVICES FROM UCS
During the summer months, University Computer Services (UCS) incorporated additional service options, such as extended laptop checkout options and offering preconfigured wireless access points. For detailed UCS service information, visit the UCS website: http://www.umn.edu/ucs [MORE]

OCT 7 CONFERENCE ON VIDEO AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
Early notice: technical coordinators, administrators, faculty, and staff will soon be able to register for this Oct. 7, 20003 conference. Although some details were not finalized at press time, the site and fees are set: Coffman Union and no charge for University members. See http://www.videoconference.umn.edu

REMINDER: WATCH TECH TALK
Luddite, techie, intermediate, whatever your level of technology literacy, Tech Talk will give you insight into the technology you use daily. The remaining shows for this 2003 season are: Sept. 7, Security and Privacy; Sept. 21, Digital Music; Sept. 28, Computer Games; and Oct. 5, Cell Phones. [MORE]

Digital Media Center

DMC home

OCT 2: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGISTS FORUM MEETING
The next meeting of campus educational technologists will feature a WebCT Vista 2.0 demonstration and a progress report about campus pilot tests: Oct. 2, 3-4:30 pm, 402 Walter Library. See http://dmc.umn.edu/etf/etf.shtml

OCT 9: TEL SEMINAR ON COURSE REDESIGN
The free Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Seminar Series continues this academic year, but the focus will shift to panel discussions of broader TEL issues. The first seminar will be on Oct. 9, 12-1:30 pm, 101 Walter Library. Details will be at http://dmc.umn.edu/services/seminar-series.shtml

NEW TEL SHORT COURSES
Instructors can take new or redesigned ADCS/DMC technology-enhanced learning (TEL) courses this fall: Enhancing Learning With Technology: Active Learning With PowerPoint; Evaluating and Assessing Technology-Enhanced Learning; and Flash Communication Server Orientation. See http://dmc.umn.edu/services/training.shtml

REMINDER: TA WEB CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
This fall, this popular program is offered both as a noncredit program and a 2-credit course, Nurs 5800. Participating TAs learn about web-based teaching and learning strategies and web design and development techniques. See http://dmc.umn.edu/ta-web.shtml

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