As the Cambridge Analytica scandal showed, bad actors, data aggregators, state sponsored hackers and groups looking for a political advantage are using social media to gather information about YOU. There are a few simple things you can do to limit your exposure. These recommendations are for Facebook but similar settings… Continue reading »
After upgrading your macOS computer to High Sierra 10.13.4 or higher (starting in April 2018), you may see a message about a System Extension Blocked. At Williams we have seen this warning appear for these programs: Sophos Anti-Virus Cisco VPN VirtualBox If you see the Open… Continue reading »
After upgrading your macOS computer to High Sierra 10.13.4 or higher (starting in April 2018), you may see this message the first time you launch certain programs. Click OK – this will allow the program to run and you should not see the warning again. Why is this… Continue reading »
Support fraud involves criminals contacting you to fix ostensible technology problems. Their methods include phone calls, web pop-ups and sending emails. Although this type of fraud been around for many years the level of sophistication of the attacks has grown. Recently we’ve received reports of scammers pretending to be Microsoft… Continue reading »
OIT will be upgrading various network services during spring break. Because most of these services were designed with redundancy, disruption should be minimal. However on March 27th, starting at 5:30am, OIT will be applying required updates to the 7 distribution switches of the campus network. This will cause a 10-15 minute… Continue reading »
This morning a dangerous email started showing up on campus with a subject line of “billing”, “invoice” or “receipt”. The email has a .zip file attachment with a virus-downloader inside. IF YOU RECEIVED ONE OF THESE EMAILS PLEASE DELETE IT. We believe this to be a “ransomware” virus which encrypts… Continue reading »
Many have received an email: Subject: OIT EPH Notice – 911 Location Verification Request, which includes a Google Form asking for verification of office phone extension and location. This is a legitimate email, it is not a phishing attempt. Continue reading »
During tax season you are likely to receive fake scam emails which appear to be from the IRS or Williams regarding returns, e-files, W-2s and 1099s. Keep in mind the IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. Continue reading »
Similar to what many people received yesterday, a scam email, this time with the subject “Employee Service 2018”. There is a link which takes you to a site which looks very similar to our PeopleSoft login. If you visited the site and entered your PeopleSoft account information your password will… Continue reading »
Many people have received a scam email with the subject “Employee Verification 2018”. There is a link which takes you to a site which copies our PeopleSoft login. If you visited the site and entered your PeopleSoft account information your password will need to be changed immediately. Please contact desktop@williams.edu… Continue reading »
You may have seen news articles this week about two significant new flaws found in computers, smartphones, tablets and other devices, called Spectre and Meltdown. These flaws impact the computer processors (CPUs) that are in the heart of all the computerized equipment you own and use every day. These flaws… Continue reading »
To protect the college’s financial information, from now on any authorized user who wants to access finance.williams.edu from off campus will be required to use VPN. You will not be able to get into the system without it. While this may cause… Continue reading »
We’re here for you as we close out the semester As we near the end of the fall semester, OIT would like to showcase some services and support we think are useful, particularly for students during this time of the year. OIT HELP DESK AND CET Contact the CET Support… Continue reading »
Know the risks Your smart phone, tablet, or other device is a full-fledged computer. It is susceptible to risks inherent in online transactions. When shopping, banking, or sharing personal information online, take the same precautions with your smart phone or other device that you do with your personal computer —… Continue reading »
Last night a vulnerability in Mac OS High Sierra was publicized. To summarize, it allows someone to gain admin access to your mac by using the root account and a blank (!) password. This flaw affects all versions of Mac OS High Sierra (OS 10.13.x). It does not affect PCs,… Continue reading »
US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) reminds users to remain vigilant when browsing or shopping online this holiday season. Emails and ecards from unknown senders may contain malicious links. Fake advertisements or shipping notifications may deliver attachments infected with malware. Spoofed email messages and phony posts on… Continue reading »
Many familiar attachment types can be used to deliver viruses – including PDFs, Word documents, zip files and PowerPoints. Recent examples have come in as invoices or bills, but they can also appear to be normal documents from people you know. The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has many good… Continue reading »
Our print management company, CBS, has partnered with a new toner recycling program. In order to further reduce waste, empty toner cartridges will be shipping in boxes of six rather than one at a time. Cartridge drop off locations: We have placed seven boxes in different areas on campus in… Continue reading »
Starting Tuesday November 14, 2017, a fresh look and new features will be available for Google Calendar on the web to help you manage your time more efficiently and get more done. The update also incorporates a modern color palette, sleek design, and a responsive layout that auto-adjusts to your… Continue reading »
Along with the WannaCry cryptolocker vulnerability from May the recent cracking of the WPA2 wi-fi security protocol is a reminder that Operating System updates are one of the main protections against such threats. Please take the time RIGHT NOW to verify your Mac or PC computer is up to date. Continue reading »
Vulnerabilities in Windows and Mac OS are discovered all the time. Microsoft and Apple release critical updates (patches) to remove these vulnerabilities. It is important for you to allow these updates to install, and also to check occasionally to be sure you are receiving them correctly. Please verify your Windows… Continue reading »
The official Gmail app brings the best of Gmail to your iPhone or iPad with real-time notifications, multiple account support and search that works across all your mail. Download Gmail.app for iOS from the Apple Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480? The official Gmail app brings the best of Gmail to your iPhone or… Continue reading »
A password manager like LastPass can securely store your many, many passwords – or generate new complex ones. You’ll only need to remember the one master password to access them. Other benefits include protection against phishing and off campus account compromises. Full information is available at: http://oit.stage.williams.edu/help-docs/lastpass-password-manager/ A brief introduction if… Continue reading »
Two-step is one of the best and easiest things you can do to make sure your accounts don’t get hacked. You sign in with something you know (your password) and use something you have (commonly a mobile phone). Many faculty, staff and students at Williams have already signed up –… Continue reading »
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. NCSAM is a public awareness campaign to encourage everyone to protect their computers and identities. This week: EMAIL. Avoid these common mistakes. -Hit Send then wish you hadn’t?- Did you know that gmail has an “unsend” function? To be honest it’s… Continue reading »