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Author: Division of Information

Beware of scams

Posted on by Division of Information
There is never downtime when it comes to being aware of potential scams. In fact, criminals like seizing opportunities when people are most vulnerable. 2020 has given scammers many opportunities to exploit.
Here are a few examples:
  • COVID-19 vaccine
  • Stimulus checks
  • Unemployment benefits
  • Job opportunities
  • Holiday shopping

Scammers’ goal is to get your personal information to steal your money. Don’t let them!

What can you do?

Stay informed. Scams are always evolving, so it’s a good idea to check the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Scam Alerts site for a list and descriptions of the latest scams. Also, stay up-to-date on the scams targeting K-State by checking the K-State Scams blog.

Continue reading “Beware of scams” →

Oracle database upgrade scheduled for Dec. 19

Posted on by Division of Information

K-State’s Oracle database will be upgraded from 6 a.m. – 12 p.m. Saturday, December 19. During the upgrade, K-Staters can not change or reset passwords, search the people directory, or create an eID.

The upgrade will allow K-State to stay current and ensure that security patches continue to get applied to our databases running in Amazon Web Services.

Impacted systems include eProfile, identity management services and support, the People Directory, Grouper, and more. Backend support tools will be unavailable. The status of the upgrade will be shared on the IT Status page.

IT Update: December 2020

Posted on by Division of Information

December brings the end of the fall semester, but doesn’t stop IT! Staff are busy with maintaining services and planning for the new year.

ImageNow was successfully upgraded Dec. 4-7 to Perceptive Content Foundation version EP2. ImageNow users now have access to an upgraded desktop client and a new web client.

The Financial Information System (FIS) will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, through 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. Once the monthly maintenance is complete, FIS will available for your use.

HRIS, KSIS, and DARS will be unavailable from midnight – 4 a.m. Jan. 10. Maintenance will be performed on the Oracle PeopleSoft systems.

A change freeze on servers and services went into effect Nov.30 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts through Dec. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Continue reading “IT Update: December 2020” →

Phishing scam targets remote workers

Posted on by Division of Information

Scam Alert!As employees continue to work remotely, cyber-attacks are on the rise. The latest attack is the “Return to Office” phishing scam. This scam has already targeted 100,000 inboxes.

Scammers are sending email messages to individuals outlining the process for an employee to return to the workplace. The email can include safety protocols and usually includes a short deadline for when employees must acknowledge that they have received this message and complete a form. Continue reading “Phishing scam targets remote workers” →

IT Update: November 2020

Posted on by Division of Information
November brings the last day of on-campus classes on November 20, along with graduation ceremonies on November 20-22. IT continues to work on a large scale and small scale infrastructure projects.
Large Scale Projects and Renovations
  • Hale Library – basement, 4th, and 5th floors
  • McCain Auditorium Expansion
  • Multicultural Center
  • Athletics – South Endzone expansion

Smaller Scale Infrastructure Projects

  • Fairchild – multiple room upgrades
  • ICE – clinical recording system
  • Polytechnic – preparation for Core upgrades over Winter Break
  • Vet Med complex – multiple projects
  • Athletics – multiple projects

The Financial Information System (FIS) will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Saturday, November 21, through 6 p.m., Sunday, November 22. Once the monthly maintenance is complete, FIS will available for your use.

HRIS, KSIS, and DARS will be unavailable from midnight – 4 a.m. Sunday, December 6. Maintenance will be performed on the Oracle PeopleSoft systems.

The Division of Information Technology had to increase the Cybersecurity Awareness Training’s licensing, which was a good thing for security, yet bad for customer service. The training is available from Canvas. If you have not completed the training, the link is available here.

On Monday, November 9, K-Staters were bombarded with a phishing scam that replicated the sign in page. When signing in to the link, there was a request for the user’s social security number. If you fell prey to the scam, please read the article and follow the suggestions to reduce the possibility of identity theft.

Continue reading “IT Update: November 2020” →

Unemployment scams abound

Posted on by Division of Information

Beware of unemployment scamsAccording to the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Unemployment Claim Fraud resulting from identity theft is on the rise, primarily impacting the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program. Kansas has joined every state in seeing an increase in reports of fraudulent unemployment claims due to identity theft. In fact, the KDOL has stopped more than 100,000 fraudulent claims.

David Brown in Human Capital Services reported on this issue on Oct. 6 in K-State Today. Employees have expressed concerns about a breach of K-State systems. Our investigations have not indicated a breach of K-State systems.

How do scammers get your information and use the information to carry out fraud?

  • Criminals cross-reference employment places for individuals with data collected from any of a number of data breaches over the years (Equifax, Heartland Payment Systems, etc.). As state employees, our information is publicly available. This type of attack is trivial for an experienced scammer and can net a considerable amount of money. Because the process is not technically difficult, we will continue to see fraudulent unemployment applications for the foreseeable future.
  • K-State’s Division of Information Technology and our cybersecurity team monitor the situation and take action if we see a way to assist and help fight this attack. IT also constantly monitors systems and services for breaches.

What should you do if you become the victim of identity theft?  Continue reading “Unemployment scams abound” →

Oct. 28: MATLAB webinars

Posted on by Division of Information

MATLAB logoMATLAB, mathematical software for engineers and scientists, is offering two WebEx webinars on Wednesday, Oct. 28:

Join MathWorks engineers as they provide insight into the latest features of the MATLAB and Simulink product families. For more information, contact Tom McHugh (tmchugh@mathworks.com).

IT Update: October 2020

Posted on by Division of Information
October blows in with football, fall colors, falling leaves, and Cybersecurity Awareness month.
  • State of IT Security presentation by Josh McCune, which kicked off Cybersecurity Awareness month on Oct. 1. Josh shared insights on security when working remotely, security of IoT (Internet of Things) and the future of cybersecurity at K-State.
  • Apps Parents Should Know About in 2020, Officer John Calvert, 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, offered in conjunction with the CIO at USD 383.
  • Cybersecurity Awareness Training will be sent to all faculty and staff on Oct. 15. The state-mandated training needs to be completed by Oct. 29.
There is a Mediasite-Canvas integration ongoing issue being addressed by vendors. When inserting a Mediasite presentation into Canvas, users may receive an error saying, “Content retrieval failed.” A recent change in Canvas has broken part of the Mediasite integration and is expected to be fixed soon. Please see the knowledge base article for more information and a workaround.

Continue reading “IT Update: October 2020” →

IT Update: September 2020

Posted on by Division of Information

They’re back! The fall semester is well underway. The Division of Information Technology (IT) continues to upgrade the network infrastructure across campus, troubleshoot classroom technology when needed, collaborate on cleaning protocols for classroom and lab spaces, provide training for teaching, learning, campus operations, and more. 

The Network and Telecommunications team has been working on several projects across campus, including:
  • Ongoing renovations in Hale Library, McCain, and the Southside expansion at Bill Snyder Family Stadium
  • Infrastructure upgrades in ICE Hall, Polytechnic campus, VetMed complex, Unger, and Pat Roberts Hall
  • Working with various departments and the Academic and Student Technology group on AV equipment installs for the Manhattan and Olathe campuses

Continue reading “IT Update: September 2020” →

Location of computers and print stations on campus

Posted on by Division of Information

With the return to campus, there are specific locations for publicly available computers and print stations.

Windows and Mac computer stations are available in Hale Library (Windows on 1st and 2nd floors, Macs on 2nd floor) and in the K-State Student Union. The Mac computers in Hale Library have Adobe Creative Cloud software. A large format scanner is available on the second floor of Hale and can be used to scan maps, CAD drawings, posters, newspaper articles and more.

There are black and white and multifunction printers available on the first and second floors of Hale Library.  Justin lobby has a black and white printer. Color printing is available on the 1st and 2nd floor of Hale Library and Weigel Library in the Pierce Information Commons just outside of room 0081. Weigel Library also supports 11″x17″ paper printing. The K-State Student Union has a black and white printer on the first and ground floors. See the printing on campus page.

In Cardwell Library, there is a black and white multifunction printer and three lab computers. The printer and one lab computer are located in the corridor, Cardwell 105C. The other lab computers are available in the main library space, Cardwell 105.

Centrally supported computer labs located in Calvin 306, Calvin 318 and Dickens 001A and the Media Center in Seaton 001 are closed for the Fall 2020 semester.

Students who need specific software for class such as SAS or SPSS, should check out remote access to software.