Goodbye Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Flash Player has finally reached end-of-life. The application has been officially deprecated but unless you uninstall it, it will remain on your system. Adobe recommends that all users immediately uninstall Flash Player to protect their systems as the application could be exploited in the future. Here are links for both Mac and PC with Un-installers:
Adobe site for uninstalling Flash Player from PC
Adobe site for uninstalling Flash Player from Mac
Zoom Update
News Alert – The raise hand function is currently broken and should be fixed in the next few days.
Co-hosts can now start or end breakout rooms.
Nonverbal feedback options are moved to the Reactions button, and all reactions will be shown in the corner of the participants’ video. The host will see each participant’s reactions in the participant list, as well as the aggregate numbers of each reaction at the bottom of the list.
The meeting or webinar host will now have the option to download the full poll results when the poll has ended during the live session.
“Code talkers”
Encryption plays a major role in the flow of sensitive information on the Internet. Most of us are unaware of what encryption is or what role it plays in our everyday online existence. The next time you are sitting at your computer, on Google Chrome or Firefox browser, notice the tiny lock next the URL or the address of the site you are on. That lock means your connection is secure and encrypted. Unlike the words on this page, what is transmitted through the Internet looks more like this “WTq8zYcZfaWVvMncigHqwQ”, with differing encryption strengths and acronyms such as AES and RSA. What you type is encrypted when you press enter and is decrypted at your destination server back into English.
November is Native American Heritage Month, honoring the culture and contributions of Native Americans. Starting in World War I but primarily during World War II, Native American soldiers fluent in both English and tribal languages were enlisted as Code Talkers. Code talking is a form of encryption, used before computers took over with increasingly complex methods. Code talkers were assigned in pairs, one at each end of the conversation, using Native American words to essentially encrypt secret messages and keep them out of the hands of the enemy. Initially a Native language word was used for each letter of the English Alphabet, for example the letter A would be encrypted as “wo-la-chee” in Navajo. Later sophistication combined direct translation of English words into Native words. The code they developed remained unbroken through the end of WWII.
Code talkers from at least 14 Native nations including Navajo, Choktaw, Cherokee, Lakota and Cree were enlisted by different branches of the military. They had to keep their work secret and didn’t receive recognition of their contribution to the war effort until information was declassified in 1968. Among several recognition ceremonies in the years since, the original 29 World War II Navajo code talkers were honored and presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2000.
Voter Registration Phishing Scam (10/15/2020)
Email purportedly coming from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (not an actual government agency) states: “Voter registration application details couldn’t be confirmed” and provides a link to a spoofed webpage that steals a variety of personal information including DOB, SSN, and Driver’s license data. These emails contain a lack of capitalization as well as poor spelling and grammar. Please be aware that phishing campaigns like this are on the rise as we come closer to the election. If you have any questions about voting, go to the California Secretary of State website:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/election-2020
And/or the FBI’s elections and security website:
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/election-crimes-and-security
October is CyberSecurity Awareness Month (10/15/2020)
| October is, among other things, Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As with any other month of the year, scammers are out in force with new scams on Social Media, email, or on the phone. To thwart their attempts, ITS encourages you to: 1. Consider the source: check to see who the communication is coming from. 2. Make sure the message is indeed coming from the source: e.g., is it really coming from the IRS, irs.gov, or is it coming from irs.gov.com? 3. And, if you have any doubts, contact the Cal Lutheran Help Desk at 805-493-3119 or helpdesk@callutheran.edu to verify the integrity of the communication. New scams involve Coronavirus and since it’s an election year, voter registration scams, where a caller might claim your registration information needs to be confirmed (this would apply to mail-in ballots as we approach election day). Keep in mind that successful scammers create a sense of urgency or tug on your emotions to get you to suspend disbelief and hand over your personal information or credentials. |
Augmented Reality – Free for your iPad and iPhone
There is no question that Virtual Reality is cool. Unlike some of the promises that science fiction made us like flying cars and robot butlers VR has actually made it into our daily lives. But what about Augmented reality? This is a digital space where actual reality and virtual reality meet. Got an urge to put yourself behind the wheel of a Lambo driving down your street? How about bubbles in your coffee cup? The sky is the limit (except of course for the flying car thing).
And to make things cooler, you don’t have to be a wizard to work with it. Adobe has a free application for your iPhone or iPad that let’s you create augmented reality to dazzle yourself and your friends. Download the app and change your reality, just like the science fiction writers promised.
https://www.adobe.com/products/aero.html
Ransomware in Higher Education on the Rise
Imagine for a moment what it would be like for Blackboard to shut down. What if suddenly your campus email didn’t work. What if you didn’t have access to your campus drives?
Working from home can cause a false sense of security. We may feel more relaxed about our technology.
According to Trend Micro, 39% of the workforce are using their home computers. It is important to remember that you are using your home network as well and your home network may be an easy target. If hackers can enter your home network, they can enter the campus network. The greatest threat is Ransomware.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education ransomware is on the rise in the work-from-home world. Criminal enterprise knows that many of us now serve as a gateway to the institutions we work for. If you have questions or concerns about the security of your home network, please contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@callutheran.edu or call 805-493-3698
Foreign Hackers Leverage Covid-19
Tom Kellerman a former member of the presidential cybersecurity commission says that during the pandemic there has been a 900% increase in ransomware attacks. This is in large part due to the work-from-home phenomenon.
While you are on campus, you are secured by extensive and sophisticated systems to protect from attack. At home the defenses are significantly reduced and hackers are leveraging this. They know that you are connected to company resources and if they can get past your limited security they can tunnel into the company infrastructure.
Remember that you are still the first line of defense. Make sure your home network and wireless system are using the best protection and call the helpdesk if you need help or advice. Finally, always lock your computer when you’re not working.
For more comprehensive information about security while working from home, here is the information provided by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency:
https://Cisa.gov/telework
Advanced Zoom Features
Beginning July 19th, “Waiting Rooms” will be enabled by default for all Zoom meetings. This will add a level of security to your Zoom meetings. You can allow all individuals with CLU email addresses into the meeting automatically. Anyone with an external email address will be placed in a waiting room waiting your approval.
To allow all CLU invitees into your meeting, from the web version https://clu.zoom.us – go to settings. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and turn on waiting rooms. The box that opens is the list of domains you automatically want to give access to. Simply place “callutheran.edu” in this box and CLU attendees will automatically be allowed to attend. Others will be selectively allowed in by the host.
rubesdontech.com 