In this issue:

Password Security

Passwords protect you, your data, the computing resources you access, and even other users on the same network. For example, if someone guesses or steals your password, then that person could:

Access your files and e-mail.
Log in to a password-protected resource (e.g., Moodle) and view or change your information.
Perform malicious acts in your name, such as sending threatening e-mails, deleting your files, or breaking into the network.

To secure your password, the first thing you should do is create a strong one that can’t be easily guessed or hacked. (For more information, see Tips for Creating a Strong Password.)

After you create a strong password, keep it secret. It’s against Monmouth College policy to share your password with anyone—-friends, coworkers, advisors, Information Systems Center staff, etc.

IMPORTANT! If anyone asks you for your password, DO NOT give it to them. If you receive a request for your password in a phone, email, or text message, then it’s a fraudulent phishing attempt. (For more information about phishing scams, see Beware of Phishing Scams .)

Additional recommendations for securing your password are below.

Don’t write down your password. (If you must write down something, then write down a hint that will remind you of the password and keep it in a secure location, such as your wallet.)
Change your password periodically (e.g., every 60 to 90 days) or whenever you feel it may have been compromised.
Don’t select “Remember my password” on any website.
Don’t choose to save your password if prompted by your browser or other program.
Don’t enter your password on a shared computer in places with open Wi-Fi access, such as Internet cafes, public libraries, etc.
Log off and close the web browser whenever you are finished using a site that you had to log in to.

Managing Your F: Drive Space

Faculty and staff have 10 GB of space on the F: drive for their files. Students have 100 MB of space.

If your space starts to fill up, then you may have trouble saving files to the F: drive or you may not be able to save to the F: drive at all. Other problems may occur if your F: drive space approaches the limit. (For example, you may not be able to save messages in an Outlook personal folder.)

You can check your F: drive space by double-clicking the Computer icon on the desktop. Your amount of free space displays underneath the F: drive.

To keep your F: drive space from filling up, you should periodically delete files you no longer need and/or move some of your files to another location (e.g., your G: drive, Google Docs, an external hard drive, etc.) or burn them to a CD or DVD.

IMPORTANT! Your G: drive is NOT backed up, so DO NOT store important files on it.

Moodle 2.0 Upgrade

The Information Systems Center plans to upgrade Moodle to version 2.0 over the summer. Moodle 2.0 has been completely re-designed to offer more features and flexibility. Information about the upgrade and about training for version 2.0 will be available later this semester.

Free E-Learning Courses from Microsoft

As part of a licensing agreement with Microsoft, Monmouth College students, faculty, and staff have access to free Office 2010 e-learning courses through Microsoft’s IT Academy. Now you can learn at your own pace from any computer that has Internet access!

Microsoft’s IT Academy also includes a Digital Literacy program, which is designed to teach basic computing skills to those who are new to computing. (Topics covered in this program include Computer Basics, The Internet and World Wide Web, Productivity Programs, Computer Security and Privacy, and Digital Lifestyles.)

For more information about the Office 2010 e-learning courses and/or the Digital Literacy program, please contact Marcie Beintema (marcie@monmouthcollege.edu or x2194).

Tech Tip: Make Changes to an E-Mail Attachment

Whenever you want to make changes to an e-mail attachment, you should save the attachment to your computer first and then make the changes to the copy that's on your computer. Otherwise, you could lose your changes when you close the file.

To save an attachment to your computer, right-click on it and select Save As.

Save As Option