OIT News – January 2015 – Office of Information Technology

OIT News

Monthly news briefs, information and announcements
Office of Information Technology, NC State University
Issue 87, January 2015

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Follow OIT on Twitter @NCStateOIT

For up-to-the-minute reports on OIT systems, see SysNews.

For help with computing problems, contact the NC State Help Desk.

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01: NC State to transition to Google Vault email retention service
02: Resolve to activate Google’s 2-Step Verification!
03: Captioning Grant application deadline for spring is Jan. 30
04: SAS licenses renewed
05: Stay up-to-date on the status of IT services!
06: What’s new in Google Apps?
07: Upcoming Google Apps training schedule
08: SAR training scheduled for Jan. 22
09: OIT celebrates Data Privacy Month: Data Privacy is Your Responsibility!

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01: NC State to transition to Google Vault email retention service
During the past year, Google has been transitioning its customers from Postini to Google Vault, which allows retention of emails for eDiscovery and compliance. NC State is slated to begin its transition in the next 60 days.

Vault will provide email retention for all users of Google Apps @ NC State, not just those in specific employee classifications. Vault will make it easier for all campus users to comply with the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. 132-1), which requires state employees to maintain copies of all work-related records, including emails.

OIT anticipates beginning the move to Vault in February and will provide campus with the latest progress updates by various means, including OIT News, SysNews and the Central Email Archiving and Retention Services Web page.

This transition to Vault will require several short periods of significant disruption for backend updates and code revisions in the mail infrastructure. However, this should not impact campus users’ ability to send and receive mail normally.

As part of the migration, OIT will need to take the Mail Manager tool offline. During that period, email aliases will continue to work, but none can be created, edited or deleted. The Mail Manager tool manages these aliases:

Departmental Aliases; e.g., graduate_secretary@ncsu.edu –> jmcarter@ncsu.edu
Departmental Forwards; e.g., ced_ipad_setup@ncsu.edu –> ced_support@ncsu.edu
Hosted Aliases; e.g., rqu@cropsci.ncsu.edu –> rqu@ncsu.edu
Personal Aliases; e.g., firstname_lastname@ncsu.edu –> unityid@ncsu.edu

OIT’s goal is to provide campus with at least a two-day advance notice of all planned backend disruptions.

What you should do now

Be sure to check your current aliases and make any needed changes or deletions now. Don’t be caught by surprise when the Mail Manager tool goes offline.
If you are still using an IMAP client (e.g., Thunderbird, Outlook):
- Consider using the Gmail Web client.
- Make sure you are using smtp.gmail.com (NOT smtp.ncsu.edu) for your outgoing mail.

The transition to Vault should be relatively seamless for campus email users. Direct any questions to help@ncsu.edu.

02: Resolve to activate Google’s 2-Step Verification!
This year, get two steps ahead of cyber attackers by activating Google’s 2-Step Verification on your Google Apps @ NC State accounts.

With 2-Step Verification, you will log in not only with your password, but also with an additional security code that is delivered via text, call or mobile app. You can also print a list of security codes. So, even if your account is compromised, the bad guys cannot get into it without also having the additional security code. To get started:

Visit Signing in with 2-Step Verification.
Select Start Set Up.
Enter your mobile phone number or landline where you would like to receive a security code.
Select the text message (SMS) or the voice call option for receiving the code.
Enter the code you received via text or voice call and select verify.
Decide if you would like to trust the computer you are currently on to access your account. Uncheck the “Trust this computer” box if you are using a public machine.
Select Confirm to activate 2-Step.

Once 2-Step is activated, you should enter at least one backup phone number and print backup codes in case the primary device or number changes. The Google Authenticator app is also available to generate security codes on your mobile device. For additional information, see 2-Step Verification.

03: Captioning Grant application deadline for spring is Jan. 30
The spring applications for NC State’s Captioning Grant are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30. The grant provides funding for captioned video when:

a student with a disability requiring this accommodation registers in a course that uses video.
an instructor wants to proactively create captions for a video.

To apply for a grant, faculty should complete the application form available at the Captioning Grant website. Direct all questions to accessibility@ncsu.edu.

04: SAS licenses renewed
NC State’s SAS licenses for SAS, JMP and JMP Genomics have been renewed.

You can download these products from Software @ NC State. If you have a special deployment of SAS, you should have received your license files via email from Software Licensing Management.

Please keep in mind that you have a 90-day grace period to update SAS licenses that expired on Dec. 31. Your software will continue to function until March 31, 2015.

Direct questions regarding your SAS licenses to software@ncsu.edu.

05: Stay up-to-date on the status of IT services!
Last week, campus IT users experienced Web service interruptions due to denial of service attacks. Unfortunately, these directed attacks are becoming more and more common. During such an event as well as other emergencies and system and service outages, we want you to stay informed while we are working to mitigate them. Here’s how:

Subscribe to SysNews and follow on Twitter @sysnews for up-to-the-minute reports on OIT systems campuswide.
Subscribe to OIT News and follow on Twitter @ncsu_oit for IT news briefs and announcements about administrative and academic IT functions.
Subscribe to Online Notify for issues regarding major online systems (e.g., Human Resources, Financials, Student Information Systems).

Once you’re subscribed to these mailing lists, create an email filter in Gmail so your updates are never sent to your Spam folder. For help, see Using filters.

06: What’s new in Google Apps?
Did you miss Google’s new releases over the holidays? Here are a few updates that may be helpful to you.

Convert Office files with Edit Icons in Gmail
Click on the pencil icon in the attachment card to convert and edit attached Office files in emails.
Google Apps mobile updates
Docs, Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS now have enhanced capabilities for text, tables and images, including creation, resizing, rotating, and spacing elements.
Table Cell Merging
You can now merge table cells in Google Docs. To do so:
1. Highlight the cells to merge.
2. Choose Merge Cells from the Table menu option.
Slide Numbers
To insert slide numbers in Google Slides presentations:
1. Go to the Insert menu option and select Slide Number.
2. Apply slide numbers to all slides or selected slides. You can also choose to skip title slides.

New Google Drive
Google rolled out a new interface and functionality for Google Drive on Jan. 13.

For more details on Google’s new enhancements, check out the December edition of Google Apps What’s New. You can also follow the Google Service Team on:

Twitter @NCStateOIT
Google+

07: Upcoming Google Apps training schedule
Some of OIT’s upcoming training courses include:

Gmail: Beyond the Basics will be offered on Wednesday Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. This workshop will provide an in-depth overview of Gmail features, including Labels, Search tools, Contacts management, Chat, Tasks, Settings, Labs, and new features. If time permits, there will be a brief introduction to Google Hangouts. To register, visit Classmate.
Create and Collaborate with Google Drive will be offered on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn everything you need to know to start using Google Docs/Drive at NC State. You will learn how to use Drive in a collaborative environment, including editing a file simultaneously with other people, securing a document through file sharing permissions, and creating files for use by a group of colleagues or friends. For this workshop, you will need to have an active NC State University Unity account with access to Google Apps @ NC State. If you would prefer using your own laptop or other mobile device, feel free to bring it. To register, visit Classmate.
Google Calendar will be offered on Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon in ITTC Lab 2 of D.H. Hill Library. If you’re comfortable with the basics of Google Calendar and are ready to use more of its features, this hands-on workshop is for you. This workshop will focus on appointment slots, event attachments, maps and directions, sharing and embedding calendars, labs, quick add, search options, mobile notifications, scheduling online meetings, and more. For prerequisite information and to register, visit Classmate.
Gmail: Advanced Tools, Tips & Tricks will be offered on Thursday, Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. If you’re comfortable with the basics of Gmail and are ready to take it to the next level, this more advanced hands-on workshop is for you. You will learn more about creating labels, filters and canned responses, scheduling Google Calendar Events, and using Google Drive through Gmail, along with any planned or newly released Google features. To register, visit Classmate.
Introduction to Google Hangouts – Laptop/Desktop Application will be offered on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. This is a fun and interactive workshop to learn about the emergence of Google Hangouts, a free Web conferencing tool that allows easy communication on campus or across the globe via video, audio and text messaging. Learn how to use the Hangouts platform and its many helpful features. You are encouraged to bring a laptop to the session and can register via Classmate.

Google Forms will be offered on Thursday, Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. Are you looking for a way to easily create surveys, plan events or gather data? Are you interested in learning more about specific apps available in Google Drive? If so, don’t miss this interactive session on the basics of creating forms and viewing responses. You will also learn several advanced features, such as embedding forms in websites, adding page breaks and incorporating question validation. If you would prefer to use your own laptop, feel free to bring it. To register, visit Classmate.
Introduction to Google Sites will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. In this class, students will learn how to create a website using Google Sites, control access and embed Docs, videos, images, and links. The workshop will also cover some customization and basic Web design principles. To register, visit Classmate.

Gmail: Beyond the Basics will be offered on Thursday, Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon in ITTC Lab 2 of D.H. Hill Library. This workshop will provide an in-depth overview of Gmail features, including Labels, Search tools, Contacts management, Chat, Tasks, Settings, Labs, and new features. If time permits, a brief introduction to Google Hangouts will be provided. To register, visit Classmate.

Basics of WordPress will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. Learn everything you need to know to get started using WordPress here at NC State. The workshop will cover topics including setup, configuration, themes, plug-ins, settings, options, and management of WordPress. To register, visit Classmate.
Google Slides will be offered on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 110 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. This session will focus on how to create, edit and share presentations. It will also include themes, transitions, animations, and more. If you would prefer to use your own laptop, feel free to bring it. To register, visit Classmate.

For other available training sessions, visit Classmate Scheduled Workshops. If you are interested in custom software training, please complete the Custom Training Form. Email all training questions to classreg@ncsu.edu.

08: SAR training scheduled for Jan. 22
Security Access Request (SAR) training for campus requestors and approvers of access to secured university data will be held Thursday, Jan. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Room 108 of the Avent Ferry Technology Center. Visit Classmate to register for training.

09: OIT celebrates Data Privacy Month: Data Privacy is Your Responsibility!
Protecting private data is a responsibility you can’t ignore! If you handle personal information such as social security numbers, financial information and educational and medical records, you have a duty and responsibility to protect it in the same manner you would want your own private data protected.

In observance of Data Privacy Month, Jan. 28 to Feb. 28, OIT encourages you to watch all of the brief SANS Securing the Human videos — especially Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Data Protection — to learn valuable steps for protecting the privacy of all campus constituents.

Sign in to Moodle with your Unity ID and password and then click Enroll me to access these brief videos. For more information on privacy and security, contact Leo Howell, OIT Security and Compliance assistant director of IT Policy and Compliance, at leo_howell@ncsu.edu.

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