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Mar 01, 2006
ASU Sets 180 Day Password Limit
Increased concern for the safety of university data, personal information, and identity management has caused ASU to request more frequent replacement of ASURITE passwords. A 180-day time limit on ASURITE passwords has been set as a computing system standard for all ASU campuses. Faculty, staff and students are asked to act promptly to replace outdated passwords by using the Password Changer program (asu.edu/changepassword).

After Spring Break 2006, systems will check for last password change date. Logins will be redirected to the Password Changer before services can be accessed. Some of the services that require ASURITE UserID login are myASU portal and ASU Interactive, Blackboard, EMMA, and WebAuth verified Web pages.

In choosing new passwords/passphrases, customers are reminded to “mix it up 4 ways” They should create non-word combinations that are difficult to guess and use 8 to 14 characters from at least three of the following four groups: upper case letters, lower case letters, special characters, and numbers. The Password Changer will automatically verify whether the password meets the system criteria.

For questions about the change, contact the IT Help Desk at 480-965-6500 or www.asu.edu/askit.

Feb 24, 2006
UTO Announces Contest to Name SIS/HR Software Implementation
Help UTO brand the name for the Student Information Systems (SIS) & Human Resources (HR) Software Implementation Project that will change the way the ASU community interfaces with the university. This project name will be used time and time again. How do you capture the essence, the spirit of this great adventure? Read on and discover! Read More...

Feb 20, 2006
IT Help Desk Open During Remodel
The IT Help Desk on Tempe Campus, located in Computing Commons 202, will be remodeled during the Spring 2006 semester. On site, web-based, and telephone assistance will continue unchanged. The IT Help Desk will be open during its regularly scheduled hours. During the construction, customers can access the facility from the hallway entrance on the northwest end of the CPCOM second floor. For information about Help Desk services, see asu.edu/helpdesk.

Jan 30, 2006
Wireless Access Goes Campus-wide With Guest Access
Campus-wide wireless networking implementation is ongoing, with the next phase to be completed in February. All ASU campus locations (Tempe, West, Polytechnic) will have a new wireless network SSID (asupublic). This new ID will provide access for guests and ASU users. The new process does not require the MAC address registration that is currently in place but systems are checked once each day when they come on the wireless network for vulnerabilities. Guest users will be provided with Internet access. ASU users will have access to ASU resources and the Internet. Both users’ types will be able to use VPN. Select the wireless configuration as the asupublic network, then open a Web browser to log in. For questions contact the IT Help Desk at (480) 965-6500. More information is available at the ASU Wireless Web page.

Jan 09, 2006
IT Classrooms & Sites Phasing Out Certain Software
The IT Computing Sites & Classrooms are planning the removal of several Windows software packages after the Spring 2006 semester. These removals are due to either very low usage of these programs or they are non-supported versions of the software. Faculty may send comments, questions or concerns to ntsm@asu.edu. Please respond by Mar. 1, 2006. The following is a list of the software to be phased out and replacement or alternatives that are available.

Dec 23, 2005
Winter Break Schedules
IT Computing Site schedules for the semester break are posted at Coor Hall and the Computing Commons, and online at the IT Computing Sites Web site. The IS Lab will be closed December 26 – January 2. Otherwise, the lab is open regular hours from finals week to the start of Spring semester, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The IT Help Desk will continue regular hours for phone support with the exception of the university holidays, when there will be phone support only. The Help Desk will be closed from 6:00 p.m., December 24 until 7:00 p.m., December 25.

Dec 20, 2005
Blackberry News
For press releases from Research In Motion regarding its current litigation and continuing Blackberry service in the US visit www.rim.com. For ASU IT information regarding Blackberrys and other mobile messaging devices, such as Treo or Windows Mobile, visit www.asu.edu/it/mailbox/mm.

Dec 09, 2005
ECG 150 To Close Permanently
It has been determined that the ECG 150 computing site has been and continues to be under-utilized and therefore it will be permanently decommissioned at close of business on Wednesday, December 14, 2005. Projections based on usage monitoring show the remaining IT Computing Sites (BAC 16, CPCOM 102, COOR 150 and GWC 185) can absorb ECG 150 usage patterns without having a negative impact. The closure of ECG 150 will allow Information Technology to direct its improvement efforts to these sites and provide the necessary space for emerging projects. Customers are asked to plan on using one of the other four computing sites after Fall Semester 2005.

Nov 15, 2005
Security Event Speeches Archived Online
Presentations given at Security Awareness Week 2005 now can be accessed on the Internet or downloaded in MP3 audio format by visiting the ASU Computer Security Web site. Presentation slides provided by the speakers are available in both Powerpoint and PDF formats.

Nov 08, 2005
E-mail Mobility Help Now Online
Arizona State University supports several types of mobile messaging. The use of portable devices for access to e-mail while traveling is growing rapidly and is expected to increase at ASU in the next few years. The ASU Mobile Messaging Knowledgebase describes setup requirements for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Palm Treo devices. The Web site has a chart comparing the options available for the three systems, and there are answers to frequently-asked questions.

Oct 16, 2005
Power Outages Announced
Power will be out Friday, Oct. 21 for 90 minutes beginning at 6:00 p.m. so a temporary feed can be run for the installation of a new uninterruptible power supply system in the Business Administration complex basement. Areas affected during the outage will be some network connectivity, the IT Computing Site in BAC-016, classrooms in BAC-009, BAC-213, and BA-396, and the IT areas in BAC-019. A second power outage to complete the installation of the new unit will be on Tuesday, Oct. 25, or Wednesday, Oct 26 beginning at 11:00 p.m. and lasting 90 minutes. For questions or problems contact (480) 965-0844.

Oct 10, 2005
Telephone Services Encourages List Membership
Telephone Services has an announcement group to notify its end users of outages, planned service upgrades, and other pertinent information. Telephone Services is the IT department responsible for all essential voice communications systems, services and applications, including voice mail, on all ASU campuses and remote locations. To receive announcements, subscribe to the Telephone Services e-mail list by going to the IT Announcement Groups Web site at announce.asu.edu. Login is a prerequisite for subscription; this announcement group is an ASU-only list. Questions for Telephone Services can be sent to tele-q@asu.edu

Oct 08, 2005
Incoming Mail Delivery Delayed
During the week of Monday, September 29, 2005, some e-mail originating from outside of ASU and destined for ASU users was delayed. The exact amount of time a message was delayed depended on when the message was originally sent and where the message was sent from. During that time period, some servers attempting to deliver e-mail to ASU were temporarily unable to do so, but kept trying to deliver the e-mail according to a schedule defined at those servers. Consequently, a backlog of e-mail destined for ASU built up on servers across the Internet.

The problems experienced by the servers sending e-mail were due to capacity issues on ASU’s Post Office servers. Information Technology addressed the situation by increasing capacity on the existing servers and adding more machines to the bank of Post Office servers. This immediately allowed more traffic to flow through the Post Office infrastructure, however due to the backlog previously created, e-mail delivery times did not return to normal right away. Once the backlog subsided, e-mail delivery returned to normal.

Oct 05, 2005
Winners Announced For CSC Luncheon Raffle
Two winners have been selected for the Computer Security Awareness raffle from attendees at the Classified Staff Council luncheon on October 5. The raffle was sponsored by IT at its information booth to heighten awareness of the Computer Security Web site. IT congratulates the winning entrants, James Carvalho and Emily Galindo-Elvira, who will receive iPod minis.

Sept 30, 2005
Retirement Of Old Research/Stats Cluster Imminent
As previously announced, current generation Red Hat Linux systems were made available as replacement systems for the IT-provided AIX Unix RESEARCH cluster. September month-end was also suggested as a retirement date for the old RESEARCH cluster.

As a reminder, a few years ago the STATS cluster was merged with the RESEARCH cluster onto AIX Unix platforms. These AIX platforms have since become outdated and have been replaced with new systems running Red Hat Linux. Concurrent with the upgrade, the combined cluster has again been split into separate RESEARCH and STATS clusters.

The new RESEARCH cluster is accessed by secure shelling to research.asu.edu; the new STATS cluster is accessed by secure shelling to stats.asu.edu; and the old RESEARCH/STATS cluster is accessed by secure shelling to research3.asu.edu, research4.asu.edu, or research5.asu.edu.

IT desires to retire the old RESEARCH/STATS cluster (research3, research4, or research5) if it is no longer needed. If anyone still needs to use the old cluster, please contact James Carvalho (jjc@asu.edu, 480-965-0027), Dale Wutz (dale.wutz@asu.edu, 480-965-2761), or Eldon Norton (eldon.norton@asu.edu, 480-965-5617).

Aug 29, 2005
Ruckus Brings Music And Video Service To ASU
ASU has arranged for students, faculty and staff to have eligibility for Ruckus subscriptions in a non-exclusive contract. The company will provide access to instructional materials for classroom use as well as popular media. Ruckus is a fee-paid service that offers PC users music downloads from any computer, and video downloads when on-campus. Ruckus has free online communities for PC and Mac users and the company is in negotiation with Apple to expand services for the Macintosh. Eligibility for Ruckus is verified with the ASU e-mail address. Fees are paid using an ASU Sun Card with Sun Dollars. Subscription to the service and fee payment can be completed at the Ruckus Web site. Ruckus is offering 14 day free trials until September 30.

Aug 8, 2005
Fee-For-Print Arrives In Classrooms
Printing fees will become standard for classrooms in the Computing Commons, Coor Hall and Business Administration buildings at the beginning of the Fall 2005 semester. A Sun Dollars account debit of $.08 per printed side will be confirmed at the computer workstations with an ASURITE UserID login at the print dialog screen. Faculty may print at the instructor stations for no charge. For questions about the process, contact classroom.support@asu.edu or call Classroom Support at (480) 965-3342.

Aug 8, 2005
IT Customer Support Expands
To support increased activity and growth at the university, IT Help Desk on Tempe Campus will be expanding its hours beginning Aug. 15. Phone assistance will increase to 6:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. daily, with walk-in service from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Services in the CPCOM 202 are being unified; the Computer Accounts and Customer Assistance Center service areas are aligning themselves with the IT Help Desk name, Web site (www.asu.edu/helpdesk), and phone number, (480) 965-6500. The IT Help Desk will also be the first-level contact point for e-mail questions previously handled by (email-q@asu.edu). Customers are encouraged to submit non-critical problems and questions using the Submit a Question form at the Ask IT Web site (www.asu.edu/askit).
University employees who maintain Web sites, directories, and similar materials mentioning IT Customer Support Services are asked to update their information as soon as possible, and remove references to the Customer Assistance Center (CACenter), Computer Accounts, and email-q.

July 18, 2005
Mail System Migration To Exchange 2003
The pilot testing period has concluded and IT is now ready to begin the migration to Exchange Server 2003. IT will be moving mailboxes to the upgraded servers from July 19 through August 3, 2005 and the department is notifying customers by server of their approximate move dates as those dates approach. Mailboxes will be moved on weekday evenings and throughout the day on weekends. Each person will experience a 10 - 20 minute interruption of service while their mailbox is being moved.
In rare cases during the pilot testing period, customers attempting to log on for the first time after the move occurred were temporarily unable to log on to the new mailbox store. To resolve this problem after the upgrade, follow the steps listed on the page How to verify your Exchange Server name in Outlook to check your new Exchange Server name, and/or contact the IT Help Desk at (480) 965-6500. More information will follow as the migration progresses.

June 28, 2005
Sun Dollars Replace Cash At CACenter
Beginning June 30, purchases at the IT Customer Assistance Center in CPCOM 202 can be made only with Sun Dollars or departmental purchase orders. No checks or cash will be accepted because of changes in cash handling policies. Transactions that will be affected include sales of site licensed software, Blackberry site licensing, and payments for large-format printing orders. There is a Sun Card machine for the purchase of Sun Dollars in the lobby of the Computing Commons Building, north of the Classroom Support Office in room 105. Customers with questions can contact (480) 965-1211.

June 25, 2005
E-learning Changes Made By HR And IT
Human Resources has selected Element K as the new vendor for e-learning, and increased its program to 170 courses. Beginning June 24, log on is available from the HR E-Learning Web page using ASU Affiliate ID. Faculty, staff and student employees have access 365 days a year from any Internet-connected computer, but. will need to have the Flash player installed, which is a free download from Macromedia. Courses were added in computer and leadership training, and the popular subjects Office Productivity and Graphics/Web Design are still offered. HR is developing online assessment and instruction in the e-learning system for ASU training. Contact HR at (480) 965-4751 with questions. Concurrently, Information Technology discontinues computer-based training in the IT Customer Assistance Center, CPCOM 202, on June 30.

June 8, 2005
Voice Mail Registration Requested For Transition
All ASU VOICE MAIL users need to confirm their voice mailbox extensions and e-mail addresses to the Voice Mail Transition Team as soon as possible, using the form available at the Telephone Services Web site.  Upgrades for an estimated 8200 voice mailboxes are targeted to begin in Fall 2005 in a phased group approach over several weeks. Transition group assignments, dates and more information will be distributed by e-mail and posted on the Web site.  Please confirm your e-mail and extension information ASAP to ensure accurate and timely information distribution.

June 8, 2005
CACenter Removes Training Services
On June 30, the IT Customer Assistance Center in CPCOM 202 will be discontinuing services that are not being utilized in order to make other services available. Resources being removed are Computer-Based Training (CBT) on CACenter workstations, the Software Manual Library, and Print On Demand service for Quicklook help sheets. Quicklook will continue to be available on the Web. Direct questions about the changes to the Customer Assistance Center at (480) 965-1211.

June 8, 2005
Better, Faster, More IT News With Web Page Change
Beginning in July, Inside IT content will be available from the IT News Web page. IT News is the quickest way to learn what’s happening within the IT department. The IT News page is updated with service changes and security alerts as they become available. In addition to these announcements, the articles and event information that has been presented in Inside IT in a monthly magazine format also will be posted to the IT News page. With this change, the IT News page will become the “home page” URL for Inside IT. Readers are encouraged to update bookmarks they have for Inside IT to the IT News page.

May 31, 2005
Password Guidelines Strengthened
Stronger ASURITE password choices are being encouraged by a modification to the Password Change Mechanism at www.asu.edu/asurite. To help users choose wisely, the system will decline the password and ask for another choice if the password fails security criteria. Strong passwords are a minimum of 8 characters long, and include one character from any three of the following: upper case letters, lower case letters, numerals, and special characters. A change of password at least every six months is recommended and will eventually become a system requirement. For assistance or questions, contact the IT Help Desk at (480) 965-6500 or www.asu.edu/askit.

March 7, 2005
Reminder: IT Provides Computer Security Resources
Resources for computer security, including recommended best practices, security alerts, and security software downloads for the ASU community, can be found on the Computer Security Web pages. Regular updates for installed antivirus software should be downloaded from the software vendor's Web page. To receive security announcements by e-mail, subscribe to the Antivirus Announcement List.

January 8, 2005
Wireless Users Have New Login
Beginning Jan. 9 campus wireless users will see a new logon process when connecting to ASU's computing network in selected areas of Tempe Campus. The computer owner will open a Web browser and complete an automatic safety scan before being connected to the network. A MAC address registration will not be needed for connection. Guest users will have access limited to selected VPN service, and HTTP and HTTPS Web browsing. This is a pilot program for the rollout of university-wide wireless Internet coverage. Areas on campus still covered by existing wireless access will continue to be accessible only with computers with registered MAC addresses. Signage will be posted in the locations where the pilot program is underway: the current indoor and outdoor wireless areas for the Memorial Union, Hayden Library, W.P. Carey School of Business (BA/BAC), and Administration A and B. Contact the IT Help Desk with questions at 480.965.6500.

December 6, 2004
Plan Early For Multimedia Training And To Reserve Equipment
Due to the high demand at the start of each semester, Information Technology Classroom Support encourages instructors to make plans to receive training on the use of multimedia in classrooms and to reserve equipment, such as video projectors, laptops, VCRs, for academic use on campus. To schedule training or to make a reservation for equipment, call (480) 965-3342.

December 3, 2004
Academic Scheduling Joins IT
ASU’s Academic Scheduling office, formerly in Facilities Management, has joined IT. The office has been renamed University Classroom Scheduling. It joins Classroom Support as the second unit within the Office of Classroom Management, which is the new name for Student Computing Services. The change is expected to enhance service by combining the efforts of two groups that have been working together for some time. The University Classroom Scheduling staff now reports to Manager Sarah Hughes (CTC). They will be moving to their new offices in the Computing Commons building in early 2005.

August 9, 2004
Perfigo Security Added To Residence Halls And Brickyard
A new scanning & network access system called Perfigo is being added this semester in the ASU Residence Halls and Brickyard Artisan Court. This new system is for your security as well as for ASU Network security and performance. More...

June 2, 2004
Annual Tech Talk On June 10
The Computing Consultants Cooperative and Windows Networking Group announced the annual "Future of Technology at ASU" speech by Dr. Milton Glick, Provost, and Dr. William Lewis, Chief Information Officer and Vice Provost, which will be held June 10 in the Coor Hall Auditorium, COOR 170, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

June 2, 2004
System Status Web Page Has New URL
The System Status Web Page now has an easier-to-remember Web address. The new address is http://systemstatus.asu.edu. The previous address will continue to redirect visitors to the new address. The URL is active now and visitors can update their browser bookmarks to the page. The System Status Web Page contains information about outages of the ASU computing systems, as well as information on planned future outages for system maintenance. Contact the IT Help Desk at (480) 965-6500 or helpdesk@asu.edu with any questions.

May 19, 2006
Microsoft Word Warning
A new virus was discovered this morning that takes advantage of a flaw within Microsoft Word. More...

February 23, 2006
Safari Warning
A new security vulnerability was found in the Apple Safari web browser program that comes with Apple Mac OS X. More...

January 31, 2006
Worm Warning
Blackworm, Nyxem, MyWife, Tearec, Kama Sutra are the names associated with the latest worm to hit the Internet. The worm has a very dangerous payload. Protect your computer by having the latest anti-virus definitions installed; definitions installed after January 23rd. Scan your machine once the new definitions are installed. More...

August 19, 2005
Zotob Worm
The "Zotob" worm which has been in the news this week has infected a large number of hosts on the ASU network and is continuing to spread. More...

December 3, 2004
Spyware Security Threat
A new computer security threat in the form of spyware has been identified on campus from a company called MarketScore. More...

July 30, 2004
Internet Explorer Security Patch Released
Microsoft released a security patch for Internet Explorer (IE) today. The patch fixes vulnerabilities within IE that could allow an attacker to take control of the local computer. Run Windows Update to apply this latest patch (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com).

ASU encourages all faculty, staff, and students to run Windows Update (https://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and install the Critical Updates and Service Packs for their Microsoft Windows operating systems.

If you need assistance with configuration of Automatic Updates or running Windows Update please call the IT Help Desk at 480-965-6500.

May 5, 2004
Sasser Worm & Microsoft Security Patches
This weekend a new virus/worm was released onto the Internet called Sasser. This worm does not require an email to be sent nor opened on the target machine to infect. The only requirement for infection is that the target machine does not have the latest Microsoft patches installed. The worm does not have a harmful payload but will require significant time to remove.

Apr 16, 2004
Microsoft Security Patches
Tuesday afternoon Microsoft released several security patches for the Windows operating systems. These patches address several critical security holes in the operating systems.

If you are infected and need assistance with removal please call the IT Help Desk at 480-965-6500.