Academic integrity resources available for spring semester (12/2/05)
Faculty working on their course syllabi for spring semester are invited to take advantage of two anti-plagiarism resources made available by Teaching and Learning with Technology, a unit of Information Technology Services. A Web-based tool from Turnitin.com allows faculty to perform originality checks on student papers submitted to the system. Faculty can also take advantage of "Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Copyright," a Web-based instructional module that provides the academic integrity information faculty should include in every course. For more information on these resources, contact turnitin@psu.edu or visit http://tlt.its.psu.edu/turnitin/.

Webmail Service Improvements (10/20/05)
In response to unprecedented WebMail usage beginning early Fall semester, ITS has added seven new, faster servers to the WebMail infrastructure. ITS staff again took immediate corrective action once recent performance problems associated with user authentication were identified. more...

Universtiy to Showcase Digital Identity Management at the ITS Event (9/28/05)
Penn State will hold a joint technology expo and security conference on Wednesday, October 12, for faculty, staff and students to explore both the responsibilities and benefits of digital identity. The ITS Event, Your Digital Passport - Exploring Boundaries, will feature a variety of interactive exhibits, breakout sessions and high-tech demonstrations, designed to encourage students, faculty and staff to travel the Internet safely. The expo portion of the Event takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Alumni Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus. In addition, the Event will showcase national security experts in a related security conference next door at the HUB in Heritage Hall beginning at 12:30 p.m.  Both the expo and conference are sponsored by Information Technology Services (ITS) and are free to all students, faculty and staff. more...

Digital Identity Management Do's and Don'ts for Students, Staff and Faculty (9/28/05)
Digital Identity Management has become a hot topic over the last year. Many universities around the country are working to raise campus awareness of the risks associated with digital identity - including concerns like identity fraud, phishing scams, pyramid schemes, e-mail hoaxes, malicious attacks and spyware technologies. In addition, as universities increasingly move toward Web services, Web portals, and self-service models, students, faculty and staff need to develop effective electronic identity management skills. more...

Penn State signs new Office Pro agreement with Microsoft (7/13/05)
On July 1, an agreement recently signed by Penn State and Microsoft will go into effect that enables faculty and staff to be licensed to use the Microsoft Office Pro software suite. Designed to cover both office and work-at-home use of the software, the new contract will additionally provide Office Pro licensing for each of the computers in student labs located throughout the University. The combined package is expected to result in a savings of approximately $2 million over the lifetime of the agreement. To learn more about the details related to the Microsoft Campus Agreement, go to the Computer Store FAQ page at http://computerstore.psu.edu/microsoft.htm. Faculty and staff with specific questions about the terms of the agreement are encouraged to contact the Computer Store at (814) 865-2100.

ITS To Convert Penn State WebMail to Use Penn State WebAccess June 14, 2005 (5/24/05)
On Tuesday, June 14, 2005, Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET), a unit of Information Technology Services (ITS), will convert Penn State WebMail to use Penn State WebAccess for authentication. The conversion is scheduled to occur during the regularly-scheduled maintenance window, 5:00 - 7:00 a.m. While WebMail enabled WebAccess as an authentication option in March 2005, the June 14 conversion will implement WebAccess as the only method for authentication to WebMail. For details about the March conversion, please see the previous announcement (http://aset.its.psu.edu/announcements/web_access_convert.html). more...

Language Interpretation Service Available from the Penn State Call Center (5/11/05)
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Parlez-vous le francais? Parla l'italiano? These are just a few of the languages that can be interpreted through the Penn State Call Center's Language Interpretation Service. The Call Center, a unit of Information Technology Services, has contracted with AT&T Language Line Services to provide over-the-phone language interpretation services for over 150 languages at the best rates researched. With the service, you can now connect with your non-English speaking associates in a language they can understand - their own. To use the service, simply contact the Call Center at 814-865-4700 and tell us what language you need and the budget to use. After a short confirmation process, you and your non-English speaking associate are communicating via a three-way conference call with the assistance of one of AT&T Language Line's friendly, professional interpreters. More information about Language Interpretation Services is available at http://css.its.psu.edu/callcenter/language.html.

ASET To Improve PASS Gateway Access and Decommission samba.cac.psu.edu: June 6, 2005 (5/6/05)
Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET) (http://aset.its.psu.edu/), a unit of Information Technology Services (ITS) http://its.psu.edu/, has recently improved access to the PASS Gateway https://www.work.psu.edu/pass/ (an ITS service that allows users to access Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS) without the need for native client software), with the addition of Samba (SMB) http://samba.org/ service on win.pass.psu.edu. As a result, ASET will decommission samba.cac.psu.edu on June 6, 2005. Prior to this transition, users are encouraged to change mapping information to reflect this change. Instructions are found in the "Windows" section of the Instructions for Mounting PASS via the PASS Gateway https://www.work.psu.edu/pass/instructions.shtml Web page. For additional methods for accessing PASS, please visit the FTP Alternatives Web site http://aset.its.psu.edu/ftp/. Inquiries and requests for assistance should be directed to ITS Help Desk http://helpdesk.psu.edu/ staff at helpdesk@psu.edu.

University Campaign Urges Privacy Protection (5/4/05)
During the last few weeks of classes this spring, posters and flyers with the theme, "Protect Your Privacy," will be displayed in various parts of campus to remind students, faculty and staff about the vital importance of personal security. As many University community members prepare to depart for summer destinations, Penn State security experts want to drive home the message that it's essential for computer users to protect their privacy, by never sharing sensitive data such as passwords, social security information, or credit card numbers. "Many people think that computer security concerns only relate to viruses, but personal security is equally important," said Kathy Kimball, director of Security Operations and Services (SOS). "There are numerous types of fraud that can endanger computer users on a personal level - and e-mail is an extremely effective way to distribute fraudulent messages to potential victims." more...

New version of ANGEL to be released in May (4/29/05)
On May 14, Information Technology Services (ITS) plans to upgrade Penn State's Course Management System, ANGEL, from version 6.0 to version 6.2. ANGEL allows instructors to post a syllabus, add course files, establish threaded discussions, administer quizzes, collect assignments, and manage grades from one online location without the need to know HTML. ANGEL 6.2 new features include enhancements to the quizzing tool and the ability to automatically generate student teams. A list of new features is posted in ANGEL's online help section at http://cmshelp.psu.edu/NewFeatures.htm. Seminars on ANGEL 6.2 including a New Features seminar will be offered May 9 to 13 during ITS Training Services' Summer-Fest training event for faculty. To register, visit http://its.psu.edu/training/.

E-mail with a "Plus" (3/18/05)
During the semester break several changes were made to the way your Penn State "@psu.edu" e-mail addresses work. One seemingly small change is that you may now use a plus (+) sign in your e-mail address. Some of you with friends at Carnegie Mellon University or the University of Pittsburgh may have already seen this and wondered what it does. The interesting thing is that as far as the Internet e-mail programs which route your e-mail from someone else to you are concerned, the plus sign does nothing! Why would you possibly care about this change then? It turns out that because it does nothing, it can perform a very powerful function when used with your e-mail client. By employing the plus followed by text in your e-mail address, you may create an almost limitless number of e-mail addresses-all of which get delivered to you. more...

Security Trainer Offers Simple Tips to Protect Your Personal Computer (3/18/05)
Computer and network security have been growing concerns at Penn State for some time, and last year's outbreak of worms and viruses may have demonstrated just how important it can be to stay on top of the game, according to ITS Training Services security trainer Ken Layng more...

Accessing LIAS From Off Campus (3/11/05)
Penn State's Library Information Access System (LIAS) in addition to the CAT (The Libraries On-Line Catalog) contains a collection of over 430 officially licensed databases available through the Penn State network on the University Libraries Web site at http://www.lias.psu.edu. The most common way for Penn State users to connect to LIAS remotely through a third-party ISP and gain access to these resources is by authenticating via their Penn State Access Account ID and Password. However, an alternate method for accessing LIAS remotely is through Penn State's Virtual Private Network (VPN), specifically, the LIAS-VPN. The LIAS-VPN must be used to access licensed LIAS resources, if the user authentication method is not used. Using either of these two methods, authentication or LIAS-VPN, will ensure that remote users can gain access to Library databases and many other Penn State Internet resources when connecting from outside of the Penn State network. More information on accessing LIAS from home or off campus is available at http://css.its.psu.edu/news/liasathome.html

Penn State Fights Phishing Scams (3/11/05)
If you've ever been tempted to respond to an e-mail that appears to be a legitimate inquiry from your bank, you're not alone. Phishing schemes - criminal attempts to solicit confidential data through e-mail and the Web - are on the rise today and are becoming increasingly convincing and dangerous. more...

WBT CD-burning kiosk is open - Get $1 off your first CD (2/4/05)
The Web-Based Training CD-burning kiosk is open for business in Penn State's Computer Store (12 Willard Building, University Park) Choose from over 500 information technology courses and over 100 business and professional development courses to create a custom CD of just the WBT courses you want. Run the courses from the CD at any time-no Internet connection is needed. The cost of each CD is $7.00, and approximately 10 full WBT courses will fit on one CD. This semester we are offering $1.00 off the cost of WBT CDs. To redeem your discount, print the coupon (PDF), and take it to the service desk at Penn State's Computer Store when you request a pre-printed WBT CD. Visit http://wbt.psu.edu/ for more information and to view or download your coupon.

Learning Tree classes for technical professionals - Incredible discounts for Penn State (2/4/05)
Information technology professionals at Penn State can now take advantage of technology training events at unprecedented educational discounts. A typical three-day course, for example, would normally cost $1,990. Through a newly established relationship between Learning Tree and ITS Training Services, this same course is now available to the Penn State community for $1,400.00- a savings of almost $600.00! more...

e-Portfolio Information Fair - February 23, 2005 (2/1/05)
On Wednesday, February 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. an e-Portfolio Information Fair will be held in the HUB Alumni Hall. Programs of study that involve students in the development of e-portfolios will be displaying student e-portfolios and discuss this work with students and other interested individuals. Support units from across the university will be available to talk with students, faculty and staff about the types of services they offer, to review work and provide feedback, and/or answer questions. This event is being sponsored by The Office of Undergraduate Education, The Division of Students Affairs, Information Technology Services and the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute. Check the website at http://portfolio.psu.edu for the most recent details about this event.

E-MAIL SECURITY CHANGES MUST BE MADE BY FEB 1 (1/24/05)
The deadline for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) changes, originally planned for Jan. 25, has recently been extended to Feb 1 to help accommodate individuals who have not yet made the modifications in their e-mail software. Beginning February 1 next month, all students, faculty, and staff who use ITS e-mail services will be required to check e-mail via a secure-only connection using SSL, a type of software that encrypts (or scrambles) individual userids and passwords when users check e-mail via mail.psu.edu or email.psu.edu. The SSL changes are part of Penn State's on-going security effort to make e-mail correspondence at the University safer. University officials urge all computer users in the Penn State community to set up the SSL configuration (outlined at http://helpdesk.psu.edu/email/sslconfig.html) in their e-mail software, if they haven't yet done so. (Note: these changes are not necessary for those who rely solely on Penn State WebMail to access their e-mail.) According to officials at ITS, notices have been sent out to all students, faculty and staff who have not yet made the SSL changes, stating that it's critical the SSL configuration is made, or they will not be able to access e-mail after February 1st. To learn more about Penn State's SSL initiative, go to http://live.psu.edu/story/8931. Students, faculty and staff who have questions regarding how to configure e-mail software for SSL should contact the ITS Help Desk at (814) 863-2494 or (814) 863-1035.

iStudy for Success! (1/10/05)
provides an introduction to college-level learning, focusing on areas in which first-year students often need to build skills, such as study methods, time management, and communication. The modules help students prepare for the work that lies ahead of them, both academically and on the job. They have been adapted for ANGEL courses and are available to anyone with a Penn State Access Account.

SSN Conversion Complete: New PSU IDs in Effect (1/3/05)