IT Services
Training Tips
Training tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the wide array of useful technologies and services available at the University of Chicago. Check out IT Services on Twitter every Tuesday for the latest #TrainingTipTuesday.
Training Tip: Get to Know Phishing, Part 3
The final term in this month’s phishing series is SMiShing. These phishing attacks via SMS (text messages) are scams that attempt to trick users into supplying content or clicking on a link in SMS messages on their mobile devices. Flaws in how caller ID and phone number verification work make this an increasingly popular attack that is hard to stop.
Similar to a phone call, if you don’t recognize the number, don’t feel the need to respond to a strange text message. Legitimate companies and service providers will give you a real business email address and a way for you to contact them back, which you can independently verify on a company website or support line.
For more information on phishing, check out the University’s Information Security website.
Training Tip: Get to Know Phishing, Part 2
Phishing doesn’t have to happen over email – phone calls are just as easy to spoof.
This week’s term is vishing. Also known as voice phishing, these are calls from attackers claiming to be government agencies such as the IRS, software vendors like Microsoft, or services offering to help with benefits or credit card rates. Attackers will often appear to be calling from a local number close to yours. Flaws in how caller ID and phone number verification work make this a dangerous attack vector.
For more information on phishing, check out the University’s Information Security website.
Training Tip: Get to Know Phishing, Part 1
This month, IT Services is sharing a three-part series of Training Tips on the different types of phishing. Even if you follow best practices to avoid these deceptive messages, it’s important to know the different types of social engineering being used so you can help protect yourself and others from phishing scams.
The term for this week is spear phishing. This kind of attack involves often very well-crafted messages that come from what looks like a trusted VIP source, often in a hurry, targeting those who can conduct financial transactions on behalf of your organization.
If you work closely with leaders on campus, look out for these emails. Visit the UChicago Information Security website for more information on avoiding these scams and to see recent examples.
Training Tip: Protect Your Devices While Traveling
Whether you are traveling around the U.S. or abroad this summer, prepare your tech devices for the trip.
Before heading out, back up any local files stored on your devices and password-protect or remove files that contain personal information. For laptops, check that your antivirus software is installed and up-to-date and that your computer requires a password to log in.
Once you’re on your trip, be mindful of the websites you are accessing while using “free” wireless networks. If you need to access important data, use the UChicago VPN or secure cloud services like UChicago Box or G Suite.
Discover more tips for traveling.
Training Tip: Check Your Social Media Settings
Social media is not only a way to connect with friends and family, but also to share your work and network with others in your field. Before you post content over the summer, check your privacy settings to make sure you are comfortable with how your information is being shared. Here’s a rundown of where to find privacy settings for popular social media platforms:
When you sign up for a new social media account, review through the privacy settings before you start using it.
Training Tip: Prepare Your File Storage Accounts for Graduation
As you prepare to graduate from the University, it’s a good time to assess what files you have stored in your UChicago G Suite or UChicago Box accounts.
As a graduating student, you will have G Suite access for two academic quarters (approximately six months) after graduation. After this time, any files not migrated will be deleted as your account closes. To learn how to download or maintain your files, view instructions in the article UChicago G Suite Account Closure.
You will also have access to your UChicago Box Account for two academic quarters after graduation. After that time, simply reset your email address and password to continue using Box.
Learn more on the UChicago Box FAQ.
Training Tip: Improve Your Event Accessibility
This Thursday, May 16, 2019, is the eighth Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get more institutions and individuals talking, thinking, and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities.
The Office for Access and Equity (OAE) in the University of Chicago Office of the Provost’s Equal Opportunity Programs recently published an Accessible Event Resource Guide and Accessible Event Resource Guide Checklist to help event planners improve the accessibility of their events and provide reasonable accommodations. For additional accessibility resources, view the OAE website.
Training Tip: Create Advanced Surveys with Qualtrics
If you want to create a survey and analyze its results, the cloud-based survey platform Qualtrics offers advanced functionality.
The University of Chicago currently offers access to Qualtrics to anyone with a current CNetID for no charge. To learn more about the features of this tool and how to access it, view the Qualtrics article.
Training Tip: Create Forms with G Suite and Office 365
You can easily create event registrations, polls, and surveys using the form tools that are part of your University of Chicago G Suite and Office 365 accounts.
Visit docs.google.com/forms to access Google Forms. Then read the G Suite article for instructions on how to create and share your form.
Visit forms.office.com to access Microsoft Forms. For details on setting up a form in Microsoft Forms, view the Office support article.
Training Tip: Make Digital Learning Materials Accessible
IT Services, in collaboration with Student Disability Services, recently released a blog series on how faculty and instructors can make digital learning materials more accessible for students with disabilities.
The first post explores how different types of students need texts in an electronic format that can be accessed through the use of assistive technology.
The second post shares how to convert image-only PDFs into more accessible text formats.
Finally, the third post provides details on how to update course materials to accessible formats when copying material from a previous course in Canvas.