UNHCE Information Technology & Distance Education Blog: January 2005 Archives

From the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team:

Keeping Children Safe Online - Cyber Security Tip ST05-002

Children present unique security risks when they use a computer--not only do you have to keep them safe, you have to protect the data on your computer. By taking some simple steps, you can dramatically reduce the threats.

What unique risks are associated with children?

When a child is using your computer, normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient. Children present additional challenges because of their natural characteristics: innocence, curiosity, desire for independence, and fear of punishment. You need to consider these characteristics when determining how to protect your data and the child.

You may think that because the child is only playing a game, or researching a term paper, or typing a homework assignment, he or she can't cause any harm. But what if, when saving her paper, the child deletes a necessary program file? Or what if she unintentionally visits a malicious web page that infects your computer with a virus? These are just two possible scenarios. Mistakes happen, but the child may not realize what she's done or may not tell you what happened because she's afraid of getting punished.

Online predators present another significant threat, particularly to children. Because the nature of the internet is so anonymous, it is easy for people to misrepresent themselves and manipulate or trick other users (see Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for some examples). Adults often fall victim to these ploys, and children, who are usually much more open and trusting, are even easier targets. The threat is even greater if a child has access to email or instant messaging programs and/or visits chat rooms (see Using Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely for more information).

What can you do?

• Be involved - Consider activities you can work on together, whether it be playing a game, researching a topic you had been talking about (e.g., family vacation spots, a particular hobby, a historical figure), or putting together a family newsletter. This will allow you to supervise your child's online activities while teaching her good computer habits.
• Keep your computer in an open area - If your computer is in a high-traffic area, you will be able to easily monitor the computer activity. Not only does this accessibility deter a child from doing something she knows she's not allowed to do, it also gives you the opportunity to intervene if you notice a behavior that could have negative consequences.
• Set rules and warn about dangers - Make sure your child knows the boundaries of what she is allowed to do on the computer. These boundaries should be appropriate for the child's age, knowledge, and maturity, but they may include rules about how long she is allowed to be on the computer, what sites she is allowed to visit, what software programs she can use, and what tasks or activities she is allowed to do. You should also talk to children about the dangers of the internet so that they recognize suspicious behavior or activity. The goal isn't to scare them, it's to make them more aware.
• Monitor computer activity - Be aware of what your child is doing on the computer, including which web sites she is visiting. If she is using email, instant messaging, or chat rooms, try to get a sense of who she is corresponding with and whether she actually knows them.
• Keep lines of communication open - Let your child know that she can approach you with any questions or concerns about behaviors or problems she may have encountered on the computer.
• Consider partitioning your computer into separate accounts - Most operating systems (including Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux) give you the option of creating a different user account for each user. If you're worried that your child may accidentally access, modify, and/or delete your files, you can give her a separate account and decrease the amount of access and number of privileges she has. If you don't have separate accounts, you need to be especially careful about your security settings. In addition to limiting functionality within your browser (see Evaluating Your Web Browser's Security Settings for more information), avoid letting your browser remember passwords and other personal information (see Browsing Safely: Understanding Active Content and Cookies). Also, it is always important to keep your virus definitions up to date (see Understanding Anti-Virus Software).
• Consider implementing parental controls - You may be able to set some parental controls within your browser. For example, Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain web sites to be viewed on your computer, and you can protect these settings with a password. To find those options, click Tools on your menu bar, select Internet Options..., choose the Content tab, and click the Enable... button under Content Advisor. There are other resources you can use to control and/or monitor your child's online activity. Some ISPs offer services designed to protect children online. Contact your ISP to see if any of these services are available. There are also special software programs you can install on your computer. Different programs offer different features and capabilities, so you can find one that best suits your needs. The following web sites offer lists of software, as well as other useful information about protecting children online:
  • GetNetWise - http://kids.getnetwise.org/ - Click Tools for Families to reach a page that allows you to search for software based on characteristics like what the tool does and what operating system you have on your computer.
  • Yahooligans! Parents' Guide - http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/parents/ - Click Blocking and Filtering under Related Websites on the left sidebar to reach a list of software.

This document can also be found at: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST05-002.html

Copyright 2005 Carnegie Mellon University

Terms of use: http://www.us-cert.gov/legal.html

This update contains:

UNHCE offers NEW online tutorials

plus

Listings for several FREE and NEW offerings available throughout the state of NH in the coming months.

Read on!

New online tutorial section offered by ITDE

New tutorials are available on our ITDE website. You can view step-by-step demos showing techniques for accomplishing a variety of computer-related processes.

Topics include using various applications as well as general and Windows topics. Each demo is accompanied by documentation, so you can print out directions to do them on your own.

To access this new area, go to: http://cecf1.unh.edu/tutorials/index.cfm

The following training opportunities are available in the next two months.

I. UNH CIS

Sign up early for CIS classes. Not only are the most popular classes oversubscribed early; CIS has begun to cancel classes which are under enrolled two weeks prior to the class date.

FREE training sessions

UNH CIS is offering the following course free to UNHCE employees:

1/14/05 - Computing at UNH: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Using Photoshop to Create Wicked Cool Web Sites But Were Afraid to Ask

For further information or to register, please consult their web site at: http://www.cistrainingcenter.unh.edu/

Vendor-based Training

CIS has arranged with outside vendors to offer classes on a variety of topics for a nominal fee. The cost is typically $99 for a full day or two half-day sessions, or $198 for 2 days or 4 half-day sessions. That is less than half the cost of the training offered to the public.

Classes in the following topics will be offered in the next two months.

• Access
• Dreamweaver
• Excel
• PhotoShop
• PowerPoint

All Microsoft Office applications are taught using Office 2003. Dreamweaver is version MX 2004.

For further information, an outline of each course, or to register, please consult their web site at: http://www.cistrainingcenter.unh.edu/

Subscribe to Updates

CIS offers a new feature where you can subscribe to receive training updates. If you are on the lookout for a particular course, and want to be notified of new offerings, you can subscribe to their update newsletter by going to their site at: http://www.cistrainingcenter.unh.edu/ and selecting the subscribe option on the right-hand side of the screen.

II. TheState of New Hampshire offers classes “at cost” to all UNH employees. This is at considerable savings from what one would pay with an outside vendor.

The state is offering classes in the following topics during the next 2 months.

• Access*
• Excel
• PowerPoint*
• Word

* Note: In addition to general training in these areas, special topics are also offered using these applications.

Please consult their website for further information on the above listings.

To consult their website, go to:

http://www.nh.gov/hr/docs/ Then scroll down to the section on training and select the term for which you’d like information. (Note – The URL for the specific calendar changes each semester. If you bookmarked their site, you may want to replace it with the new URL listed above. Then follow the directions for scrolling to the appropriate term’s document.)

Note – The state also offers a multitude of courses in other areas such as Effective management, strategic planning, supervisory techniques (certificate program), communication and writing skills, conflict resolution, grant writing, learning styles, and Myers-Briggs, to name a few.

III. College for Lifelong Learning has expanded its offerings. They will be offering the following classes during the next two months.

Seacoast Region – In-services in the following topics are being offered in the Seacoast region in the next two months.

• Access (two levels with the third level to follow in March)
• Excel (one level, with levels II and III to follow in March)
• Word (two levels with the third level to follow in March)

In addition, they offer formal credit courses in computer topics which begin in January.

North Country Region

Although not a computer topic, they are offering FREE a class in Presentation Skills on January 25 th.

In addition, they offer formal credit courses in computer topics, such as Software tools, which begin in January.

Merrimack Valley Region

There are two FREE offerings in the month of February. They are:

PC Basics on Wednesday, February 2 nd from 3-5 pm in Manchester

and

PowerPoint Basics, Tuesday, February 8 th form 3-5 pm in Bow

In addition, they offer formal credit courses in computer topics, such as Software tools, which begin in January.

The Connecticut Valley Region offersformal credit courses which begin in January. Topics include Software Tools and Introduction to Computers.

For further information and to register, consult their website at: http://www.cll. edu / .

IV. Free on-line tutorials available!

Learn2.com offers free online tutorials in various topics. The offering changes periodically, and is not always a computer topic. To take advantage of their current offering, access their site at: http://www.tutorials.com/fd/tutorials.asp Select the “free Training” option on the left side of the screen.

They also offer an email list which sends out weekly newsletters with FREE timesavers, tips, & tricks, for MS Office and Windows.

To register, go to: http://www.tutorials.com/cust_supt/email_subscribe.asp

CBT and Training Resources Guide

Training Resource Listings

The UNHCE Training Resources Guide is available at: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/trg/vend_app.htm This guide contains information on training resources available in applications utilized by employees of UNHCE, including Microsoft Office, Adobe products (Acrobat, PageMaker, PhotoShop), as well as operating systems, and applications used by smaller audiences, such as DreamWeaver, Blue Ribbon YOUTH enrollment, or WordPerfect.

Included in this guide is a listing of Extension or University-owned Computer-based Training CD-ROMs (CBT), which can be used for FREE. UNHCE has a library of CBT (Training CD-ROMs) available from the ITDE office. The CDs are free to UNHCE staff, and can be borrowed for up to 2 weeks. CIS also has free CBT available to be used on campus.

This CBT can be used interactively, and allows you to receive information on just the topics where you desire training. For instance, you can select a topic such as “Creating/modifying headers and footers” in Word. It will show you how to do that step-by-step. You can repeat any sections as needed, and skip to other sections.

For further information on our CBT and a listing of the offerings, go to: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/trg/trcdtoc.pdf

To access the complete, Training Resources Guide, go to: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/trg/indextrg.htm

Videocconferencing 101 - “Conducting a Successful Videoconference Meeting” is being offered on January 20, 2005, and again on February 10, 2005. Sign up by clicking on this link to our Inservice Calendar. DESCRIPTION: This inservice is for the novice videoconference user. It will teach staff the technical, administrative and facilitation skills necessary for conducting a successful meeting via the Polycom/Picturetel system. The workshop will consist of a combination of demonstrations, short lectures and hands-on activities. In the afternoon, participants will have the chance to practice the skills they have learned using the Polycom/Picturetel equipment.