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U-M Online Newsletter—March 2007
- Check Your Password When You Change Your Clocks on March 11
- Computer Patches Needed for Extended Daylight Saving Time
- U-M Online Implementing New Billing System
- VirusScan Anti-Virus Software Updgraded to Version 8.5
- New Reminders and Icons for mail.umich.edu Users
- New U-M Online Directory Policy: Groups Must Be Renewed Yearly
- Anti-Spyware Software Available to U-M Windows Users
Check Your Password When You Change Your Clocks on March 11
To protect your privacy and security, ITCS recommends that you check your UMICH Kerberos password for security about once every six months.When you change your clocks for the start of Daylight Saving Time on March 11, check your password by answering the questions in our Password Security Checklist.
Computer Patches Needed for Extended Daylight Saving Time
Starting this year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) has been extended. It will begin three weeks earlier and finish one week later than in the past. This year, it will begin on March 11 (the second Sunday in March) and finish on November 4 (the first Sunday in November).To ensure that your computer and other devices that use clocks and calendars display time and appointments correctly, you'll need to install vendor-provided patches prior to March 11.
Windows
Microsoft began distributing patches for XP, 2003 Server, and Office 2003 in mid-February. If you have Automatic Updates activated, your computer should have received and installed the patches already. If you need the patches, you can get them, and more detailed information, from the Microsoft Daylight Saving Time Help and Support Center.Macintosh
Apple has provided a patch for Mac OS X 10.3.9 (Panther) and all releases of OS X 10.4 (Tiger) through its Software Update feature. If you have not already received the patch, run Software Update to get it (from the Apple menu, select Software Update). Apple provides more detail on Apple's About Daylight Saving Time changes in 2007 page.U-M Online Implementing New Billing System
The ITCS Accounts Office is implementing a new automated billing system to handle credit card bills to U-M Online subscribers. This system will increase the security of our credit card handling process. The only thing subscribers will notice as a result of the new system is a difference in how U-M Online charges are listed on their credit card statements.The new system will be phased in during March and April of 2007. During March, 10% of U-M Online subscribers will be billed using the new system; the other 90% will be billed using the old system. In April, all U-M Online subscribers will be billed using the new system.
Subscribers are being notified through e-mail when the billing change will happen for them and what they can expect to see. A copy of the message that was sent to 10% of U-M Online subscribers in late February is on the U-M Online web site.
VirusScan Anti-Virus Software Updgraded to Version 8.5
VirusScan 8.0, the anti-virus software that U-M makes available to Windows users, has been upgraded to version 8.5. A U-M installer will be made available to U-M Online users before the end of March.March 20, 2007 Update: VirusScan 8.5 is available now. Download it from the Virus Busters Downloads page.
The main improvements included in the upgrade are these:
- VirusScan 8.5 supports Vista (8.0 does not) and 64-bit operating systems (8.0 has only partial support).
- It is far better armored against attacks by brand-new malware.
- It consumes less bandwidth when updating its virus definitions every weekday.
- It has much better capability to recover from false alarms.
- The included anti-spyware module now has the ability to block malicious cookies.
Vista users, as well as those with 64-bit Windows machines, should install VirusScan 8.5 as soon as possible.
VirusScan 8.0 users should upgrade to 8.5 at their earliest convenience. VirusScan 8.5's additional safeguards make it well worth installing. However, the upgrade requires that you first uninstall VirusScan 8.0, then install VirusScan 8.5. The installation process includes a full scan of your computer for viruses. You'll need to allow an hour or two for completion of the upgrade.
New Reminders and Icons for mail.umich.edu Users
On March 1, some new reminder notices and icons were added to mail.umich.edu.If you have signed up for SpamBox, you will see a new Empty Spam icon in the icon bar at the top of the mail.umich.edu page. Clicking this icon will empty your SpamBox folder. If you have not signed up for SpamBox, you won't see the icon.
If you have set up mail.umich.edu's Trash feature, you will see a new Empty Trash icon. Clicking this icon will empty your trash folder. (The Trash feature moves deleted messages to a trash folder. You can set it up from the Options page in mail.umich.edu.) If you have not set the Trash feature, you won't see the icon.
If you have more than 500 messages in your trash folder or more than 100 messages in your SpamBox folder, a reminder notice will be displayed when you log in. The notice might say, for example, "Did you know you have 598 messages in your trash folder?"
These icons and reminders are being implemented to encourage people to delete unwanted messages. Trash and SpamBox folders are taking up a significant amount of space on the IMAP e-mail servers, and ITCS would like to make this space available for storage of wanted messages.
New U-M Online Directory Policy: Groups Must Be Renewed Yearly
If you own groups in the U-M Online Directory, you will be required to renew them on a yearly basis under a new policy implemented February 19 by ITCS.The new policy is designed to reduce the amount of spam that people receive through their membership in obsolete directory groups.
All existing directory groups have had expiry dates set for a year from when the policy was implemented. Unless renewed, they will begin expiring in February 2008. ITCS is sending an e-mail message with information about the new policy to all current group owners sometime between February 19 and early April.
Group owners do not need to do anything now. They will be notified through e-mail 90 days before their groups expire. These messages will begin going out in October 2007. If group owners do not renew their groups at that point, they will receive another, final renewal reminder 30 days before expiry.
Anyone who creates a new directory group via the web will see a notice about the need for yearly renewal on the page confirming that the new group has been created.
Complete instructions for managing your group(s), including renewal instructions, are in Managing Groups that You Own in the U-M Online Directory (S4277).
Information about the directory group expiry policy is in Directory Group Expiry Policy (R1455).
If you own directory groups, ITCS asks that you take a few minutes to review them and delete any that are no longer needed. This will stop those groups from receiving spam, and it will reduce the number of groups you need to renew later.
Anti-Spyware Software Available to U-M Windows Users
U-M has added anti-spyware protection to the anti-virus software it provides with the introduction of the McAfee Anti-Spyware Module (MASE) for Windows users. This product blocks spyware, preventing it from being installed on your computer. The anti-spyware module is included when you install VirusScan 8.5.If you installed VirusScan 8.0 before August 2006, the anti-spyware module was not included. You can get the anti-spyware in two ways:
-- Upgrade to VirusScan 8.5. When you install VirusScan 8.5, the anti-spyware module is automatically included in the installation. -- Install just the anti-spyware module. See the Virus Busters McAfee Anti-Spyware Enterprise (MASE) installation page for details.