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U-M Online Newsletter—March 5, 2008
- Check Your Password When You Change Your Clocks on March 9
- MCommunity Will Track Who's In and Who's Out
- Un-Renewed Directory Groups Began Expiring February 19
- Never Respond to Mail that Asks for Your Password
- IFS Home Directories Increase to 10 GB
- Macintosh Users Need Anti-Virus Software Too
Check Your Password When You Change Your Clocks on March 9
Check Your Password
To protect your privacy and security, ITCS recommends that you check your UMICH Kerberos password for security about once every six months. A good way to remember to do this is to do it when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time. This year, Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 9. Use our Password Security Checklist.Check Your Computer Clock
It is essential that your computer clock have the current time if you use programs and services that require Kerberos authentication. If your clock is off by more than five minutes, you won't be able to log in to many U-M services.Kerberos authentication allows you to authenticate—or prove your identity—when using computing programs and services. For authentication to work properly, your computer's clock must be synchronized to within five minutes of the clock on the server to which you connect.
If your computer is set to automatically download patches and software updates, and it is set to automatically adjust for Daylight Saving Time, your computer clock should make the change by itself. If, however, you need to reset your computer's clock, follow the appropriate steps below.
MCommunity Will Track Who's In and Who's Out
MCommunity, a new online directory and identity management system, was announced to the University community in an article in The University Record in February.
MCommunity will store information about people that can be used to grant or deny them access to various online and physical resources at both the University and departmental levels. It will include digital identity creation, an online directory with enhanced privacy features, and ways for units to get University-affiliated people into the system earlier and more easily so they can access the resources they need.
"More and more of what we do as an institution depends on our ability to know who's in and who's out," said John King, vice provost for academic information, executive vice president for academic affairs, and professor of information. For that reason, he described the MCommunity Project as "pivotal." He said, "An awful lot of what we want to do in the future depends on this project."
MCommunity will be introduced in stages over the next several years. In June of this year, much of the infrastructure underlying the new system will be in place, and staff members who create and manage uniqnames for sponsored individuals will begin a transition to a new tool for doing that work—the MCommunity Sponsor System. The most visible part of MCommunity—a new online directory—will likely be introduced in December.
To learn more about MCommunity, see this document:
Un-Renewed Directory Groups Began Expiring February 19
One year ago, ITCS implemented an expiry policy for U-M Online Directory Groups. Groups not renewed by a group owner expire after one year. Groups that have not been renewed began expiring February 19.Group owners receive renewal reminders 90 days and 30 days before a group is to expire. When a group expires, it is disabled for a period of one year before being removed from the directory. Disabled groups cannot receive e-mail.
If mail is sent directly to a disabled group, an error message will be generated informing the sender that the group does not exist. Mail sent to a directory group that contains a disabled group, however, will not generate an error message.
For more detail, see the policy:
Never Respond to Mail that Asks for Your Password
Over the last couple of months, many members of the U-M community have received messages asking them to update their e-mail accounts to prevent them from being deleted to free up file space for new accounts. The messages ask people to reply with such things as their user name, e-mail password, date of birth, and country or territory.This is a scam. The messages are not from ITCS or from any other unit at U-M. As soon as ITCS becomes aware of such messages, blocks are set up to prevent further messages from those senders from being received.
If you receive one of these messages, delete it. If you have responded to one of these messages and provided your password, immediately change your password.
Scams such as this are called "phishing" scams. In a phishing scam, the scammer attempts to get personal information about you—such as your passwords or credit card number—by telling you to provide it in order to maintain access to an account. Many phishing scams are from senders pretending to represent financial institutions, but many others are from senders pretending to represent various companies and organizations.
Tips to Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams
- Never give your password to anyone. ITCS staff members will never ask you for your password.
- Be suspicious of any message that asks you to verify account information via e-mail or a website. Do not provide the information. Delete the message.
More Information
- Phishing and E-Mail Links (on the Virus Busters website)
- Federal Trade Commission Consumer Alert: How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam
IFS Home Directories Increase to 10 GBB
You now have 10 times more space to store your files and data online. The size of the IFS home directories provided to U-M Online subscribers has increased from 1 to 10 GB. You can get to your IFS space via the web using mFile or by using secure file transfer programs.
- mFile (web access to your files in your IFS home directory)
- Using Your IFS Home Directory Over the Web with mFile (S4311)
Macintosh Users Need Anti-Virus Software Too
Viruses and other malware aren't just for Windows. In recent months at least one new Trojan horse was targeted specifically at Macintosh users. While the danger to Mac users remains very low, this is a reminder that the platform is not completely immune to malware.ITCS encourages all U-M Online Macintosh users to take advantage of the software made available to them to protect their computers from malware. (See instructions for downloading and installing Sophos Anti-Virus).