All posts by Randolph Pfaff

Reporting a Lost or Stolen Laptop or Mobile Device

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In January, our Information Security Officer, David Bruce, sent out a security bulletin about how to prevent laptop theft and what to do if your laptop is stolen. This is a very important topic and we want to be sure that everyone is aware of how to prevent thefts.

Two steps you can take to keep your laptop and mobile device safe are to never leave them unattended (or to put them in a secure location like a locked office or locker while you’re away) and, for laptops specifically, to attach a security cable to it. If you need a security cable for your Simmons-owned laptop, please contact the Service Desk.

If a Simmons-owned laptop or other mobile computing device has been lost or stolen, you should follow these steps:

• Promptly report the loss to the Technology Service Desk, 617-521-2222, and to your manager.

• The Service Desk will also ask you to provide the following information, if known, so appropriate security measures can be taken:
– Your Simmons username and email address
– Any special services to which you had access (e.g. Datatel)
– Any special applications which were loaded on the device
– What types of data were saved on the device (e.g. Student data, HR data)
– If the device was powered on at the time of loss
– If passwords were encrypted and what software was used for encryption

• In addition to contacting the Service Desk and your manager, you should contact Public Safety, 617-521-1112, if the theft occurred on campus. If the theft occurred off campus, it should be reported to local police.

If you have any questions about laptop and mobile device security, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222 or servicedesk.simmons.edu.

SOPA and Simmons: What do you think?

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Wikipedia blackout image via wikipedia.org

Last year, both the United States Senate and House of Representatives introduced bills intended to prevent illegal electronic dissemination of copyrighted material. These two bills (referred to as PIPA and SOPA) have led to a great deal of discussion about the rights of copyright holders and the ability of the Internet to function as an open and effective tool for continued innovation.

In brief, the bills propose a system under which websites and their owners would be responsible for all content uploaded by users and would have to monitor all uploaded content for copyright infringement. In addition, these companies would also have to remove links, advertising, or search results that point to websites on a government list of blocked sites.

Both bills were expected to come to a vote in the early part of 2012 but, after an outpouring of negative reactions online, as well as a protest “blackout” of major websites such as Wikipedia, and strong opposition from Google, Twitter, Craigslist, and others, they have been shelved for the time being. While this issue will temporarily fall out of headlines, the underlying problems it seeks to address will continue.

While we, as a technology department, respect the rights of copyright holders, we are also keenly aware of need for innovation and advancement in the ways we communicate, learn, and teach others. As such, we are concerned about legislation that broadly and vaguely defines the responsibilities of website owners and end users. To create a law that addresses these issues, we believe that unilateral action is ineffective and only collaboration between all parties involved will lead to an equitable and effective solution.

If you’re interested in learning more about SOPA and PIPA, please see the links provided below. These sources were used in the creation of this article and are a good starting point for learning more about this issue.

We are also interested in what you think about technology, innovation, and copyright.  You can let us know how you view the issue and what solutions you think might work by using the comment box below.

Sources/More Information:

GovTrack overview of SOPA
GovTrack overview of PIPA
CNN Money: “SOPA explained: What it is and why it matters”
New York Times: “In Fight Over Piracy Bills, New Economy Rises Against Old”

Simmons Moodle Is on Its Way!

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If you read last month’s TechNews, you know that Simmons is engaged in a project to replace Blackboard-based Simmons eLearning as the College learning management system (LMS). Because this project will affect most of the Simmons Community, we want to keep you informed of its progress while highlighting some of the exciting things it will make possible.

The new LMS, currently called Simmons Moodle, has been made available this semester to a pilot group of professors who have volunteered to use it in their classes and to provide feedback. During spring semester, there will be ten courses and more than 250 students using Simmons Moodle and sharing their experiences with us. In preparation for these courses, the Simmons Moodle Team has created tutorials, videos, and FAQs for both faculty and students. We will use what we learn from the pilot to help us plan and prepare for the campus-wide roll out.

We are very excited about Simmons Moodle and the capabilities and improvements it will bring to a technologically integrated learning experience. Among these are more customizable features and increased communication between students and professors. In the coming months, we’ll provide updates on our progress and share with you the experiences of some of the students and faculty using Simmons Moodle.

As we integrate our experiences from the pilot into a plan for campus-wide roll out, you can expect to hear more about this project. Additionally, you are welcome to visit lmsproject.simmons.edu, to read our blog and stay on top of updates as they occur.