Office of Educational Technology
May 2016 OET Newsletter
Coming Soon to a Windows Computer Near You: EMET
Microsoft’s Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) is a utility that helps prevent some vulnerabilities in popular software applications from being exploited. It prevents common applications such as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Office, Java, and Adobe Acrobat from accessing parts of your system that are more likely to be used for malicious purposes than any legitimate program function. Beginning in May, this application will be installed automatically to Windows computers that are part of the OET domain. You may notice a very short delay logging in at the time of installation. Once installed on a Windows domain computer, you will see the EMET lock icon in your system tray. The EMET application should protect your computer without affecting your use of the machine in any way.
Kubi: An Option for those who Can’t Attend Class or Meet in Person –
New to the Education Resource Center (ERC) this month is the Kubi, a telepresence robot that lets remote users see surroundings and engage others face to face. Kubi, which means neck in Japanese, tilts up and down and moves side to side with a mounted tablet. Other video conferencing methods may include unstable mounts or require an operator to occasionally move a device for the remote user to interact with everyone in a room. Kubi solves these problems.
A student who is homebound or a colleague across the country whose schedule prevents him or her from meeting in person, can now engage in real-time with other students and meeting participants. In the classroom, an instructor would set up the Kubi. The remote student would control the direction of the Kubi with software; the student can move the Kubi to face the person talking or tilt it downward to read a document. Educational uses listed by Kubi’s manufacturer, Revolve Robotics, include distance learning, blended learning, test proctoring, and tutoring. The Kubi, along with the iPad Air that sits in it, is available from the ERC in 012 WHL for CEHD faculty to use. Contact the ERC to reserve it.
QuickTime for Windows and Malwarebytes to be Removed
Apple announced that it will no longer support QuickTime for Windows. Since Apple no longer provides QuickTime updates, it leaves Windows computers at risk for security threats. As a result, OET will visit your Windows machines or use KACE to remove QuickTime. If a visit is necessary, your computer may not have checked in with KACE recently.
In addition to QuickTime, OET will remove any current installations of Malwarebytes from Windows and Macintosh machines. Information Technologies recently announced the planned purchase of Malwarebytes licenses which OET will use only as needed to determine if a machine is infected. Previous versions of Malwarebytes do not fall under the new licensing agreement.
New requirements for UD Passwords
As of April 20, the minimum length for new UDelNet ID passwords increased from 8 to 12 characters. This requirement does not apply to passwords currently in effect. However, Information Technologies (IT) will expire weak passwords in the future, including those passwords shorter than 12 characters. A date to do this has not been set.
Toward the end of this year, IT will implement a requirement that you change your UDelNet ID password every 15 months. You will receive notices prompting the change before it is required.