Category Archives: Faculty/Staff

Anything relating to faculty and staff machines

Faculty/Staff, More, Students

Credit, Security Breaches, and Freezes – Protect Yourself!

While this is not normal subject matter for the MDS Tech site,  this IS a part of the digital life we are living that we all have to deal with.

The recent massive Equifax security breach is a huge example of network breaches that occur just about every day. One of the problems is that the thieves will often sit on the data until things cool down -i.e. people forget about it – THEN they try to use or sell the stolen data to steal people’s identities.

What can they do with it?

  • Buy stuff for themselves, but you get the bill is common.
  • So is getting ID papers using your credentials – opening accounts, not paying for things….ruinng YOUR credit and not theirs.

What can YOU do about it?

Freeze your credit. If you have ANY banking/payments/accounts, you probably have a file at the three credit agencies – which is sometimes true even if you are only 12 years old. Freezing your credit means that no one can open an account in your name with the PIN number – and for heaven’s sake, don’t lose that number [NOR should you carry it in your wallet or purse!]

In Georgia it costs $3 to freeze your credit unless you have been a victim of ID theft. You would unfreeze it if you are applying for credit at a new institution – any place you ALREADY have a financial relationship with already has permission to access your info.

These articles have more [easy to read] information, plus links to get started:

Faculty/Staff, iPads, Make Tech Easier, Student, Students

Is your iPad data backed up? MAKE SURE before disaster strikes.

We’ve had several students lately who have lost data because they had not correctly setup their backups – and then their iPads were either damaged or “the mysterious someone” reset their passcode.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Right now, while you are thinking about it, check to make sure your data is being backed up:

  1. Settings –> iCloud –> Backups ON. GO ahead and click the button to do a backup RIGHT NOW, since you’re there…….
  2. Drive –> Settings –> Photos.  YES, automatically backup your Pix and Vids to Drive. The other settings involved are your call [ they won’t make much difference since we are a Google school].
  3. Notability –> Gear icon, bottom left –> Autobackups –> Google Drive should have a checkmark. If it doesn’t, select it. You’ll be prompted through the signon process.

 

ONCE MORE OPTIONAL THING YOU CAN DO:

  • Settings –> iTunes. Sign in. The iPad Guy suggests using your personal AppleID [that way any music you buy will always be yours]. If you will never be buying music through iTunes, then it’s OK to use your MDS AppleID. [AND you can switch accounts later if things change].

    There IS an option to NOT have a credit card on the account – but you have to look for it on the screen where Apple asks for your credit card.

This betters the odds of doing a simple restore-from-iCloud if your machine croaks, as opposed to setting up from scratch and having the download all your backups manually.