Category Archives: Students

Anything relating to student devices

Faculty/Staff, More, Students

Spectre, Meltdown, Vulnerabilities in the news

You may have seen a lot of scary news stories about some vulnerabilities recently disclosed that affect just about every computing device imaginable [depending on where you get your news].

Here is a short non-technical common-sense rundown of what this is all about.

What is Spectre and Meltdown?

Basically they are newly-disclosed ways for a crafty hacker to access supposedly secret info on your device.

As CNET.com puts it:

….. the issue doesn’t result from a badly written computer code. Instead, the problem comes down to the way the chips are intentionally designed.

Processors are supposed to make the secret information easier to access as they gear up to run the next process on a computer. As the programming quip goes, this is a feature, not a bug.

Why are they called Spectre and Meltdown?

Because people like to come up with cool names for these things. It’s more interesting to call it “Spectre” than “Security Bulletin #598267”.

Am I in danger?

Immediately, no. It’s not like someone could just randomly swipe information from your device by driving by your house. A hacker would need to be fairly technically minded AND install some code on your machine.

Of course, now that “everyone” knows about it, somebody somewhere is going to try to use this information.

As Meraki.com put it:

These vulnerabilities could allow an unprivileged attacker with direct access to a computing device, in specific circumstances, to read privileged memory belonging to other processes or memory allocated to the operating system kernel.

Notice the phrases “COULD allow”,  “with direct access to a computing device” and “in specific circumstances”. That means it would take a concerted effort to compromise your machine.

Should I panic?

Absolutely not….. not about THIS, anyway. If you would LIKE to panic about something else, be our guest.

What should I do?

Two primary things you can do, BOTH of which you should already be doing:

1) UPDATE YOUR SYSTEM and SOFTWARE. If you’ve been ignoring those system update, then get it updated NOW. OK, if you MUST get some work done, start the updates as you finish for the day, and let them run all night.

Yes, it could take that long, depending on how long you’ve been putting them off!

Especially on WIndows, MDS TEch recommends checking for updates again

2) USE COMMON SENSE ONLINE. Don’t just click anything you come across – double-eyeball it to make sure it’s actually legit. If an email comes in from someone you trust, but the contents don’t match the person – triple-check it before clicking on anything.

Will the updates slow down my machine?

Technically, yes. The big question is “will you notice a difference”? Intel has stated that most users – doing average computing stuff – won’t notice a difference.

MDS Tech’s take on this is that you MIGHT notice your machine slows down a bit – if your machine is more than 3 years old.

MIGHT.

Will the updates break my computer?

There have been a few instances where the updates that were hurredly rushed out caused some machines with certain AMD processes to quit working., or SOME software quit working. We’ve seen some articles stating that it depends on the exact processor, what antivirus you are using, and presumably what phase the moon is in when you apply the update.

Stated another way, there doesn’t seem to be an EXACT set of causes of the problem.

Where else can I learn more?

  1. Meraki.com
  2. Security Week –> Apple updates
  3. cnet.com
  4. theGuardian.com
  5. arstechnica.com – if you you’d like some deeply technical info about the various companies’ responses.

Why do people try to break into machines anyway?

Sonicwall has an interesting article on the Hacker’s motivation.

 

 

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:

Apps, Students

MackinVIA – the MDS Digital LIbrary

1 Comment

Here’s how to login to the MDS Digital Library using the app MackinVIA on your iPad.

Find the app MackinVIA.

Doubleclick to open.

A login screen will come up. IF YOU ARE PROMPTED FOR A SCHOOL, go to “First time login” below.  IF YOU SEE OUR SCHOOL – Mount de Sales Academy – go to “Ongoing login” below.

FIRST TIME LOGIN

The school name is entered once. Type in “mount de” (no quotes but with a space) – and then wait for the school name to pop up. Tap on the school name.  

Typing too fast OR not paying attention to the screen may result in selecting the wrong school.  If that has happened, swipe out of the app and start again.  

Entering the school name is only a one time process.

 

ONGOING LOGIN – Check school name

Your username is your FULL mds email address —-> for example, mds12345@mountdesales.net

Password is the same as your Moodle password.

TO FIND A BOOK

  1. Tap the “hamburger menu” – 3 horizontal bars – at the top left. Then select the purple bar —-> categories. You will find that the MackinVIA categoreis match the categories in the ARC.
  2. Anytime you wish to return to the categories, look at the upper left – there will be either a stylized back arrow or 3 horizontal bars.
  3. Also under the 3 horizontal bars is the ability to exit (log off). Here is what the Categories view looks like:

Click around to browse through a section. Click on a book to see more information OR to check the book out. Once you check out a book it will automatically download to your iPad. 

You can only checkout one book at a time. You can return a book at any time, but when the 2 weeks (or 4 weeks with renewal) timeframe has been reached, the app will check the book back into the database for you.  You will have to check it out again

The stylized arrow in the upper left will return to the category page with the book icons.  

If you get lost, close the app and start again, or come to the ARC for help.

Remember that EXIT is under the three horizontal bars found in the upper left.

FINDING A SPECIFIC BOOK

  • Start with the screen above that has a purple “title” bar.  
  • On the right side of this bar is the magnifying glass (universal “search” icon).  
  • Enter the name of the book and tap “go” or tap the magnifying glass.
  • You will see the book that matches your search.  
  • Click on the black button labelled “Checkout”, which will allow you to read the book for 2 weeks. You can renew it once for an additional 2 weeks, and then the book will automatically be checked back in again.
  • You can only checkout one book at a time.

 

Click on your name to see this list.

Favorites = list of books where you clicked the “FAVORITE button.

Notebook has notes you copy/pasted or typed.

Checkouts has the books you have checked out.

 

 

Open Now = there are a practically unlimited number
of copies available.

Add to Favorites = there is a favorites list available.

Checkout = there are a limited number of copies available,
similar to the way physical books work.

Two additional buttons appear after a book is checked out:
Return and Renew