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[:en]New e-waste bins at IT[:af]Nuwe houers vir e-afval by IT[:]

Monday, October 4th, 2021

[:en]

 As part of the campus “Going Green” project Facilities Management will be placing e-waste bins at selected spots on campus. We encourage staff and students to use these bins for any non-asset e-waste.

Two of these yellow bins (see example right) will also be located at IT. A bin will be placed at the IT HUB by the entrance and a second one will be placed at the IT Main building in Hammanshand Rd at the service entrance (facing IT the door on your right) Both bins will be just inside the buildings by the doors. 

WHAT IS E-WASTE?

Electronic waste (e-waste) or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are the terms used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity. It includes computers, consumer electronics, batteries etc. which have been disposed of by their original users.  More on e-waste.

We encourage all staff and students to use these bins for any non-asset e-waste. Bins will be serviced by Wasteplan and weekly inspections will be made by the university’s Wasteplan site supervisor to assess when a collection is needed.

For assistance and enquiries please email fmhelpdesk@sun.ac.za.

 

[:af]

 As deel van die “Going Green”-projek sal Fasiliteitsbestuur e-afval houers op uitgesoekte plekke op kampus uitplaas. Ons moedig personeel en studente aan om hierdie houers te gebruik vir enige e-afval wat nie US-bates is nie.

Twee van hierdie geel houers (sien voorbeeld regs) sal ook voortaan by IT wees. Een houer word geplaas by die IT HUB-ingang en die tweede sal geplaas word by die diensingang (die deur aan jou regterkant as jy voor IT staan) van die IT-hoofgebou in Hammanshandstraat. Beide houers sal binne die gebou geplaas word by die ingang. 

WAT IS E-AFVAL?

Elektroniese afval (e-afval) is die term wat gebruik word om verouderde of weggooi-toerusting wat met elektrisiteit werk, te beskryf. Dit sluit rekenaars, enige elektroniese toerusting, batterye, ens. in wat uit die weggeruim is deur die oorspronklike eienaars. Meer oor e-afval.

Houers sal onderhou word deur Wasteplan en die universiteit se Wasteplan terreinopsigter sal bepaal wanneer die houers leeggemaak moet word.

Vir enige navrae oor die e-afval projek, stuur gerus `n e-pos aan fmhelpdesk@sun.ac.za.

 

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[:en]Get rid of your e-waste[:af]Raak ontslae van jou e-afval[:]

Monday, October 4th, 2021

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Do you have old computers, monitors, cell phones or batteries lying around or clogging up cupboards? Are you concerned enough to dispose of them responsibly and not simply consign them to the dump?

There is a responsible campus solution. Facilities Management implemented e-waste bins on campus where e-waste can be disposed of and will then be picked up by contractors who specialise in the refurbishment, reuse and safe disposal of e-waste.

Electronic waste (e-waste) or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) are the terms used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity. It includes computers, consumer electronics, etc. which have been disposed of by their original users. It can also include batteries.

E-waste is of concern largely due to the toxicity of some of the substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and a number of other substances which are harmful to human health and ecosystems if not disposed of properly. The unsustainably rapid turnover of discarded electronics and computer technology is another reason for the need to recycle – or even better, re-use – e-waste.

What will happen to the e-Waste?

The contractors will separate the waste into items that

  • can be refurbished,
  • can be recycled and
  • must be safely disposed of.

Refurbishment of appliances and computers provides jobs and these items are then reused in needy schools and communities. Useful, scarce and valuable metals and other substances are extracted by recycling, while toxic e-waste is disposed of at special hazardous waste facilities. Examples of potentially toxic items include the old type of computer screens (CRT) and fluorescent tubes.

The procedure is as follows:

  1. Ensure that the items have been properly written off and dealt with in line with the University’s policy regarding the handling of redundant assets.
  2. Remove all your data, private and work related, from the devices. IT does not take responsibility for deleting or backing up any data or for any risk that your data might be accessible after disposal. Your device should be completely devoid of data.
  3. Dispose of e-waste in the yellow bins at the IT HUB (at the entrance) and IT Main Buiding (inside the service entrance on the right-hand side of the main entrance)
  4. For any further enquiries contact Clive Layman at Stellenbosch campus, Le Roux Franken at Belpark campus or Kevin Vermaak at Tygerberg. 

More information: www.ewasa.org

 

[:af]

Het jy verouderde rekenaars, skerms, selfone of batterye wat geen nut het nie en net onnodige spasie opneem in jou kaste? Gee jy genoeg om vir die ongewing om eerder op die regte manier daarvan ontslae te raak i.p.v. om dit op ʼn vuilgoedhoop te gooi?

Daar is ʼn verantwoordelike oplossing. Fasiliteitsbestuur het geel e-afval dromme op strategiese plekke op kampus geplaas waar ou elektroniese toestelle in geplaas kan word en dan deur buite-kontrakteurs opgetel, hergebruik en veilig van ontslae geraak kan word.

Elektroniese afval (e-afval) is die term wat gebruik word om verouderde of weggooi-toerusting wat met elektrisiteit werk, te beskryf. Dit sluit rekenaars, batterye en enige elektroniese toerusting in waarvan die oorspronklike eienaars ontslae geraak  het.

Toksiese bestanddele, soos lood, kwik, kadmium en ander stowwe hou ʼn gesondheidsrisiko en is ook gevaarlik vir ekosisteme. Wanneer e-afval afbreek en nie op die korrekte manier mee weggedoen word nie, beland giftige stowwe in grond en grondwater. Die materiaal kan eerder herwin word om rou materiaal te skep wat hergebruik kan word. 

Die onvolhoubare, vinnige omset van verouderde elektronika en rekenaartegnologie is nog ʼn goeie motivering om te herwin of e-afval te hergebruik.

Wat gebeur met e-afval?

Kontrakteurs skei die artikels in die volgende drie kategorieë. Items wat

  • opgeknap kan word,
  • herwin kan word en
  • veilig ontslae van geraak moet word.

Opknapping van toerusting en rekenaars skep werk en die items word hergebruik in behoeftige skole en gemeenskappe. Nuttige, skaars en waardevolle metale en ander stowwe word verwyder d.m.v. herwinning, terwyl giftige e-afval, soos ou rekenaarskerms(CRT’s) en fluoor-buisligte in spesiale afvalfasiliteite gestort word. 

Die prosedures is as volg: 

  1. Maak eers seker dat alle items afgeskryf en hanteer is volgens die Universiteit se beleid rakende die hantering van oortollige bates.
  2. Verwyder al jou data, privaat en werksverwant, van die toestelle. IT is nie verantwoordelik vir die uitvee en rugsteun van data of vir die risiko dat data toeganklik kan wees na wegdoening nie. Jou toestelle moet volledig skoongemaak wees. 
  3. Bring jou ou toerusting na of die IT HUB of IT Hoofgebou vir plasing in die geel e-afval dromme. Beide dromme is aan die binnekant van die ingange. Die geel drom by die IT Hoofgebou is in die binneportaal van die diensingang (regterdeur as jy voor die gebou staan)
  4.  Indien jy steeds navrae het kontak Clive Layman op Stellenbosch-kampus, Le Roux Franken by Belpark of Kevin Vermaak op Tygerberg. 

Vir meer inligting: www.ewasa.org

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[:en]Spear phishing attack using a staff email[:]

Monday, September 20th, 2021

[:en]

If you receive an e-mail from Prof. Wolfgang Preiser – Head of the Department of Virology asking about a “PAYMENT”, you might be tempted to quickly answer and offer your assistance.

However, this was a spear-phishing scam designed to fool its victims into thinking the mail was sent out by someone like Prof Preiser.

We are getting several reports from personnel within his department saying that they are getting e-mail from Prof. Preiser and were concerned if his e-mail account has been compromised and if this is a phishing attack.

Here is what the phishing scam looks like.

An example of the spear phishing email using Prof Preiser's details

Click for a larger image.

Please note that the name, has been forged and that a “throwaway” execs.com e-mail address has been used with forged details inserted. The Professor’s account has not been compromised. 

The message below also serves as a warning and should give you an indication that this is not an email from an @sun address. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe.

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the University. 

Additionally there is a standard warning from Microsoft to also warn you.

This is a spear-phishing attack where an institution is attacked by impersonating prominent or public figures within the enterprise to gain access to the enterprise. The targets in this method of attack are usually subordinates of high-ranking personnel, to fool them into sending money or obtaining personal details of these personnel members.

Keep an eye open for this scam, and please report it to IT Cyber Security if you find it in your inbox by logging it on the ICT Partner Portal. Fill in your information and add the email as an attachment. Your request will automatically be logged on the system.​​

If you accidentally clicked on the link and already gave any personal details to the scammers it is vitally important that you immediately go to the USERADM page (either http://www.sun.ac.za/password or www.sun.ac.za/useradm) and change your password immediately.

Make sure the new password is completely different and a strong password that will not be easily guessed. Also change the passwords on your social media and private e-mail accounts, especially if you use the same passwords on these accounts.

Contact the IT Service Desk if you are still unsure.

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

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[:en]Phishing scam: “Proof of Payment”[:]

Friday, August 27th, 2021

[:en]

Over 2 billion people worldwide have purchased goods or services online during the pandemic. The danger of all this convenient shopping with Takealot, Checkers or any online store is that people provide their credit card number without diligence.

One of the most prevalent scams NOW is called POP or Proof of Payment Receipt. There are a number of new phishing scams with the subject “Proof of Payment” or “Suspicious Bank transaction” at the moment. 

Here is one such scam that is currently being reported by personnel and students at Tygerberg. 

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

The way that this scam works is that the scammers are trying to get their victims to click on the link and go to a specially engineered site to steal passwords and login credentials. Often bank account details and cell phone numbers are asked for, and this is how the scammers get access to bank accounts and can do SIM swaps, to steal money and personal details.

Notice how the mail details have been forged to make the sender and the recipient the same. This is to disguise the true sender and to bypass the mail filters which would normally accept mail from within an organisation. In this case this sender used a “throw-away” Outlook.com e-mail address and then forged the headers to change the sender. In this case there is a possibility that the government address has been compromised.

If you get one of these e-mails or one similar looking (scammers change tactics very quickly) please report it to IT on the ICT Partner Portal. Fill in your information and add the email as an attachment. Your request will automatically be logged on the system.​​

Secondly blacklist the sender under Junk mail, and perhaps even block the entire domain. You can do this by using the Report Message add-in on Outlook (available on your toolbar on the far right) More about the add-in on our blog or you can find the instructions on this .PDF

 

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

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[:en]Extra layer of security added to campus computers [:af]Ekstra vlak van sekuriteit vir rekenaars op kampus [:]

Monday, August 2nd, 2021

[:en]

Cyber crime is a constantly evolving field. Even though the majority of viruses were created as pranks, it’s essential to stay informed of the various risks that exist on the internet if you want to stay safe online. Here’s a breakdown of the basics: 

Malware, or malicious software, is a catch-all term for any type of malicious computer program. Malware is the most common type of online threat.

Ransomware is an emerging form of malware that locks the user out of their files or their device, then demands an anonymous online payment to restore access.

Adware is a form of malware that hides on your device and serves you advertisements. Some adware also monitors your behaviour online so it can target you with specific ads.

Spyware is a form of malware that hides on your device, monitors your activity, and steals sensitive information like bank details and passwords.

The world of cyber crime is very similar to that of technology. Every year, new trends, breakthroughs, and tools emerge.

You’ve probably noticed a Malwarebytes Threat Scan icon on your desktop or laptop (Figure 1). Don’t worry, this isn’t a brand-new type of malware. Stellenbosch University’s IT department has added an extra layer of security to campus computers.

Figure 1

Malwarebytes Incident Response is the trusted standard in automated endpoint remediation. Unfortunately, with the current environment, some malware will return after removal and Malwarebytes will prompt you to initiate a restart (Figure 2).

Figure 2

This is because the malware will sync to your browsers profile and will be synced back to your device after it has been removed.  If you are experiencing such daily prompts for restarts by Malwarebytes, we suggest that you log a request on the ICT Partner Portal for a technician to assist with further remediation.

[ARTICLE BY BRADLEY VAN DER VENTER]

[:af]

Kubermisdaad is ʼn veld wat voortdurend ontwikkel. Alhoewel die groter meerderheid virusse aanvanklik as poetse geskep is, is dit deesdae noodsaaklik om op hoogte te bly met die verskeie risiko’s op die internet as jy veilig aanlyn wil wees. Hier is ʼn kort opsomming van die basiese gevare: 

Malware, of malicious software, is ʼn oorkoepelende term vir enige kwaadwillige rekenaarprogram. Malware is die mees algemene vorm van aanlyn-bedreiging. 

Ransomware is ʼn nuwe vorm van malware wat gebruikers se toegang tot dokumente of toestelle sluit en dan anoniem ʼn aanlynbetaling eis om toegang te herstel. 

Adware is ʼn vorm van malware wat versteek is op jou toestel en advertensies aan jou vertoon. Sommige adware monitor ook jou aanlyngedrag sodat dit pasgemaakte advertensies vir jou kan wys. 

Spyware is ʼn vorm van malware wat versteek is op jou toestel, jou aktiwiteite monitor en sensitiewe data soos bankinligting en wagwoorde steel. 

Die wêreld van kubermisdaad is soortgelyk aan die van tegnologie. Elke jaar is daar nuwe tendense, deurbrake en hulpmiddele. 

Jy het moontlik opgemerk dat daar onlangs ʼn Malwarebytes Threat Scan ikoon op jou skootrekenaar of tafelrekenaar se skerm verskyn het (Figuur 1). Moenie skrik nie, dis nie ʼn nuwe tipe malware nie! Universiteit Stellenbosch se IT-afdeling het ʼn ekstra vlak van sekuriteit op kampusrekenaars bygevoeg. 

Figuur 1

Malwarebytes Incident Response is vertroude standaard in outomatiese eindpunt remediasie. Ongelukkig, onder huidige omstandighede, beteken dit dat sommige malware kan terugkeer nadat dit verwyder is. Indien dit gebeur sal Malwarebytes jou aanpor om jou rekenaar af en aan te sit, soos aangedui in Figuur 2.

Figuur 2

Dit gebeur omdat die malware moet sinkroniseer met jou webblaaier se profiel. Dit sal weer terug sinkroniseer met jou toestel nadat dit verwyder is. Indien jy daagliks sulke versoeke van Malwarebytes kry om jou rekenaar af te sit, stel ons voor dat jy ʼn versoek aanteken op die ICT Partner Portal sodat ʼn tegnikus jou kan help. 

[ARTIKEL DEUR BRADLEY VAN DER VENTER]

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