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Archiving – not just for librarians

Friday, August 21st, 2015

Archiving – it doesn’t exactly sound like a fun weekend activity, does it?

But unfortunately our mailboxes can’t always deal with too many e-mails, especially those with large attachments, we receive regularly. Unless you clean up your mailbox and delete e-mails frequently, you’ll run out of mailbox space sooner than you think. This is where archiving comes in handy.

In this article we will show you how easy it is to create and maintain archives on your computer.

  1. HOW TO CREATE YOUR ARCHIVE FILE

archiving-1

Open MS Outlook

  • Select the Home tab
  • Use the dropdown menu next to New Items
  • Click on More Items
  • Select Outlook data file

archiving-2

This will create the file for your new archive.

Important:

  • Please name it properly as to prevent confusion when creating new archives later on.
  • Please do not put a password on the archive file as this causes confusion and mail loss at the end of the day when you get a new computer or if the case may be that data recovery must be done.

This also must be under “My Documents\Outlook Files”.

When clicking on OK you will return to your Outlook Home screen.

As shown below (when the mailbox is collapsed) you will be able to see your new Outlook archive.

archiving 3

2. NOW FOR THE ARCHIVING

Click on File in the left top corner
Under Info you will find Cleanup Tools
When clicking on the button you will find Archive as the third option.

archiving-4

The next window you will be presented with is seen below.

archiving 5

The most important thing you need to do now is check that the correct archive file will be used for archiving.

To check this you need to click on the browse button and make sure it is pointing to the correct file in “My Documents\Outlook Files”.

Secondly:

  • Choose a date – all e-mails before the input date will be archived to your folder. This may take a while if you have not archived before.

Thirdly:

  • Select your mailbox (not only parts of it, but the Collapsed view as seen in the screenshot) and then click on OK.

You have now successfully started your first archive!  Feel free to archive instead of delete as keeping your records is quite important.

TIPS:

  • VERY IMPORTANT – no password on the archive file.
  • Keep archives small, for example – year by year. This is to prevent them from getting too big and slowing down your machine.
  • With this way of archiving your folder structure stays the same thus making it easier to actually go back and find the files you are looking for from previous years.

For  more information on various Outlook functions, please have a look at our self help site.

Phishing scam disguised as DHL Shipping document

Monday, May 11th, 2015

Phishing scammers and fraudsters will never give up trying to trick people into giving their personal details, passwords and bank account details. The latest scam (although by no means new) involves a DHL (courier) shipping document:

The subject will be: “Track Your Shipment DHL Shipping Document (B/L ******#####) 

The content will be:

“Good Day

Your Shipment arrived at the post office on <recent date>. Our courier was unable to deliver the Shipment to your address. 

To receive the Shipment you should go to the nearest DHL office and take your mailing label with you. The mailing label is attached. Please print it and show at the nearest DHL office to receive the Shipment.

Thank you for using DHL Service”

As you can probably see,  this is not a valid DHL notice. It is not addressed to you directly, DHL does not deliver to the post office, and will never ask you to print out a mailing label to take with you to the DHL Office.

By the way, if you did go to the attachment, it will take you to a website page where you fill in your personal details, bank account number and e-mail address (supposedly for the mailing label) and this is where you will be caught by the scammers.

DHL does not operate this way. When you receive a DHL shipment, the courier arrives at your door with your details (including your  phone number) and you have to produce your  ID document for identification. You was able to trace the parcel and DHL will phone to inform you when the courier would be due to deliver.

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

 

Spot malicious e-mails

Friday, March 27th, 2015

With the increase in viruses, ransomware, malware, spyware, phishing and cyber crime in general, it’s now more important than ever that e-mail users should be even more cautious. Although we can not warn you against each and every dangerous e-mail (they are generated too quickly), we can however, tell you their characteristics so you can recognise a potentially malicious e-mail yourself.

Think of it this way – say receiving an e-mail is equivalent to running into someone on the street on a Saturday morning. When it’s a friend, neighbour, colleague or acquaintance you’re generally quite happy to see them and have a chat, because you know them. But when a stranger suddenly comes up to you, your reaction will immediately be different. If that same person hands you a parcel, telling you to open it or says “Dear sir, I want to show you something at my home. Won’t you quickly come with me?”, would you trust them and do it?

Just because the internet creates an illusion of distance, it does not mean these two situations should be dealt with differently. On the contrary, you are much more defenceless  and your information easier to access on the internet than on a street corner.

So why would you trust and react to an e-mail that

– wasn’t addressed to you specifically or is not from someone you know,
– open an attachment (the parcel) someone sent to you and
– click on a link of this person’s website (go to his home)?

CHARACTERISTICS

  1. Attachments
    It doesn’t matter how you intrigued are about what’s in that ZIP file, do not open it! The second you open an attachment, you open up your PC for any software and files to be installed on it. In the most recent incident of the Cryptowall 3.0 ransomware, a ZIP file was sent with the subject “My resume”. When it was opened, a .js script was automatically run and this encrypted all the data on the user’s PC. (read more about it here)
  2. Spelling and language
    In most cases where phishing takes place you’ll notice that spelling and language will be exceptionally bad. Improper spelling and grammar is almost always a dead give away. Look for obvious errors.Also don’t think an e-mail in Afrikaans is necessarily trustworthy. Last year we had incidents where an Afrikaans ABSA e-mail was copied and used to phish.
  3. Faulty or unknown links
    Move your mouse over the links in the e-mail (don’t click on them). The text itself might look like a familiar address, but you’ll notice that the actual link directs to somewhere completely different. The same goes for links to e-mail addresses in the text.
  4. A generic greeting
    If an e-mail isn’t personally addressed to you, for example “Dear Mrs du Preez” or something likewise, it’s clearly not meant for you, but rather to a large group of people in an attempt to lure one of them. These e-mails are sent out to thousands of different e-mail addresses and often the person sending these e-mails has no idea who you are.
    If you have no affiliation with the company the e-mail address is supposedly coming from, it’s fake. For example, if the e-mail is coming from ABSA bank but you bank at a different bank.
  5. No personal information
    There will be no reference to your specific account information. If the company really was sending you information regarding errors to your account, they would mention your account or username in the e-mail.
  6. Due dates
    By adding a due date, the sender tries to create a sense of urgency and his hoping this will spur you on to click on the link ASAP, without too much thought, to resolve this pressing issue.

E-MAIL TOPICS/SUBJECT LINES

  1. Problems with your bank account
    Where money is considered, people listen and react. Your account has been closed, someone tried to access it, your information has been changed – all these are attempts to get you to click on a malicious link.
  2. Money has been deposited into your account
    Around tax season this is a popular choice and it’s usually “SARS” sending out this joyous news. If SARS indeed wants to give you money, they’ll SMS you. (And how often does this really happen?)
  3. Delivery of a parcel
    Someone sent you a parcel and you HAVE to click on a link to confirm, otherwise it won’t be delivered. The post office or a courier service will seldom e-mail you about this.
  4. Problems with your e-mail account
    Your password has expired or someone else has accessed your account. All communication related to your e-mail account will always be sent from IT. It will be in a specific format with characteristic graphics, the SU logo and it will also be in Afrikaans and English.
  5. Competitions
    You’ve won a competition! Or the lottery. Or you’ve inherited a huge amount of money. Did you enter this competition? Did you play the US lottery? And do you know this family member or person who decided you should be their sole heir?

If you are unsure about the validity of an e-mail, rather contact your bank or SARS directly. Anything else you can just ignore. Don’t reply to it – you’ll only confirm that your address is indeed an existing one and you’ll be getting much more e-mails in the near future.

Remember – cyber criminals know our weaknesses and that we are curious by nature. Don’t fall for it, rather outwit them.

Previous articles on phishing, malware, spyware and viruses.

Warning: Cryptowall ransomware

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

Incidents of the Cryptowall 3.0 ransomware are increasing on campus.

• DO NOT open .ZIP attachments. (recent incidents reported had a .ZIP attachment with the subject “my resume”)
• Stay away from unknown, suspicious or unofficial websites and torrents offering game, movie or software downloads and DO NOT click on any pop-ups.

This ransomware infects your PC when you visit lesser known websites and particularly if you download games, movies and software or click on attachments in your e-mail, for example zip files.

The ransomware copies all the data on your hard drive, encrypts and deletes it and you’re left with gibberish. A ransom fee is demanded, but the odds that you’ll get your data back at all, are slim.

Cryptowall not only infects your own hard drive data, if also targets all drives you are connected to, including your shared departmental drive. You will lose the data on your hard drive and data on the network drive might be able to be recovered up to a certain point, but unfortunately this can’t be guaranteed.

Report suspect email to sysadm@sun.ac.za. Also read more on how to spot malicious e-mails.

Reactivation: pensioners

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

All persons using the SU network have to reactivate for network usage (e-mail, internet, etc.) on an annual basis. Pensioners still using SU facilities also have to complete this process to ensure they still have e-mail access.

Over the past few weeks all users received an e-mail notice from helpinfo@sun.ac.za indicating that their username will soon expire. Generally three warnings are sent before the deadline date on 1 April 2015.

Since pensioners pay for access themselves and not by a department, the payment method differs somewhat. Payment can occur by credit card or cash. Credit card payment can be done securely online (see below for instructions) or at the cashiers in Admin A.

However, from February 2014 all banks made an additional 3D-authentication for credit cards being used online compulsory due to security reasons. In the meantime a grace period was given to bank clients to give them enough time to register their cards for 3D-authentication. This grace period has now expired.

Due to this new built-in check by banks, pensioners might be confronted by the following error message:

“Your payment in the amount of R284.00 could not be processed successfully. | U betaling vir die bedrag van R284.00 kon nie suksesvol verwerk word nie.”

“Reason / Rede: Transaction Failed. Restricted transaction due to 3D authentication merchant risk setting. Please return to merchant website and use an alternative payment method or card. (10205)”

Unfortunately this part of the payment process falls outside Information Technology’s jurisdiction and pensioners need to resolve the issue with their relevant bank, in particular the credit card division. Bank websites should also have information on the application procedure for 3D-authentication. More information is also available on PAYGO.

Reactivation with your credit card 

  1. Open Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
  2. Go to http://my.sun.ac.za
  3. Click on Staff
  4. Click on PENSIONERS
  5. Click on Reregistration
 

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