Spartans,

A new semester means new courses, new research, and new work. SJSU IT empowers you with the technology equipment needed to stay up to date as you take on these new challenges. Our Equipment Loaning Service has everyday basics like laptops, webcams, microphones, monitors, keyboards, mice, and more. We also have major-specific, instructional, and hybrid work technology.

RESERVE EQUIPMENT

All of these items can be borrowed at no cost to you, for as long as you need. Extending access to education and the resources needed to succeed in higher education is a foundational mission of San José State University.

Another great resource is the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps ensure that households can afford broadband service for school, work, healthcare, etc. The program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Additionally, eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 on the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. IMPORTANT: This program is closing for new applicants on February 8, 2024. If you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, visit the SJSU IT Service Desk site.

I want to thank our entire Equipment Loaning Service staff for their work providing this service to campus. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Campus colleagues,

Coming back to your work setup after a break is the perfect time to dive into your settings and make sure you’re optimized and secure. Since Zoom has become a part of our professional lives and most of us have become comfortable with it, I wanted to share some best practices to ensure you are making the most of the application.

• Review your default settings. Access your Zoom settings by logging in to Zoom, clicking your user icon in the upper right and selecting Settings. SJSU IT recommends turning off “Allow participants to join before host” in order to ensure that your meeting is secure. To do this, go to your Zoom settings and at the bottom of the General tab, locate and click View More Settings. Under the Schedule Meeting section, ensure that the feature is turned off.  For more information about this option, check out Zoom’s KB article.
• Consider using a waiting room. If you’re hosting a Zoom meeting, SJSU IT recommends using a waiting room. This allows you to control attendee access and provides an additional layer of security. To do this, go to your Zoom settings and at the bottom of the General tab, locate and click View More Settings. Under the Security section, turn the “Waiting Room” option on. At the bottom of the option are links that allow you to further configure your waiting room settings. Feel free to explore these and apply any that you feel are appropriate. For more information about waiting rooms, check out the Zoom blog.
• Make sure you have access to all your features. In order to receive all the features (such as virtual backgrounds) and security benefits of your SJSU Zoom account, you need to be logged in. When you are invited to join another person’s Zoom meeting and you join by clicking the provided link or calendar link, you are not automatically logged in to your account. You can log in ahead of your meeting by going to sjsu.zoom.com or if you’re already in a meeting but forgot to login, you can always use the Sign in button in the upper right.
  
  One way to help ensure that you are always logged in is to configure Zoom to launch when you start your computer:
  • For Windows, open your Zoom settings and under the General tab, select the “Start Zoom when I start Windows” option at the top.
  • For Mac iOS, open your System Settings and search for “Open at Login,” then add the zoom us app to your list of startup applications.

Note that you will need to start your computer each day and then authenticate your Zoom account in order to be logged in.

If you’re new to Zoom or want a refresher on the basics, check out our SJSU IT Work Anywhere – Zoom page.

Thank you Andrew Trembley, Cloud Application Analyst, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Surveys of American cell phone users show that over 90% of us experience some kind of anxiety when we see a “low power warning” on our devices. A 2016 survey by LG said that users felt “overwhelming fear” and that battery anxiety causes “you to live your life on your phone’s terms rather than your own.” Here are some quick tips to help you save power and avoid public USB jacks:

• Bring supplemental power with you. That can be a power bank, a wall charger, or even a backup device.
• Conserve power on long days. If you know you have a long day ahead, consider powering your device all the way off when not in use, engaging airplane mode, or keeping your screen on the dimmest setting possible. Most newer phones also have a battery-saving mode available in their settings.
• Accept the inevitable. Sometimes, we’re caught by surprise with no backup power options. Write down any critical information you may need, such as directions home or the phone numbers for an emergency contact.

And finally, one important tip on what NOT to do:

• Avoid public USB charging ports. While many devices have safeguards against “juice jacking,” many folks are quick to dismiss warnings on their devices while in a battery panic. We live in an area where many people often DO have access to highly valuable information on their laptops and mobile devices, making the rare threat of cyberattack via USB port a plausible reality. Remember to keep a power bank or wall charger of your own in your bag.

Thank you to Jeff Japp, Leon Nguyen, and Andrew Weiglein from the SJSU IT Program Management Office for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Technology is ingrained in our everyday lives – it’s part of how we learn, work, and connect. It’s also important to establish healthy digital habits and set boundaries. According to a survey by reviews.org, in 2023, Americans spend an average of 4 hours, 25 minutes each day on their cell phones. In 2022, Americans checked their phones an average of 344 times a day. This week, I’d like to share some tips to maintain digital wellbeing as we enter the holiday season.

• Put distance between yourself and your device. That can be as simple as putting your device in your backpack or briefcase instead of in your pocket or on your desk. Keep it in your purse or bag when you eat or take a bathroom break.
• Try using a “Bedtime” or “Sleep” Mode. Most newer phones come with a mode that dims the screen, mutes notifications, and changes the display to black & white instead of color. But you don’t have to use this mode only around bedtime. It’s also a great tool to reduce digital distractions any time you want to focus.
• Take regular breaks. When you’re working under a deadline, it can be hard to step away. Try to prioritize yourself, even if it’s for a short 5 minute walk. Better yet, try to make some time to hit the gym or go for a hike.
• Spend time together, offline. Consider setting up a technology-free meetup with your friends, colleagues, or family. Talking and interacting with other people has many physical and mental health benefits.
• Seek out novel experiences. Scrolling social media or staring at the same monitor for hours can be a monotonous experience. In the words of Joshua Foer from Moonwalking With Einstein, “Monotony compresses time; novelty extends it.”

Thank you to Jeff Japp, Leon Nguyen, and Andrew Weiglein from the SJSU IT Program Management Office, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating or tricking someone in order to access a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information. Its goal is to get people to make security mistakes or give away sensitive information. Attackers usually investigate the victim and gather information before attempting to gain trust. In this tip, we share some ways to help keep yourself safe from social engineering attacks.

Some social engineering ploys can be quite elaborate and may play out over a prolonged period. Examples of social engineering include:

• Phishing — email messages attempting to acquire sensitive information
• Smishing — phishing via text message
• Baiting — a kind of trap, such as a flash drive left in a conspicuous area containing malware
• Pretexting — the use of things like surveys or one-on-one conversations to gather personal or sensitive information
• Tailgating — the impersonation of a person (student, employee, delivery person, etc.) in order to gain physical access to restricted areas

Thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to help protect yourself from social engineering attacks:

• Don’t open email attachments from suspicious sources. Even if you know the sender, if the message seems suspicious, contact the person directly to confirm authenticity (via a different communication method).
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible for your online accounts. For your SJSU accounts, use Duo two-factor authentication.
• Be conscious about how much personal information you share on social media. Social engineers can use information from social media to impersonate targets.
• Never plug an unknown USB device into your computer. If you find an unattended device on campus, contact the SJSU IT Service Desk so you can give it to them. Additionally, be careful about free give-away USB devices that are distributed at trade shows, events, etc.
• Be careful opening doors for strangers or people following you into a secure area (tailgating/piggy-backing). If someone asks you to open a door for them or tries to follow you into an area, ask for identification to prove they are who they claim to be.

Thank you to our Information Security Team for providing this tip and helping protect our university. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University