Month: May 2024

Earlier this month, Microsoft notified our district that they would be ending our access to Microsoft Office 365 desktops apps when they retire our licensing program (Office 365 A1 Plus) on August 1, 2024. Their announcement impacts all school districts with the same licensing. While we shared with them our frustration for the short notice, they aren’t changing the retirement date. After August 1st, staff that have downloaded and installed Office 365 versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will find those programs no longer work. You can identify if you have an impacted program by launching one of those programs and looking in the top right corner for your name and initials. If you see your name and are signed in, you have a program that will stop working in August. See this pic for a sense of where to look in Word.

Some options post August 1st for those impacted.

1. Use the Google Workspace for Apps (Recommended). As a Google Workshop for Education district, it is strongly recommended that staff use Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. All of these apps (and more) are available through Google Drive.
2. You can still use Microsoft Office 365 online since that licensing remains. Browse to portal.office.com and sign in using your email address and network (not Google) password.
3. Use a free office suite alternative, such as Libre Office, which is available in the Company Portal for those that want to download and have installed a desktop office suite. Libre Office is highly compatible with Microsoft Office documents. It can open and edit all of the Microsoft Office file formats, as well as save in those same file formats. See this video guidance for how to set it up to natively load and save in Office formats.
4. Departments/schools interested in purchasing licensing for Office 2021 for one or more of their staff can submit a service request so our department can work with the requester on their purchase and our installation. Current REMC pricing for Office Standard runs through June. The new purchase price will be updated in July. 

Phishing is a form of cyber attack that has become increasingly common and sophisticated in recent years. As teachers, we need to be on guard against these malicious attempts to steal our login credentials, personal information, or install malware on our devices.

What is a Phishing Email?

A phishing email is a fraudulent message designed to look like it comes from a legitimate source, such as a company, bank, or even our own school district. The email may ask you to verify account information, login with your credentials on a fake website, or open an infected attachment or link.

The goal of the attacker is to trick you into divulging sensitive information or deploying malware on your computer or the school’s network. Phishing attacks rely on social engineering to exploit human psychology and tendencies to trust.

How to Spot a Phishing Email

While phishing emails can be quite convincing, there are some common warning signs to watch out for:

• Emails creating a sense of urgency, fear, or panic to prompt an impulsive reaction
• Misspellings, bad grammar, or inconsistencies in the email content or sender address
• Requests for sensitive information that a legitimate company should already have
• Generic greetings like “Dear User” instead of your name
• Suspicious links or attachments

Remember, legitimate companies will never ask you to provide things like passwords or credit card numbers via email.

Stay Vigilant

As teachers trusted with handling confidential student data and accessing sensitive school systems, we must remain vigilant against phishing scams. Always scrutinize email sources, hover over links before clicking, and avoid opening attachments unless you are absolutely sure they are safe.

If you suspect a phishing attempt, do not respond and immediately report it to our IT department by clicking the phishing hook icon in our email. On mobile, it may be toward the bottom of the email and on a laptop it is off to the right. This will report the phishing attempt to the district.

Protecting ourselves and our district from these cyber threats is crucial. Let’s do our part to identify and stop phishing attacks before they cause harm. A few moments of caution can prevent a major security breach.

In today’s digital world, our school’s data, from student records to email accounts, is constantly targeted by cybercriminals. One of the most important ways we all contribute to the safety of our school’s network is by practicing good password hygiene.

What is Password Hygiene?

Password hygiene refers to the habits and techniques you use to keep your accounts secure. Good password hygiene makes you a much harder target for hackers.

Why Does it Matter for Our School?

• Protecting Student Data: Students trust us with their sensitive information. Strong passwords help prevent breaches and keep their details safe.
• Avoiding Disruption: A single compromised account can spread malware, disrupt classes, and cause headaches for everyone.
• Setting a Good Example: Students look up to us. By demonstrating good password habits, we teach them valuable cybersecurity skills for life.

Password Hygiene Best Practices

• Uniqueness is Key: NEVER reuse passwords.  If one account is compromised, a reused password puts EVERY account using it at risk.
• Avoid the Obvious: Don’t use your name, birthdays, street address, family names, or other easily guessable information in your passwords.
• Get Creative with Passphrases: Instead of complicated passwords, try a passphrase. It’s longer, easier to remember, but harder to crack. Example:  “IRideMyBlueBicycle2School!”
• Don’t Be Afraid of Complexity: The longer and more random your password, the better. Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.
• Absolutely NO Sharing:  Your passwords are like your toothbrush – never share them with anyone, no matter how much they insist!
• NO Common Passwords:  Lists of the most common passwords (like “123456” or “password”) are easily available to hackers. Don’t make it easy for them!
• Password Managers: Consider a password manager – it stores and generates strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts.

Additional Tips

• Change Passwords Regularly: A good rule of thumb is to change your critical passwords (network, etc.) every 3-6 months.
• Enable Two-factor Authentication: If a website or service offers it, use it! This adds an extra layer of protection.

We’re all in this together!

By following these simple password guidelines, teachers and staff can dramatically improve the security of our school community.  Let’s all work together to create a safe and secure digital learning environment.

Need More Help?

If you have questions or need assistance with your passwords, don’t hesitate to submit a service request.

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