How to Protect Your Data and Devices While Traveling with Tech

Due to enhanced security measures in most countries, travelers with tech should be prepared for possible disruptions or additional wait times during the screening process. Here are some steps you can take to help secure your devices and your privacy.

Good to know:

• While traveling within the United States, TSA agents at the gate are not allowed to confiscate your digital devices or demand your passwords.
• Different rules apply to U.S. border patrol agents and agents in other countries. Federal border patrol agents have broad authority to search everyone entering the U.S. This includes looking through any electronic devices you have with you while you are traveling. They can seize your devices and make a copy for experts to examine offsite. Learn more from the Electronic Frontier Foundation about digital privacy at the U.S. border.

Protect your tech and data when traveling:

• Travel only with the data that you need; look at reducing the amount of digital information that you take with you. This may mean leaving some of your devices at home, using temporary devices, removing personal data from your devices, or shifting your data to a secure cloud service. Authorities or criminals can't search what you don't have.
• Most travelers will likely decide that inconvenience overrides risk and travel with electronic devices anyway. If this is the case, travelers should focus on protecting the information that they take with them. One of the best ways to do this is to use encryption. Make sure to fully encrypt your device and make a full backup of the data that you leave at home.
• Before you arrive at the border, travelers should power off their devices. This is when the encryption services are at their strongest and will help resist a variety of high-tech attacks that may attempt to break your encryption. Travelers should not rely solely on biometric locks, which can be less secure than passwords.
• Make sure to log out of browsers and apps that give you access to online content, and remove any saved login credentials (turn off cookies and autofill). This will prevent anyone from using your devices (without your knowledge) to access your private online information. You could also temporarily uninstall mobile apps and clear browser history so that it is not immediately apparent which online services you use.

Get your device travel ready:

• Change your passwords or passphrases before you go. Consider using a password manager if you don't use one already.
• Set up multifactor authentication for your accounts whenever possible for an additional layer of security.
• Delete apps you no longer use.
• Update any software, including antivirus protection, to make sure you are running the most secure version available.
• Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to avoid automatic connections.
• Turn on "Find My [Device Name]" tracking and/or remote wiping options in case it is lost or stolen.
• Charge your devices before you go.
• Stay informed of TSA regulations and be sure to check with the State Department's website for any travel alerts or warnings concerning the specific countries you plan to visit, including any tech restrictions.
• Clear your devices of any content that may be considered illegal or questionable in other countries, and verify whether the location you are traveling to has restrictions on encrypted digital content.
• Don't overlook low-tech solutions:
  • Tape over the camera of your laptop or mobile device for privacy.
  • Use a privacy screen on your laptop to avoid people "shoulder surfing" for personal information.
  • Physically lock your devices and keep them on you whenever possible, or use a hotel safe.
  • Label all devices in case they get left behind!

These guidelines are not foolproof, but security experts say every additional measure taken can help reduce the chances of cybertheft.

Partially reposted from https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2017/9/march-2018-how-to-protect-your-data-and-devices-while-traveling-with-tech

COMPLETE: ISP Maintenance Friday March 23 through Monday March 26

COMPLETED: As of Monday, March 26th at 7:15am, this maintenance has been completed. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. If you have any questions, please contact ITS at its@manhattan.edu or at extension x-7973.

Our primary ISP will be performing maintenance to a large fiber optic splice block in Manhattan during the upcoming weekend.  Manhattan College's primary internet connection runs through this block and will be off line for the duration of the maintenance. 

In preparation for this, we will be switching over to a backup connection Friday, March 1, at 7am and remaining on the backup connection for the duration of the maintenance. 

Most services should not be disrupted, though we may see some degraded performance during heavy use times.

We are doing everything in our power to make the switchover and operation as seamless as possible. We appreciate your patience. 

COMPLETE: Horan Hall - Brief Network Outage 3/15 at 2:30pm

UPDATE: The generator test in Horan Hall was completed successfully.

Physical Plant will be conducting a generator test in Horan Hall today, March 15th at approximately 2:30pm. We apologize for such short notice.

There will be two brief outages, one while switching to generator power, the other while switching back to main power.

This will not affect the rest of campus.

Computer Lab Software Request Deadline for Fall 2018 is May 11, 2018

If you would like to request an upgrade of a software already installed in the computer labs or if you would like us to install a new software in the computer labs on campus, please fully read through the information on the link provided and fill out the Software Request form here. (click the big green box that says “Request Service”)

Note that software listed here is already scheduled to be installed, it is not necessary to submit requests for software, unless updating to a new version.

Please note that fully completed forms are required for any change to the labs, even for free software. All software installation media and licenses are also required by the due date.

Requests for the Fall 2018 semester should be submitted by May 11, 2018. Requests submitted after the deadline may not be installed in the labs for the Fall 2018 semester. This is because we need time to develop an installation procedure and test the software in the lab environment before deploying the software. We also require a number of weeks to deploy the lab images across campus, which means our solutions need to be complete and tested several weeks prior to classes beginning.

Please submit your Software Request forms ASAP.

Updates to College Service Pages (Self-Service, Banner, ATS) Coming 3/13

Updated login pages for Self-Service, Banner, and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) will be released to the campus community on Tuesday, 3/13.

The updates to the service pages better align the page designs with the college's current online web presence. As part of the update, we have also committed to following the practice of accessible web design to insure that the web pages are usable by everyone.

Besides the design refresh, the pages were built using the college's content management system which will facilitate timely updates to the web pages by content providers.  The content displayed on each page has also been updated.

Manhattan College Updated Self-Service Page

 Check out the updated services pages after 3/13:

• Self-Service
• Banner
• Applicant Tracking Service (ATS)

More noticeable and extensive changes will be coming soon to the college's JasperNet Account self-help tool. The changes will include interface changes as well as workflow enhancements to streamline the user onboarding process.

Rooms Currently Experiencing Issue

This is just a reminder to keep an eye on this report for Rooms Currently Experiencing Issues.  Knowing ahead of time can help you mitigate how to handle your classes.

ITS and Library Collaborate on Nercomp Presentation June 12, 2018

Anita McCarthy, ITS Training Coordinator, Richard Musal Director of Client Services & Operations, and Laurin Paradise, Reference & Instruction Librarian, are presenting at a Nercomp event June 12, 2018.

Their presentation will discuss how ITS and the Library collaborated to bring a Google Jamboard to the Library study room and how it is being used by students.