You may have received and email from Cheryl Cramer; Director of User Services regarding a password reset.

Willamette University is performing network upgrades which can affect how you log in to University computers: this could include personal workstations as well as computer labs. In order to ensure a smooth transition we are asking users who have not recently done so to reset their network passwords.

We assure you this communication is real, and legitimate. There are numerous phishing scams in the wild attempting to get you to give scammers your personal username/password. We are not asking you to share your password with anyone, but simply to use the existing Willamette tools to reset your password. No links were provided in the email intentionally as fake login pages tend to be a major vector to try and get you to type in the password.

Be suspicious of any email asking you for your private information. If you are ever unsure if any email you get is real or fake, don't hesitate to contact the WITS Help Desk (wits@willamette.edu, 503-370-6767) and we can confirm it.

WITS is looking for students to fill out our positions.

The WITS Help Desk is looking for friendly, computer-savvy people. We have some openings available right now, and are also looking to fill our ranks for next Fall.

The Main Office needs dedicated, intelligent people to work our check-out counter and classroom delivery services.

• Help Desk Assistant - Job Description and Application.
• Technical Assistant (Main Office) - Job Description and Application

You can also look here for other jobs at WITS:

• All WITS Student Jobs - Descriptions and application instructions.

Copyright violations can lead to both criminal and civil legal actions and penalties can run from $750 to $150,000 per infringement!  Very large volume infringements have, in some rare circumstances, resulted in criminal investigations and prosecutions that included sentencing.  

Content owners, such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), as well as network television such as Home Box Office (HBO), deploy detection services targeted to higher education networks such as Willamette.  In the past, the RIAA in particular has sued students for copyright infringement, with settlements costing students and their families thousands of dollars.  While Willamette will not as a matter of policy monitor its network for content (as some schools do), we are both obligated by law to inform you of these kind of issues and want to let you know that special risks exist regarding the practice of file-sharing copyright protected materials on our network.

Willamette does not sponsor an internal hosted music service, but we do maintain a web page that provides you with alternative legal media services available on the Internet. http://www.willamette.edu/wits/policies/copyright/mus_vid. 

A group of sites devoted to information about copyright law, peer-to-peer file sharing technology and the consequences of receiving Digital Millennium Copyright, or “take-down,” notices, while using the Willamette network may be found here: http://www.willamette.edu/wits/policies/index.   If you are unfamiliar with how peer-to-peer technology works and the implications of running such a program on the device you register to the university network, please read through this material and feel free to contact the Help Desk for technical advice.

You can read the entire article here:  http://www.scambusters.org/fakeantivirus.html

An excerpt that mirrors what we've seen a lot here on campus.

"Not long ago, a colleague was conducting Internet research when -- pop! -- a yellow triangle appeared on his screen, warning that his computer had been infected by dangerous spyware. The alert looked real. He thought it was "issued" by his security software maker.

Still, he was skeptical. Using his mouse, he closed the alert by pressing the "x" in the window's upper right-hand corner.

That was his first -- and last -- mistake!

Pop-up ads began sprouting everywhere, his screen froze, and none of his programs were accessible -- even after rebooting. Basically, his computer was disabled, and he spent hours on the phone with tech support to correct the problems. "

Fake AntiVirus Removers are very prevalent now, and becoming more cumbersome to remove every day. The article linked above lists 10 things you can do to prevent becoming infected. We've summarized the ones herw we feel are the most important.

#7. Avoid questionable websites. Some sites may automatically download malicious software onto your computer. (WITS- TV and Movie watching sites, eg surfthechannel, are very common sources of viruses)

#4. Do NOT click on any pop-up that advertises anti-virus or anti-spyware software, especially a program promising to provide every feature known to mankind. (Also remember: the fakes often mimic well-known brands such as Grisoft AVG, Norton and McAfee.)

#5. If a virus alert appears on your screen, do NOT touch it. Don't use your mouse to eliminate or scan for viruses, and DON'T use your mouse to close the window. Instead, hit control + alt + delete to view a list of programs currently running. Delete the "rogue" from the list of running programs, and call your computer maker's phone or online tech support service to learn if you can safely use your computer.

9. Although fake software may closely resemble the real thing, it's rarely an exact match. Look for suspicious discrepancies.

Again, you can read the entire article here: http://www.scambusters.org/fakeantivirus.html