2019 Information Security Symposium is seeking volunteers

The most recent Information Security Symposium at UC Davis, in 2017, earned great reviews thanks partly to the talented volunteers who helped to plan and support the event.

The planning committee now wants to assemble a similarly capable crew as it starts preparing for the next symposium, to be held at UC Davis June 18-19, 2019. Among other perks, committee members don’t have to pay the symposium’s registration fee and can attend its sessions for free.

Another 17 classrooms get major tech upgrades. Up next: Wellman

The campus upgraded another 17 general-assignment classrooms this summer, adding stronger wi-fi, improved audio, integrated video, ADA-compliant systems, and other fresh technology.

The results are impressive additions to UC Davis classroom tech, although a lot of effort goes into making the work itself look like just another day at the university.

The campus has 130 general-assignment classrooms, and each summer it upgrades more than 10 percent of them – sometimes only the technology, sometimes the entire room.

Cyber security update for the new academic year

The Information Security Office distributed this letter via various campus listservs this week.

Colleagues,

As the 2018-19 academic year gets under way, we want to share a few thoughts about cyber security relating to current risks, steps you can take to protect yourself, the new UC information security policy, and a few extra events scheduled for National Cyber Security Awareness Month.  

Starting Sept. 6, current Duo users will see it applied to more campus services

If you’re already using Duo at UC Davis, get ready to use it more frequently.

Starting Sept. 6, anyone who now uses Duo multi-factor authentication (MFA) for at least one campus service will begin using it for additional campus services—ones protected by the standard CAS (Central Authentication Service) login, such as myucdavis, the Time Reporting System, and DavisMail.

Major Banner update will improve the system, and change its forms

The Banner student information system will receive a major upgrade when it moves from version 8 to version 9 beginning this fall. If you work directly with Banner, the most visible change will be to the forms you use to enter and retrieve information.

UCCSC is sold out, but you’re still invited to hear the keynote speakers

This month’s University of California Computing Services Conference at UC Davis sold out weeks ago, but everyone is still welcome to come hear the keynote speeches presented by two highly accomplished California technologists.

Their talks in the Mondavi Center are free and public. The speakers are:

UC Davis will improve campus cybersecurity by pursuing broader use of Duo

Starting this summer, you’ll see greater use of Duo multi-factor authentication at UC Davis. And as use grows, the damage caused by phishing will shrink.

Duo is a security app. It works by asking you for two “factors” when you sign in to an account protected by Duo: your usual password, plus a temporary code created by Duo, typically sent via the Duo app to your smartphone. (There are alternatives if you can’t use a smartphone—more below.)