PCWorld has published a great guide, "How to secure, protect, and completely lock down your Android phone." The article does use the names of the various operating systems that Android has released, but don’t let that put you off. The instructions and the context of the instructions are extremely useful. Let’s look at a few:

1. Always download apps from the Google Play store. The Google Play store has a built-in malware scanner. If you download your apps from websites, you lose this protective feature.
2. Use a screen-locking method (pattern pin or password). This ensures that the data on your phone is encrypted while it’s locked.
3. Install Find My Device (from the Google Play store). If your phone is lost or stolen, you can track it, lock it, and erase it remotely (from wherever you are).
4. Always update your phone. If your phone has an OS update, or if individual apps have updates, allow them to install.
5. Prevent unknown downloads using the special app access settings.
6. Uninstall apps you don’t use.
7. Check app permissions and be selective.
8. Disable Smart Lock for passwords and auto sign-in. Download a password manager and be responsible for your passwords.

Get more tips and learn how to do all of the above by reading the PCWorld article.

PCWorld has published a wonderful guide on how to secure your Android phone. The article does use the names of the various operating systems that Android has released, but don’t let that put you off. The instructions and the context of the instructions are extremely useful. Let’s look at a few:

1. Always download apps from the Google Play store. The Google Play store has a built-in malware scanner. If you download your apps from websites, you lose this protective feature.
2. Use a screen-locking method (pattern pin or password). This ensures that the data on your phone is encrypted while it’s locked.
3. Install Find My Device (from the Google Play store). If your phone is lost or stolen, you can track it, lock it, and erase it remotely (from wherever you are).
4. Always update your phone. If your phone has an OS update, or if individual apps have updates, allow them to install.
5. Prevent unknown downloads using the special app access settings.
6. Uninstall apps you don’t use.
7. Check app permissions and be selective.
8. Disable Smart Lock for passwords and auto sign-in. Download a password manager and be responsible for your passwords.

Get more tips and learn how to do all of the above by reading the PCWorld article, "How to secure, protect, and completely lock down your Android phone."

PCWorld has published a wonderful guide on how to secure your Android phone. The article does use the names of the various operating systems that Android has released, but don’t let that put you off. The instructions and the context of the instructions are extremely useful. Let’s look at a few:

1. Always download apps from the Google Play store. The Google Play store has a built-in malware scanner. If you download your apps from websites, you lose this protective feature.
2. Use a screen-locking method (pattern pin or password). This ensures that the data on your phone is encrypted while it’s locked.
3. Install Find My Device (from the Google Play store). If your phone is lost or stolen, you can track it, lock it, and erase it remotely (from wherever you are).
4. Always update your phone. If your phone has an OS update, or if individual apps have updates, allow them to install.
5. Prevent unknown downloads using the special app access settings.
6. Uninstall apps you don’t use.
7. Check app permissions and be selective.
8. Disable Smart Lock for passwords and auto sign-in. Download a password manager and be responsible for your passwords.

Get more tips and learn how to do all of the above by reading the PCWorld article, "How to secure, protect, and completely lock down your Android phone."

Please be extra mindful about your personal information security and our campus information security during the government shutdown. The agencies that notify industry about high-level threats, like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), are severely compromised. In essence, the people who are furloughed are the people who respond to security incidents. These are the people who patch systems, code fixes, renew security certificates, and notify industry and the nation about active threats.

You can read more about this from multiple resources:

Malware Bites blog

Fifth Domain

CNBC

Mother Jones

Wired

Spectrum News (Orlando)

From the Chair of the College Senate
Reports to the College Senate are posted on the College Senate website. The most recent reports are from the December 14, 2018, Senate meeting.

Podcasts serve as the official audio record of each College Senate meeting. If you missed a Senate meeting and want to catch up, podcasts are posted to the Senate's podcasts web page. Senate meeting summaries are posted to the website after they are presented to the Senate.

College Senate meetings for the spring 2019 semester will be held on the following dates. All meetings will be held on Fridays at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 215 unless otherwise noted.

February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10

The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Joseph Marren, professor of communication, serves as chair of the College Senate for the 2018–2019 academic year. Please stop by the office, call 878-5139, or e-mail Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions or for general information.

Buff State Alert is the campus emergency notification system. Students, faculty, and staff members who wish to enroll in Buff State Alert or modify their contact preferences (e.g., update a cell phone number) may do so by visiting the Buff State Alert website and logging in with their Buffalo State user name and password. Anyone who does not have a Buffalo State user name or password can still sign up for text messages only from Buff State Alert by texting the word “buffalostate” to 79516.

Buff State Alert is used only to convey messages regarding serious safety issues, utility failures, or weather-related campuswide closures and cancellations. Buff State Alert is capable of sending text messages, recorded voice messages, and e-mail messages to multiple addresses and phone numbers. In addition, the system is capable of immediately posting messages to the Buffalo State home page, social media sites, the campus cable system, and select video message boards.

Personal data provided to Buff State Alert will not be used for any other purpose or for campus information broadcast. If you have questions about Buff State Alert, please call (716) 878-4357 or e-mail the IT Help Desk.

The Buffalo State community is saddened by the death of Doris K. Eddins, professor emerita of curriculum and supervision, who died March 13, 2018. Dr. Eddins joined the college in 1947 and retired in 1978.

If you are creating your final exam in Microsoft Office, please use the Check Accessibility feature to check for access issues. Microsoft does the work of checking your document for you and provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to fix errors in the document.

Related information:

Buffalo State Accessibility Services website 

Accessibility for audio and video files

Accessibility with hyperlinks

How to tag files in OSX

How to tag files in Windows 10

Please look for scheduled workshops in the Workshop Registration System. You may request training for yourself or for your group through the IT self-service portal.

If you are creating your final exam in Microsoft Office, please use the Check Accessibility feature to check for access issues. Microsoft does the work of checking your document for you and provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to fix errors in the document.

Please also see the following:

Buffalo State accessibility website

Accessibility for audio and video files

Accessibility with hyperlinks

How to tag files in OSX

How to tag files in Windows 10

Please look for scheduled workshops in the Workshop Registration System. You may request training for yourself or your group through the IT self-service portal.