1.+July+-+Sept,+2010+--+archive

=Spt 27th at 1:30 PM in PDC= How is the team proceeding to reinstall SOPHOS where a 'Bad version" was delivered with a flawed image?

Review Powerpoint of Code of Conduct [|2010 11 Code of Conduct Presentation for Schools.lnk]

=9/20/2010=  // September 14, Computerworld // – (International) **Researchers clash over possible return of Google attackers.** Researchers September 13 clashed over whether recent attacks that exploit a bug in Adobe Reader are the work of the group that hacked Google and dozens of other major corporations late last year. On one side, Mountain View, Calif.-based antivirus giant Symantec, whose security analysts said they have found evidence suggesting the group which wormed its way into Google’s corporate network in December 2009 is back in business. On the other, Atlanta’s much smaller SecureWorks, where a researcher said Symantec had “comingled” evidence of two separate attacks. At issue were recent PDF-based exploits attached to messages touting a renowned golf swing coach that have exploited an unpatched bug in Adobe’s popular Reader PDF viewer. Security experts have called that exploit “scary” and “clever” for the way it sidesteps critical Windows defenses designed to isolate malicious code and make it harder to execute malware. Those attacks went public last week, when a independent security researcher reported the flaw to Adobe, then published her preliminary findings. Adobe issued a security warning, and September 13 announced it would patch the problem early next month. Source: []

// September 13, The Register // – (International) **Critical Flash vuln under active attack, Adobe warns.** On September 13, Adobe Systems warned of a critical vulnerability in the most recent version of its Flash Player that is being actively exploited in the wild. The vulnerability affects Flash Player 10.1.82.76 for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, and Android operating systems, Adobe said in an advisory. “There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against Adobe Flash Player on Windows,” the warning said, without elaborating. The latest versions of Adobe’s Reader and Acrobat applications are vulnerable to the same flaw, but there is no evidence they are being exploited. The advisory credited a researcher of the Shadowserver Foundation for working with Adobe’s security team on the vulnerability. The disclosure means there are at least two unpatched flaws in widely used Adobe applications presently under attack. Source: []

// September 16, Help Net Security // – (International) **Facebook is the top source for malware infections.** The use of social networking during working hours is common (77 percent of employees do), and consequently, 33 percent said they have been infected by malware corporate network that has been distributed by these communities, according to Panda Security. Facebook is by far the most popular social media tool among SMBs: Sixty-nine percent of respondents reported that they have active accounts with this site, followed by Twitter (44 percent), YouTube (32 percent) and LinkedIn (23 percent). Facebook was cited as the top culprit for companies that experienced malware infection (71.6 percent) and privacy violations (73.2 percent). YouTube took the second spot for malware infection (41.2 percent), while Twitter contributed to a significant amount of privacy violations (51 percent). For companies suffering financial losses from employee privacy violations, Facebook was again cited as the most common social media site where these losses occurred (62 percent), followed by Twitter (38 percent), YouTube (24 percent) and LinkedIn (11 percent). Source: []

// September 16, The H Security // – (International) **Mozilla releases Firefox stability updates.** The Mozilla Project has issued stability updates for the latest stable and legacy branch of its open source Firefox Web browser. According to the developers, Firefox 3.5.13 and 3.6.10 each address a bug (3.5.13,3.6.10) that caused the browser to crash during start-up for “a limited number of users” across all three platforms — Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The updates come just 1 day after Mozilla reportedly turned off update notifications for some users running older versions of the software due to the stability problem. The 3.6.9 and 3.5.12 updates from last week addressed a total of 15 security vulnerabilities, with 10 of them rated as critical by the developers. The 3.6.10 update also fixes an issue related to the Personas blocklist. Personas are lightweight “skins” for the Web browser that change the look of Firefox by changing the header and footer areas, while leaving the navigation buttons and menus alone. More details about the updates can be found in the 3.6.10 and 3.5.13 release notes. Firefox 3.5.13 and 3.6.10 are available to download from the project’s site. Alternatively, existing Firefox users can upgrade to the new version, either by waiting for the automated update notification or by manually selecting “Check for updates” from the Help Menu. Source: []

// September 16, Help Net Security // – (International) **80% of network attacks target web-based systems.** This year has seen the use of the Internet for conducting business hit an all-time high; however, attacks continue to strike networks more than ever by using sophisticated techniques. Employee use of Web-based business applications and social networking sites while on corporate networks continues to grow daily. While the employee premise for these programs is honorable — to help build brand awareness or improve productivity — use of these applications opens up the enterprise network to serious security threats. One of the key findings of a new report was that more than 80 percent of network attacks targeted Web-based systems. There are two key elements to this number: Web sites and Web clients. The report shows Web sites are constantly at risk of being taken offline or defaced from SQL injection, PHP File Include or other attacks, and that these types of attacks have doubled in the last 6 months. The report by HP TippingPoint DVLabs, SANS Institute and Qualys Research Labs, provides data and analysis — including real-world examples of attacks and recommended ways to mitigate risk — to fully inform companies about the latest security threats. It includes updated vulnerability trends, an in-depth analysis of a PDF-based exploit, discussion of client versus server side attacks, and information on growing tendencies, including botnets and malicious JavaScript. Source: []

// September 15, DarkReading // – (International) **Number of malware-infected websites tops 1 million mark.** According to a new report published in a blog September 15 by researchers at security firm Dasient, the number of Web sites infected by malware in the second quarter of 2010 spiked to more than 1.3 million — the first time that figure has ever topped 1 million. “That’s a jump of almost two times the number that we saw in the previous quarter,” said Dasient’s co-founder. “The numbers are really surprising.” Malware authors are becoming more efficient and creative in methods of attacking Web sites, Dasient said. For one thing, they are creating new malware at an exceedingly rapid rate: Dasient detected more than 58,000 new infections in Q2 alone, raising its comprehensive malware library to more than 200,000 different infections. Attackers are also becoming more crafty in the way they distribute their payloads, Dasient’s co-founder observed. For example, many malware authors have begun deploying new infections late on Friday afternoons, when they know most IT departmental resources will be at an ebb over the weekend. Source: []

=9/16/10 from Dale:= When connecting a local switch to a VoIP phone, the switch should be connected after the phone. This will eliminate the need for a power brick to power the phone. If it cannot be avoided, we have a small stock of power bricks for the Cisco phones, at the NOC. Also, the phones we are using are only 10/100 Mbps, it is useless to install a 10/100/1000 Mbps switch in line with a VoIP phone. As these are considerably more expensive than a 10/100 switch, a 10/100 Mbps switch should be used in this environment.

=9/13/10= Windows 7 now commands 14.46% of the market usage share (up from 13.70% in June), compared to Vista’s 14.34% (down from 14.68%), the first month that 7 has had a greater usage share than Vista . XP continues to dominate with 61.87% (down from 62.43 in June). Mac OS X usage share also dropped, down to 5.06% (from 5.16% in July). Windows continues to dominate with a 91.32% usage share, with Linux still grappling with that fist percent, at 0.93% (source)

// September 8, The Register // – (International) **Adobe Reader 0day under active attack.** Researchers have uncovered sophisticated attack code circulating on the net that exploits a critical vulnerability in the most recent version of Adobe Reader. The click-and-get-hacked exploit spreads through e-mail that contains a booby-trapped PDF file that remains virtually undetected by most anti-virus programs, according to the security researcher who first alerted Adobe to the threat. It was being sent to a small group of individuals who “work on common issues,” he said, causing him to believe they were narrowly selected by the attackers. On September 8, Adobe confirmed that the vulnerability affects Reader 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix. The company’s security team is in the process of figuring out when it will release a patch. Adobe is working with security companies to help them develop detection and quarantine techniques to contain any attacks. In the meantime, there are no mitigations users can take other than to exercise due care in opening PDF documents. It may also make sense to use an alternate PDF viewer such as FoxIT, but it is not yet been confirmed that other programs are not vulnerable. The malicious PDF, which also exploits Adobe Acrobat, uses some highly sophisticated techniques to ensure success. It contains three separate font packages so it works on multiple versions of the Adobe programs, and it also has been designed to bypass protections such as ASLR, or address space layout randomization and DEP, and data execution prevention, which are built in to more recent versions of Microsoft Windows. Source: []

// September 9, Computerworld // – (International) **Mass injections and malware infections at Media Temple.** Since at least the spring of 2010, a swarm of infections have been found in Media Temple Web hosted sites. It provides Web hosting for ABC, Adobe, NBC, Starbucks, Sony, Time, Toyota, Volkswagen and approximately 350,000 other domains internationally. Many of its sites run WordPress which is a wildly popular target to hackers and cyber criminals. Google Safe Browsing diagnostics states that of the 66,060 Media Temple sites tested in the last 90 days, 12,423 had malicious content. Some 311 sites have functioned as intermediaries to infect 900 other sites. Also in the last 90 days, 28 Media Temple hosted sites have distributed malware to 650 other sites. Source: []

// September 9, The H Security // – (International) **iOS 4.1 released for iPhone and iPod touch.** Apple has released version 4.1 of its iOS operating system for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The major update includes a number of new features and addresses several critical security vulnerabilities in the mobile OS. In total, the 4.1 release of iOS closes a total of 24 security holes, 20 of which are related to the WebKit rendering engine used by the OS’s Safari web browser. The company says that all of the WebKit issues could allow an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code. Apart from the security fixes, after updating their devices, iPhone 4 users can shoot high dynamic range (HDR) photos and upload HD videos via Wi-Fi to YouTube and MobileMe. Users with iPhone 4, 3GS or iPod Touch (2nd generation or later) devices can also play games against their friends using Game Center. Other changes include the addition of support for the Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) Bluetooth profile, allowing users to control media playback on their mobile devices using, for example, Bluetooth headphones, performance improvements on older devices like the iPhone 3G, and heavy integration with Apple’s iTunes Ping social network. Source: []

=9/10/10=

Ipads in the Classroom - []

=9/9/10 - IS Sophos AV really enough? Should we plan to implement Sophos Endpoint? (ref WO#: 45498)= // September 6, Help Net Security // – (International) **Every week 57,000 fake Web addresses try to infect users.** Every week, hackers are creating 57,000 new Web addresses which they position and index on leading search engines in the hope that unwary users will click them by mistake. Those who do, will see their computers infected or any data they enter on these pages fall into the hands of criminals. To do this, they use an average of 375 company brands and names of private institutions from all over the world, all of them instantly recognizable. eBay, Western Union and Visa top the rankings of the most frequently used keywords; followed by Amazon, Bank of America, Paypal and the US revenue service. These are the conclusions of a study carried out by PandaLabs, which has monitored and analyzed the major blackhat SEO attacks of the last three months. Some 65 percent of these fake websites are positioned as belonging to banks. For the most part, they pose as banks in order to steal users’ login credentials. Online stores and auction sites are also popular (27 percent), with eBay the most widely used. Other financial institutions (such as investment funds or stockbrokers) and government organizations occupy the following positions, with 2.3 percent and 1.9 percent respectively. The latter is largely accounted for by the US revenue service or other tax collecting agencies. Payment platforms, led by Paypal, and ISPs are in fifth and sixth place, while gaming sites — topped by World of Warcraft — complete the ranking. Source: []

// September 6, All Facebook // – (International) **Massive new survey worm spreading on Facebook.** A group of developers have found a loophole in Facebook’s application Platform which enables them to automatically post messages to a user’s wall. This loophole does not require any action by the user, it simply posts to the user’s wall the moment they load the application. Right now the messages being spread state “I thought this survey stuff was GARBAGE but i just went on a shopping spree at walmart thanks to FB.” This happens to be one of the fastest spreading scams ever seen on Facebook to date, and also one of the largest security glitches in the Facebook Platform. While All Facebook is not aware of any viruses that result from the system, it appears to be the standard offers system which is driving this scam. There appears to be thousands of applications that have been used as part of this scam, which will make it much more time consuming for Facebook to shut down the scammers. Source: []

// September 6, The Register // – (International) **Browser security warning lookalike pushes malware.** Scareware peddlers have developed a new ruse that relies on mimicking browser warning pages. The malicious code — dubbed Zeven — auto-detects a user’s browser before serving up a warning page that poses as the genuine pages generated by IE, Firefox or Chrome. Prospective marks are warned that their systems are riddled with malware to trick them into running a fake anti-virus software package, called Win7 AV. The warnings are generated from malicious scripts planted on compromised websites. The social engineering scam hinges on the fact a user is more likely to trust a warning and security recommendation ostensibly generated from their browser software than a random “your security is at risk” pop-up. The Win 7 AV scareware package at the center of the scam is served from a site designed to look like the genuine Microsoft Security Essentials website. Source: []

=9/7/10=  // September 2, ZDNet // – (International) **Apple patches 13 iTunes security holes.** Apple has shipped a new version of its iTunes media player to fix 13 security flaws that cold be exploited to launch attacks against Windows machines. The patches in the new iTunes 10 covers vulnerabilities in WebKit, the open-source Web browser engine. The WebKit vulnerabilities, already patched in Safari, expose Windows users to remote code execution attacks via maliciously crafted Web sites. The iTunes 10 update is available for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2 or later. Source: []

// September 2, CNET News // – (International) **Toshiba recalls 41,000 laptops for overheating.** The Consumer Product Safety Commission September 2 issued a recall of 41,000 Toshiba laptops after reports of some overheating and even melting. Toshiba posted its own recall of several models of its Satellite T130 laptops on its product support forums the week of August 23. The CPSC said 129 instances of “overheating and deforming the plastic casing area around the AC adapter plug” had been reported. Two of those reports resulted in “minor burn injuries that did not require medical attention” and two in minor property damage. Toshiba said on its Web site that the problem stems from a “faulty DC-In harness,” which can lead to the computer melting where the AC adapter plugs in. The solution is a BIOS update, which the company recommends users of the affected models implement right away. The update is available on Toshiba’s Web site. Source: []

// September 2, TechWorld // – (International) **Fake antivirus software using ransom threats.** Fake antivirus programs appear to be adopting some of the money-raising tactics of more threatening ransom malware, security company Fortinet’s latest threat report has found. The most prevalent malware variant during August was TotalSecurity W32/FakeAlert.LU!tr, a malicious program that masquerades as antivirus software in order to sell worthless licenses for non-existent malware. On its own, it accounted for 37.3 percent of all malware threats detected by the company during the month. Unlike standard fake antivirus programs, however, the new version of TotalSecurity takes the ruse a stage further by preventing any applications other than a Web browser to run, claiming they are “infected.” The user is invited to have the infection cleaned by buying the bogus TotalSecurity product. “This is another example of how relying purely on antivirus is not a silver-bullet approach to protecting systems from infection,” said Fortinet’s threat research head. Source: []

=9/2/10= = **We are going to move analog hand sets (not replace them) due to budgetary goals.** All ANALOG handset moves & changes need Principal approval (or Dept Director). There is now a new subtype called “FLTG MAC” for FLTG analog handset move orders (& associated repairs). =  Trackit! will automatically assign new FLTG MAC work orders to Mark. Mark can share them with Dale as load and urgency demand.

//August 30, The Register// – (International) Apple QuickTime backdoor creates code-execution peril. A security researcher has unearthed a “bizarre” flaw in Apple’s QuickTime Player that can be exploited to remotely execute malicious code on Windows-based PCs, even those running the most recent versions of operating system. Technically, the inclusion of an unused parameter known as “_Marshaled_pUnk” is a backdoor because it is the work of an Apple developer who added it to to the QuickTime code base and then, most likely, forgot to remove it when it was no longer needed. It sat largely undetected for at least 9 years until a researcher of Spain-based security firm Wintercore discovered it and realized it could be exploited to take full control of machines running Windows 7, Microsoft’s most secure operating system to date. “The bug is pretty bizarre,” the CSO of Rapid7 and chief architect of the Metasploit project told The Register August 30. “It’s not a standard vulnerability in the sense that a feature was implemented poorly. It was more kind of a leftover development piece that was left in production. It’s probably an oversight.” The presence of _Marshaled_pUnk creates the equivalent of an object pointer that an attacker can use to funnel malicious code into computer memory. Source: []

=8/25/10 Replacing Stolen Computers= When a computer has been reported stolen, there is no district replacement protocol for stolen computers. If any insurance is recovered it almost always has gone back to the general fund. Schools do not typically get the stolen equipment replaced.

=8/25/2010 How to Request Comp or OT= Please connect request for approval for comp time or OT to a specific single WO#s. Requests need to come to me before the time is executed except in emergencies (and executive fiats!). It is simplest for me if you only make one request per email like this:

...or....
 * I would like to request approval for 5 hours Comp Time to complete project Blablabal on 8/25 (WO#12345).**

=8/25/2010 IT Security News= // August 23, ComputerWorld // – (International) Researcher told Microsoft of Windows apps zero-day bugs 6 months ago. Microsoft has known since at least February that dozens of Windows applications, including many of its own, harbor bugs that hackers can exploit to seize control of computers, an academic researcher said August 22. At least 19 of the bugs can be exploited remotely, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California Davis said in a paper he published in February and presented last month at an international conference. The candidate added his voice to a growing chorus of researchers who claim that a large number of Windows programs are vulnerable to attack because of the way they load components. Recently, a U.S. researcher said he had found at least 40 vulnerable applications, including the Windows shell. Shortly thereafter, Slovenian security firm Acros announced its homegrown tool had uncovered more than 200 flawed Windows programs in an investigation that began 4 months ago. Source: []
 * I would like to request approval for 5 hours OT to complete project Blablabal on 8/25 (WO#12345).**

// August 23, Krebs on Security // – (International) Anti-virus products struggle against exploits. Most anti-virus products designed for use in businesses do a poor job of detecting exploits that hacked and malicious Web use to foist malware, a new report concludes. Independent testing firm NSS Labs looked at the performance of 10 commercial anti-virus products to see how well they detected 123 client-side exploits, those typically used to attack vulnerabilities in Web browsers including Internet Explorer and Firefox, as well as common desktop applications, such as Adobe Flash, Reader, and Apple QuickTime. Roughly half of the exploits tested were exact copies of the first exploit code to be made public against the vulnerability. NSS also tested detection for an equal number of exploit variants, those which exploit the same vulnerability but use slightly different entry points in the targeted system’s memory. None of the exploits used evasion techniques commonly employed by real-life exploits to disguise themselves or hide from intrusion detection systems. Among all 10 products, NSS found that the average detection rate against original exploits was 76 percent, and that only 3 out of 10 products stopped all of the original exploits. The average detection against exploits variants was even lower, at 58 percent, NSS found. Source: []

// August 23, Help Net Security // – (International) Trojan simulates MS Security Essentials Alert, peddles fake AV. A Trojan imitating a Microsoft Security Essentials Alert has been spotted trying to convince users their computer is infected and that the only thing to do is to pay for one of the five fake antivirus solutions offered. Whether a user clicks on the “Clean computer” or the “Apply actions” button, she is told that the program cannot clean the computer and is prompted to use an online scanner, reports a researcher of Bleeping Computer. The computer is purportedly scanned by 35 antivirus solutions — 30 legitimate and 5 fake — but only the fake ones (Red Cross Antivirus, Peak Protection 2010, Pest Detector 4.1, Major Defense Kit, AntiSpySafeguard) “detect” the Trojan. In fact, all of these fake solutions are one and the same, but with different names and graphical user interfaces. Whichever one choose to install, it will reboot one’s computer, run automatically and begin a fake scan. The result is always the same: the computer is full of malware. The fake AV has managed to clean some of it, but there are still numerous infected files that only the full (paid) version can remove. The program also terminates some of the other programs a user may attempt to start, saying that they are also infected. Source: []

// August 16, Help Net Security // – (International) Who is the typical Russian hacker? A security analyst and a senior researcher from security firm Coseinc that calls himself “Le Grugq” have spent 6 months on various Russian Web forums in order to discover just what kind of threat Russian hackers present to the world at large. Both of them fluent in the language, they managed to get more than just a glimpse into this underground culture and shared their knowledge with the attendees of the Hack in the Box conference, ENP reports. And according to them, businesses have little to worry about, since Russian hackers are usually attracted by money they can get their hands on simply and fast. Corporate secrets hold no appeal to them. The hackers often go for the easiest potential victims, such as careless individual users. This is because the typical Russian hacker is a student looking for some pocket money. His targets are individual users in the Western world and he has no qualms about fleecing them since he believes everybody is rich outside Russia — claims the analyst. Russian hackers are geeks, not gangsters. There is an entire underground economy that caters to these unprofessional criminals: they can buy or rent malware, use the services of supporting partners who will drive Internet traffic to the malicious sites, use the services of botnet masters who can execute DDoS attacks on rival Web sites and Twitter accounts. These hackers are interested in infecting individual computers and stealing the users’ credit card numbers, and using them in various ways. They usually refrain from ordering physical stuff online, since the delivery address would point to them. Source: [] =8/23/2010 Meeting Agenda=

Teamwork!
**From: ** Constance Evelyn Hi Bill, I wanted to make sure that I formally commended and thanked you for the work that you have done this summer. We have asked you to fulfill many critical tasks to solidify the success of our students and staff, and somehow, you have managed them all. Additionally, you were meticulous in your approach to supporting our staff and students engaged in our 'start up' PLATO Summer Credit Recovery Program; I was informed that you constantly checked in with Ray Cole and Tim Moon to ensure that things ran smoothly. Your professional approach and commitment to your work is easily recognizable and greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bill. Connie --
 * Sent:** Friday, August 20, 2010 9:48 AM
 * To:** William Mahler (Bill)
 * Cc:** Judy Pastel
 * Subject:** RE: Fall Creek Computers

1. ID: 43629Tony why is this CRITICAL? -Mike Date Assigned: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:38:39 PM Due Date: Priority: Critical System Closed Date: Requestor: Joanne Church Assigned Technician: Miller, Anthony Location: Dewitt Middle School Summary: * IN DANBY * D110: computer #DED110-580-10: startup error Description: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:38:40 PM by JCHURCH - (Public) D110: Optiplex 580 computer #DED110-580-10: startup error: "Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint B1. Contact administrator..."

2. Peter, If you are using this to keep track of Exit Form computers you touch why is it rated CRITICAL? -Mike ID: 43789 Date Assigned: Monday, June 28, 2010 1:49:32 PM Due Date: Priority: Critical System Closed Date: Requestor: William Mahler Assigned Technician: Stromberg, Peter Location: Ithaca High School Summary: EXIT form computers in 143 Description: Monday, June 28, 2010 8:43:12 AM by pstrombe - (Public) master incoming list, all handled in da 126 and moved to da 143 (mostly, 144 and recycle too)

3. Tony what are we doing next for this work order? Are you are a dead end? ID: 43628 Date Assigned: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:32:49 PM Due Date: Priority: Critical System Closed Date: Requestor: Joanne Church Assigned Technician: Miller, Anthony Location: Dewitt Middle School Summary: D129-DEBL5310: library networked B/W printer not working Description: Friday, June 18, 2010 3:32:49 PM by JCHURCH - (Public) D129-DEBL5310: library networked B/W printer not working. We get message that printer connection is not working. When we looked at the print queue, there was a very large file with status "Deleting" for a long time. Dale P. was here, and tried to get it fixed, w/o success.

4. Who is Apple Certified now? If you are not certified suggest date by the end of this week for you to complete this requirement. How about Dell?

5. WO# 43791 was amended to include the following information: Tony when did Scott agree to do the testing? Did he get the computer when he agreed that he was available for the testing?

6. Saturday, August 21, 2010 1:52:43 PM by amiller1- Image is built I need to type up the testing sheet and get it out for alpha testing. I will make a call for each tech to alpha test it when i have it all ready for them . This should be out before the end of the week.

=FYI 8/19/10 Ultra-Low-Cost Computer Solution For Schools Bundles Free K-12 Education Software= = [|Userful Releases Linux MultiSeat 2010] = The solution is a complete Linux based classroom software solution on a single install DVD .  =FYI 8/19/10= Microsoft is launching Office for Mac 2011 in October in three flavors, company officials said on August 2. “For better alignment across platforms, the [|Office 2011 pricing and edition options map closer with Windows Office],” according to Microsoft’s press release.The three SKUs, or versions — Office for Mac Home & Student 2011, Office for Mac Home & Business 2011 and Office for Mac Academic 2011 — will be available at retail starting in late October. (The Academic version, for students and faculty, will be available via authorized academic stores.) The Home and Student version includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Messenger and will retail starting at $119 (U.S. estimated retail price, single install only). A Family Pack version, with three installs, will be available for $149. The Home and Business 2011 version includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Messenger and Outlook. A single install version will go for $199 and a Multi-Pack with two installs allowed for $279. The Mac Academic 2011 product (single install only) includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Messenger and will retail for $99 =--= =8/16/10 Meeting= Updated Desktop Team Work Schedule:

For new teacher cmputer WOs use this syntax in the subject line: **Building-Teacher Laptop tag# name"**


 * 1. What is the status of creating Work Orders for replacing old Admin computers?** OT is available for completing the roll out of Admin computers. This work can begin as soon as opening school urgencies are under control.


 * 2. What is needed to decommission and recycle the GX270 and earlier desktops? Should GX 280s be on this list yet?** We will keep the 27-s a bit longer. Until we are sure the L300s are a good replacement.


 * 3. Are we still find uses for V16 iBooks or is it time to decommission & recycle these?** Ok for v16s to stay in sevice. If repair is needed other than keybrd then decommission them. RAM should go to 512 or 640. Double check status of any waiting for decommissioning (as Out of Service not as Spare).
 * 4. Are we ready to recylce Inspiron 1150s, 1100, 2650s, 110Ls and 100Ls?** Yes as repairs are needed for them, but 110Ls, and M70s and then 100Ls can be repaired & go back into service if needed.


 * 5. Review protocols for requesting assistance with WOs and projects.**


 * 6.Update information on the Work Schedule.**

FYI 8/13/10 = NYC Schools outsource email = =[|NYC Schools Implement ePals] The product will help create online communities connecting students, parents, teachers, and school leaders as they adopt technology as an integral part of student learning. = Notes from 8/9 Meeting

MIke We don't have access to the link below becasue it sit on your H drive. Can it be moved to tech documents? -UPDATED SUMMER WORK SCHEDULE:



- upgrade Computer Lab local switches to GigE Switches and reuse the 100MB switches in SH & ENF with nComputers in classrooms.

-Review who is assigned to these buildings: BJM: BILL__,__ __FC___BOB & BILL LACS: Peter will keep

DALE topic, "what is going on with DHCP (&/or DNS) what work arounds are possible for Desktop staff until it is fixed?"

UPDATE from DALE 8/10:
 * Jason and I have been working through additional changes to DNS and DHCP and I am confident that the problems will be resolved with stale records being held in DNS. We have now configured DHCP to register all records with DNS on behalf of the DHCP clients. The DHCP will also own these records and, therefore, will be able to make updates when leases change.**
 * All DHCP scopes have been reset to either 8 or 10 day lease times. This will aid in DNS scavenging also. Because the Danby scope had a lease time set to 1 hour and scavenging set to 7 days, the DNS records were not being cleared prior to a new lease being offered. Short lease times not only create additional traffic to the servers, there is a greater potential for tombstoned entries in active directory. I have also deleted many of the DNS entries for the Danby subnet to simulate an immediate scavenge of those records. If problems arise, a reboot of the client computer should result in a new lease and registration in DNS. We will also need to keep watch for the Danby scope filling up with leased addresses. As mentioned, the lease time on this subnet has also been extended to 8 days.**
 * I am not sure this will fix the problem with invalid Macintosh MAC addresses being seen in DHCP. If this should continue to be a problem, I suggest we create a separate subnet for imaging and place a new DHCP server to serve that subnet only. This DHCP should be served from an OSX server to eliminate any incompatibilities being seen between the Mac’s and our Microsoft environment. Yet another reason to get rid of Mac’s on this network.**
 * Please let us know if you continue to see problems with the Danby subnet.**


 * Thanks,**
 * Dale.**

|| Instructional Mobile Lab Reimaging and PLATO image creation are negatvely Impacted by these DHCP issues: WO#44232 Is Cluster actually working. || It's time to invite an outside expert to analyze the problem? Or at least return to an unclustered soultion until we figure this out.

=__FYI 8-3-2010__= __I have been collecting Data over the past few weeks about the help Desk. This is crude but it show nearly 90% who were asked would use the help desk. There were a total of 88 surveys. Thought I had about twice that. It also show Tuesday is the most popular choice followed closely by Monday and Thursday.__

Email to Prinicpals from Barry D & Connie E:

=__FYI 8-2-2010__=

__Is this the__ [|IPAD killer]__? It looks like an iPad, only it’s one-fourteenth the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 basic touch-screen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011.__ =__August 2nd-updated summer work spreadsheet.__=

=__July 26th, Agenda__=

__Norm announcing his Retirement & Resignation effective 7/26/2010. CONTACT:__ norman@twcny.rr.com

__Web Interface for Rico/Minolta copiers. It is possible to set up the Web interface so Buildings can add and remove users. This is more efficent and easier then standing at the copier. Rico works such that we need to add a "User" adminstrator with a different ID & password - go to__ [|http://dol20-ricc3260.icsd.k12.ny.us] __and I can demonstrate__

__Summer/Fall ( before school Starts) Project List__ __Read 180/System 44 Client Updates__ __Move Boynton Teaching Lab Back to B205__ __Mobile Labs__ __Software updates for these Labs:__ __H212__ __B205__ __Boyton Library__ __Caroline Emac Lab__ __BJM Lab__

__Reassemble__ __CHES__ __Fall Creek__ __North East__ __SouthHill__ __LACS__

__Move & Set Up Building Principles__

__Image/Reimage__ __PLATO__ __PLTW__ __Dewitt Library Lab__

HERE IS THE SPREADSHEET MIKE BUILT OF THESE TASKS DURING THE MEETING:

__Deploy Studio quick run-through on the latest improvements. -Peter__ =__1:30 PM Monday July 19th, Agenda__=  1:30 PM Monday July 19th, Agenda ALL UPDATES TO THE AGENDA ITEMS BELOW ARE IN BOLD TEXT.

Help Desk - Fall Start up date - Back Door - Days and Hours - Bill (7/19) – Help Desk hours for September will be each TUESDAY only. In October we will as THURSDAY as well.


 * The PLATO LAB will be our first attempt to clone Windows 7. AVG antivirus will be installed on the computers going to out of district sites as a temporary measure (until those organizations install their preffered antivirus).**

· Plato image? The base 745 image does not work on the new plato desktop. These computers came with windows 7. Making a simple image will be quick but should it be 7 or XP? leaning 7. Which antivirus? Anything else besides plugins, open office, and AV?-Peter (7/16)

· Windows 7 uses the same user directory structure as Vista - ask Jason "can we support users moving back and forth between 7 and XP if directory structures are different?" - Bob

· On above - Spoke with Ray Cole - OS should make no difference to instruction - Open Office Good Idea as students also taking English - We should double check OS Specs to be certain that Windows 7 is supported with Plug-ins - Bill ( 719)

First stabs at DeployStudio PC successfully captured the 4/22 image (.gz files) and then restored it. I am checking out how many of our current model line are supported. Its based on a fedora release. So far the d630, d620, e5400, 780 and 745 have been worked. The acer aspire one netbook and dell e6510 are not working. Ghostcasting was my next idea for the netbook and it won't work because I cannot find a Dos driver for the NIC. -Peter (6/30) (updated) Working well for Peter who will start a WO for Tony and one for Bill so they can meet with him to learn how to use it.

Peter will share the WO# with the Team so everyone can document an issue when they see it. Peter will also start a WO to ask Dale to subnet Danby from the “E48/Noc TechNet” and configure the latter to pull Internet bandwidth from the FLTG Internet pipe.
 * DHCP problems in Danby. Jason saw some of them. -Peter (7/8)**

FRIDAY WAS SELECTED AS THE BEST ROUTINE DAY FOR SUMMER TEAM PROJECTS.
 * Team projects? mon or fridays? overtime? Inventory project in DA specifically. -Bill/Peter (7/9)**

MIKE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH JAMIE SIMON FROM WELLIVER ON THE TIME TABLE FOR THESE MATERIALS. EVERY COMPUTER 4YRS AND OLDER IS BEING REPLACED AND SOME ADDITIONAL NEW COMPUTERS ADDED.
 * Are the ACS new computers from bond work for the library (and new rooms) on Mike's radar? Peter heard this from Steve Hoffman. If we can get these machines in before septemeber we wont have to reimage and install the old library computers and have to take them out when new equipment comes in. This will save considerable work. –Peter**

__​__

From:Jamie Simon [mailto:jsimon@welliver-mcguire.com]

Sent: **Monday, July 19, 2010 2:39 PM**

To: **Mike Pliss**

Subject: **RE: LACS BOND Computer**

Wow, our emails passed each other. I just sent an email to get confirmation/advice on a few of the pieces of equipment. Once I hear back from you, I will review with Judy and Margaret one last time, then Margaret or I will send the final copy for ordering. I hope to reconcile before week’s end. Jamie Simon Welliver McGuire, Inc.

Should we get a http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/mini_laptop_deals/fs.aspx?refid=mini_laptop_deals&s=dhs&cs=19 to test? Windows 7 starter. -Peter/Bill

MIKE APPROVED AND SIAD THAT THERE ARE OPEN Pos FOR APPLE AND DELL AND SO REPAIR ITEMS OR TOOLS LIKE THIS DO NOT NEED TO WAIT FRO MY APPROVAL. MIKE EMAILED TEAM A COPY OF HIS LATEST DELL MINMI QUOTE.

Dell - Did we get warranty extensions for the "bad capacitor" problems that affected some 11.8 Million Optiplex computers? New York Times article: []

BRIEFLY REVIEWED FOR BOB S THE HISTORY HERE WITH BAD CAPACITORS ON GX270 AND GX280 COMPUTERS. MOST WERE REPLACED AND WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEKING TO REMOVE ANY REMAINING FROM SERVICE.

I definitely found some of the serial numbers that had problems in star - Bob

=__FYI 7/15/10__= **Will security worries propel DNS into the cloud?**

Security on the Internet's Domain Name System will be tightened today, with the addition of digital signatures and public-key encryption to the root zone. But will the deployment of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) prompt more enterprises to outsource their DNS operations?

At what opint do you think we will include CHROME browser on our image? **IE8 and Chrome Are Killing Firefox**

I used to love Firefox. I’m an old Linux user that ran Mozilla on the Red Hat Linux desktop that kept me efficient while I was working for a dot-com before the bust. Back then I had to manage a Windows and Linux network with some AIX thrown in, so being able to run Linux was a life-saver, and having a decent browser like Mozilla didn’t hurt.

[|**Calif. District Saves $350,000 Annually With Faronics**]

The Chaffey Joint Union High School District is saving funds by shutting down their inactive PCs with Faronics Power Save.

=__-__= =__FYI 7/14/10__= **R.I.P. Windows XP SP2**

Microsoft on Tuesday officially retired Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the company's most significant service pack, several security experts said.

**Microsoft extends Windows XP downgrade rights until 2020**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Just a day before Microsoft drops support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the company announced on Monday that people running some versions of Windows 7 can "downgrade" to the aged operating system for up to 10 years.

**Take Your WiFi to the Cloud** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">__This Webcast will detail the simplicity and savings of cloud-managed Wi-Fi. Learn how Meraki’s wireless solution delivers savings of up to 50% over traditional solutions and scales for networks of all sizes.__ **View now!**

__Cisco has a free service, in beta, for small businesses called__ [|Cisco WebEx Meet]__. This is a toned down version of__ [|WebEx]__which include the following as shown in this screen shot from my own account.__

**Newest Attack on your Credit Card: ATM Shims**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Shimming is the newest con designed to skim your credit card number, PIN and other info when you swipe your card through a reader like an ATM machine.