Tech Talk

At the start of each semester the Office of Information Technology sees an increase in phishing attacks aimed at new students and students returning to campus after a break. Greg Lozeau, the Director of IT Security and Privacy, took some time to talk with Maggie Drew, a staff reporter of the Western Herald, about phishing; what it is, what to do if you get phished and how to avoid it.

Western Michigan University values the exchange of ideas and respects the intellectual work and property of others. Consistent with these values, WMU does not tolerate or condone plagiarism or copyright violations.

Welcome back to campus WMU faculty and students! I hope everyone had a productive summer. Those of you who closely follow the CIO updates may notice that there were no updates published in July and August. OIT is in the process of changing the way we communicate information to the campus community.

This is my favorite time of the year! Not only is it hot outside but the heat is also being turned up indoors as the various Office of Information Technology (OIT) teams work feverishly to prepare for the 2018-19 academic school year.

In 1984 the Detroit Tigers won the World Series and their tagline for that amazing season was "Bless you Boys". This tagline signified the pride and enjoyment every Tiger fan felt that year. Well let me steal from that 1984 season by extending a "bless you seniors" to all the Computer Science students who participated in the April 17 Engineering Senior Design Conference.

Congratulations WMU graduates! Thanks for rocking out Miller Auditorium on April 28. I'm excited for all of you as you move into the next phases of your lives. And speaking of phases, who is ready to phase W-Exchange Teams into their everyday activities?

Is everyone ready for the spring semester home stretch? Only three weeks are left and the campus is buzzing with activity. Don't forget that if you need a place to collaborate with friends and food, the Bernhard Center computer lab has a large collaboration area and extended hours.

Safe travels to those of you who will be venturing outside of the Kalamazoo area for spring break. For those of you who plan to stick around town, please be aware that some campus services will have reduced hours over the break.

I hope your spring semester is off to a good start! Hopefully everyone had a chance to participate in one of the many Martin Luther King Jr. Day events held on campus. The Office of Information Technology had a busy January thanks in no small part to the approval of several of our transformational funds proposals, the most notable being esports.