Don't Be Fooled By Messages Asking For Your Caltech Username And Password

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 00:00

Many campus users are receiving e-mails claiming to come from an IT support group (sometimes even IMSS or the Help Desk) asking for the user's password and other private information. The messages may include a threat that the recipient's mailbox will be deleted unless a password is provided, to "verify" the account. Please be aware that this is a form of security attack known as “phishing” designed to fool users into giving their usernames and passwords to an attacker. Please do not reply to these e-mails or visit any websites they may refer to.

IMSS does not recommend providing usernames and passwords by e-mail, and IMSS will never ask users for their passwords by e-mail or by phone. If IMSS ever needs to ask users to log into a website, it would be a caltech.edu site and detailed information about this would be posted here on our website. Please note that sender address information on email is very easy to falsify, so do not rely on sender address alone as proof that a message is legitimate. To verify a website link, mouse over a URL in an email message, without clicking on it, to show additional information such as any discrepancies between the name of the URL and the site it really points to.

High Performance Computing (HPC) Service

Submitted by wlo on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 13:48

IMSS now offers a High Performance Computing (HPC) pay-as-you-go service. This service is ideal for faculty and research groups that do not have the resources to run their own HPC systems, which usually require large financial resources to maintain the required hardware and infrastructure. With IMSS' HPC service, you simply pay based upon usage and storage. For additional details and pricing, please visit http://imss.caltech.edu/help/hpc or email help-hpc@caltech.edu.

Google captchas while using Caltech Wireless

Submitted by wlo on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 09:00

Recently, users on the Caltech wireless networks have had Google searches interrupted by a "captcha", which Google uses to prevent automated software programs from abusing Google's services. Caltech's wireless networks use Network Address Translation (NAT) to conserve public IP addresses, which can trigger Google's detection mechanism, since multiple computers will share one IP address. Encountering a captcha while using Caltech wireless networks does not necessarily indicate that anything is wrong with a user's computer. This is simply a change that Google has made to attempt to verify that a human is accessing their services.

Microsoft Office 2010 Training

Submitted by wlo on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 00:00

Computer based training (CBT) videos for Microsoft Office 2010 are available at http://tutorials.caltech.edu/office2010. Get familiar with the Office 2010 ribbon and with basic tasks in Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access and OneNote. Note that access to these videos requires a Caltech network connection; if you are off campus, please use VPN.

DropBox for Exchanging Large Files

Submitted by wlo on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 00:00

The Caltech DropBox is a file exchange center for files too large to be sent via e-mail. Since the Caltech mail system limits e-mail attachment sizes, DropBox is a great alternative for sending files up to 2GB. DropBox does not require the use of a special client and can be used with all operating systems. The URL for each uploaded file is unique and randomized and files are deleted after 24 hours. To begin using DropBox, go to http://dropbox.caltech.edu.

IMSS Remote Help

Submitted by wlo on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 00:00

IMSS now offers a Remote Help tool that allows you to remotely share your Windows or Mac desktop with our Help Desk support team. For most issues, this tool allows us to assist you without having to make a site visit, so problems are resolved faster and more efficiently. Remote Help is simple to use and secure -- please visit http://imss.caltech.edu/help/remotehelp for more information.

Using Caltech VPN with Mac OS X Lion

Submitted by wlo on Fri, 07/29/2011 - 16:28

Cisco has released a version of the Caltech VPN client which is compatible with Mac OS Lion. However, recent changes in the Mac OS require us to change our installation procedure. Please see Caltech VPN Mac OS X Client Configuration Instructions for essential information on installing the Caltech VPN client on Mac OS Lion.

New WIC & PIC Application

Submitted by wlo on Tue, 05/17/2011 - 01:00

On May 20th, IMSS will release a new version of the WIC/PIC application. The new version is replacing obsolete technology but will retain the same functionality. To use the new WIC/PIC after May 20th, log in to https://access.caltech.edu with your access.caltech credentials. Then click on the new link "CIT Internal Charges" to access the WIC/PIC application. You will no longer find WIC/PIC within Oracle Applications. For information about using the new WIC/PIC, visit our Training & Guides page. If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at x3500 or help@caltech.edu.

New Web Queries

Submitted by wlo on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 19:00

Effective May 11, Web Queries, information resources related to administrative application processing, has been replaced with a new version. These resources include PTA, equipment, burden and allowability searches, plus others. The new Web Queries retains the same functionality, but with a new and more organized look and feel. You can still access Web Queries from the System Status links on the right hand side of the IMSS home page. However, if you have previously bookmarked any Web Query links, you need to update your bookmarks. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Help Desk (x3500, help@caltech.edu.)

Labor Distribution Queries

Submitted by wlo on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 00:00

The Labor Distribution (LD) Query report is no longer available in Discoverer. This report, which returns detailed breakdowns of payroll expenses and where these expenses were charged for an individual, organization, or expenditure type, is now exclusively available in Caltech Data Warehouse. The replacement report is called 'Labor Distribution Query - Export' and it can be found in the Labor Distribution datamart within Caltech Data Warehouse. To request access to the LD Datamart, please email cit-dw@caltech.edu or contact Beverly Allen at x6077.

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