Tech Tips and News for October 7, 2022

Click here for full size image

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This is a great time to brush up on your online security skills and check privacy settings in all of your online accounts. Each post during October will contain a different cybersecurity topic. The training materials, videos, games, and graphics are courtesty of Knowbe4.com, which is a leader in cybersecurity training. During the month of October, they have made select training resources available for FREE October 1-October 31st, so take advantage of them while they are available. They are small bite-sized lessons that will really clarify how you can stay safe online and be able to recognize threats in your email, social media, websites, etc.  

This week's theme is Cyber Secure at Work. Social Engineering is the leading cause of security breaches to an organization's network and online resources, and it's so easy to fall victim. Make sure you aren't the weak link by boosting your Social Engineering knowledge with the short training game and 2 minute video below. I promise it will be time well spent.

• KnowBe4 Interactive Training Game: Classic Danger Zone
• Understanding URLs - How do you know if it's Legitimate or Harmful?
• Is Putting Tape Over Your Webcam Actually a Good Idea?
• Trade In Your Old Devices for Amazon Gift Cards
• Infinite Campus Update - Grading Across Multiple Standards is Back!
• A Helpful Sheet of Google Search Modifiers
• 4 Free eSignature Options for Google Docs
• 5 Steps to Gamify Your Canvas Classroom
• Comedy Relief:  Teaching Passwords is the Same Every Year...

Click here for a full size image

KnowBe4 Interactive Training Game: Classic Danger Zone

Do you prefer games to a training session? This KnowBe4 mini-game will test your security awareness by stopping the hacker from getting to a workstation before you do. It's set up like a board game. For every question you answer correctly, your avatar moves forward. Answer a question wrong and the hacker moves forward. Play it while it's available in October to see how familiar you are with cybersecurity. Want to review the info first? Here's a quick Social Engineering Study Guide to help you review the info you may need to know. 

Understanding URLs - How do you know if it's Legitimate or Harmful?

One of the cardinal rules in online security requires us to be careful about which online links we click on. But how can we actually tell if a link is safe or not? This two minute video will explain how to understand the URLs associated with a link. Details matter!

Is Putting Tape Over Your Webcam Actually a Good Idea?

Is Putting Tape Over Your Webcam Actually a Good Idea? from How-To Geek by Chason Gordon

Is it necessary? Is it a good idea? Read on and decide for yourself.

Trade In Your Old Devices for Amazon Gift Cards

Trade In Your Old Devices for Amazon Gift Cards, from ZDNet by June Wan

Make sure you factory reset them first! Amazon will take Kindles, tablets, streaming media players (like Roku), Echo, bluetooth spakers and headphones, home security devics, wireless routers, cell phones and gaming equipment.

Infinite Campus Update - Grading Across Multiple Standards is Back!

The ability to grade across multiple standards (horizontal fill) disappeared from Gradebook over the summer. It has now been restored, and you can once again fill grades horizontally within an assignment in your gradebook. 

A Helpful Sheet of Google Search Modifiers

A Helpful Sheet of Google Search Modifiers, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

Students often struggle with refining their searches to find the content they are looking for. This sheet shows a list of ways they can do just that. 

4 Free eSignature Options for Google Docs

4 Free eSignature Options for Google Docs, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts

Here are four options if you need to add your signature to a Google Doc. 

5 Steps to Gamify Your Canvas Classroom

5 Steps to Gamify Your Canvas Classroom, from Ditch That Textbook by Sarah Stef

Do your students like escape rooms? This post will show you how to create a virtual escape room in Canvas. 

Comedy Relief:  Teaching Passwords is the Same Every Year...

...and this is why we use Clever badges for grades Pre-3. That being said, when teachers first got computers, many years ago, and I was teaching them about passwords, security, and setting up their computer, I finished my password spiel and one teacher leaned over to another and asked "What are you using for your password?"