Issue 52, December 06, 2022

LockDown Browser^® is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within the Blackboard Learning Management System.

When students use LockDown Browser, they are unable to print, copy, go to another website/URL, or access other software programs. Students must first install this software on their personal devices if instructed to use LockDown Browser for a Blackboard test. Installation is highly recommended before test day.

Follow these steps to prepare for your next LockDown Browser secure online test.

How to Install Lockdown Browser on Student Personal Devices

If you have Respondus from another institution, make sure to uninstall it.

To download Respondus Lockdown Browser.

1. Log into Blackboard and select Institution Page.
2. Under UTHSC Resources, you should see Respondus. Select Respondus.
3. On the left side of page, Select Enroll.
4. You should now be in the course.
   1. Select Start Course. You may review each module.
   2. Select Download and Installation.
   3. Select UTHSC Respondus Lockdown. A link appears. Respondus will automatically recognize which operating system your computer uses. Be sure the correct one is shown before clicking Install Now.
   4. Follow the prompts for installation.
5. You should now have Respondus on your device.

Watch this brief introductory video that explains how LockDown Browser works from the student perspective:

If you plan to host a campus event in 2023 and you need an attendance record of UTHSC attendees, you can use the ID badge scanning app.

The app allows one or more people to scan attendees’ UTHSC ID badges, recording attendance in a database where reports can then be created.

Want to learn more? Check out our TechConnect Event Attendance: ID Badge Scanning knowledge base article for more information.

When you take the time to send a survey to people, you want well-thought-out questions that provide the answers you need.

Sounds easy, right? It's not.

Sometimes you need a little help on the different types of survey questions and mistakes to avoid. Ensure the next survey you send out gets the results you need by checking out this helpful Qualtrics article on How to Write Great Survey Questions (and Avoid Common Mistakes).

Microsoft has some excellent FREE training courses we recommend. As UTHSC faculty or staff, you can access all Microsoft 365 apps listed. Students may only have access to some of these apps.

Get started with Microsoft Word
In this training, you will learn to navigate the Word interface and view available options, use rich formatting and layout options to express ideas in writing, understand how to jump-start documents with modern templates, themes, and style sets, use editing tools to review your document and get intelligent suggestions, and earn to share files to quickly invite others to edit or view your document. Register

• Dec 09 - 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Dec 12 - 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Go further with Microsoft Excel: Tables, formatting, and Collaboration
In this training, you will learn to Create spreadsheets using tables, analyze your data using conditional formatting and data validation, collaborate and share your work with others, and use accessibility options in Excel. Register

• Dec 07 - 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Dec 12 - 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm

The rest of the title in this video by Leila Gharani is, "(Stay organized with little effort!)." Wouldn't that be a dream? If you want to learn how to effectively use OneNote (which you have access to as part of Microsoft 365) to keep yourself organized, check out this video. It packs a lot of learning into 14 minutes.

Inserting or removing page numbers in Microsoft Word can be tricky! Learn the easy way to do it with this one-minute video.

All UTHSC employees are required to use a standard email signature that is created from the Email Signature Generator below for all internal and external email communication, and it should not be altered. A consistent email signature provides recipients with an awareness of UTHSC, while also reflecting positively on the professionalism of our institution.

To autogenerate an email signature, login to https://uthsc.edu/brand/email/index.php using your UTHSC NetID/password. Fill out the fields then click Submit.

You are offered one of two options: with or without the UTHSC logo. Select the desired text then add it to Outlook using the following steps:

1. Click File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
2. Click the signature you want to edit. If you don't have a current signature, click New, enter a name, then click OK.
3. Make your changes in the Edit signature box.
4. When you are done, select Save > OK.

Mac Users:

1. Click Outlook Menu > Preferences > Signatures.
2. Select the signature you want to edit and click Edit. If you don't have a current signature, click +.
3. In the Signature window, paste the information you copied from the website.
4. Click the red X to close the window. Click Save.

The holiday season is a time when people are especially vulnerable to scams, because they are busy and often have their guard down. Criminals take advantage of this by circulating fake e-gift cards, posing as charities, targeting specific demographics, and so on. If you want to be aware of the social engineering dangers lurking online, then keep reading!

1. E-gift card scams
2. Charities
3. Demographic Targeting
4. Subscription renewals
5. Crypto scams

With the holiday season in full swing, so are gift card and prize scams. These scammers will often lie about being a known contact of yours to try and get you to buy them a gift card, or they may offer an amazing prize in exchange for your credit card information. If you receive any suspicious emails like this from someone claiming to be your friend, make sure to confirm it with them through another method before doing anything further. And as always, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be wary of scammers and phishing attempts; they actually worsen during the holiday season. This would not only hurt those who fall for the scams, but also charities that could've benefited from donations. For example, an attacker may pretend to be associated with a charity related to current events or one with a familiar name. If someone contacts you asking for money via personal email or another method, beware that it might be fraudulent.

With more people shopping online and sharing personal information this holiday season, scammers are taking advantage by targeting consumers with fraud that seems more realistic. For example, you might get an email from what looks like your child's school PTA about a holiday fundraiser.

But if you click on the link in the email, it could take you to a fake website where you're asked to enter sensitive information like your credit card number or Social Security Number. These types of scams can be difficult to identify because they seem so personalized. But if you're aware of potential threats and know what to look for, you can help protect yourself against them.

Scammers love to target people at the end of the year, and one particularly nasty version of these emails spoofs antivirus services. They lure victims with promises of improved security, but if you take a closer look at the sender’s email address, you can usually spot these scams pretty easily.

Cryptocurrency-based scammers are more prevalent during times of high crypto usage, like now. They often use a cryptocurrency wallet to collect payment and may threaten their victim if they don't receive the funds. Gmail usually sends a warning about these kinds of emails, but it's helpful to know how to spot them on your own too. Some key things to look out for that signal fraud include typos, strange email addresses, and demands for payment.

By being aware of these five popular scams circulating this holiday season, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from potential fraud.