Cyber Security and Video Tools

The social work department at MSU Denver values its students, staff, and faculty and therefore wants to protect them as we move fully online during COVID. With online learning, our community is interacting with many different people, digital platforms, and other digital and internet-based sources.

Security Tips in general:

  • Make sure to provide students and yourself with the privacy and accessibility policy/statement of any service you are aware they are interacting with or that you are requiring or recommending.
  • Do your due diligence with regard to using a new technology or service. Research its privacy policy and if it is safe and accessible for students to use.
  • Whenever possible, use MSU Denver University supported products. These products are usually vetted by the University and the University will offer students support dealing with any technology or access concerns.

During COVID-19

  • Use the simplest and easiest technologies, services, and digital methods to teach your course
  • Do the best you can with the technologies we have already
  • Try not to use new things for you or the student
  • Create safety and make students aware of digital security and rights.

Zoom or TEAMS:

TEAMS is officially supported and encouraged by the University. It is being recommended that you use TEAMS as much as possible for all University interactions. For example, if you have issues with Zoom, you will need to problem solve this on your own but if you have TEAMS issues, you can call the IT support number at MSU Denver. Until further notice, you are able to use either Zoom or TEAMS to meet course requirements.

TEAMS:

TEAMS is a messaging and meeting platform that lets you form TEAMS, chat, video chat, and conduct meetings or webinars. It can integrate into Canvas and offers many features to help with online learning and student communication. Students also have access to TEAMS. Please visit the MSU Denver support pages for how to use TEAMS: https://www.msudenver.edu/technology/onlineready/teams/

Zoom:

The department currently pays for PRO licenses that claim FERPA compliance and provide us with the platform to teach and practice the required competencies.  If you are teaching a course with a fully synchronous component, please request a Zoom account from your lead faculty or Melissa Gore. Zoom has gotten a fair amount of press with regard to the Zoom bombing and potential data privacy breach. Please be aware that these risks are present in any of the webcasting software and data breaches/gathering is also present and a risk in all digital applications that we are using, so be safe no matter the technologies that you are using! Because of the current and existing risks, we ask you to use your Zoom account with the added security measures suggested below. Here is the link to zoom safety: https://zoom.us/security

Zoom Safety Ideas:

  • Do not share your Zoom Room meeting URL publicly. Share this only with invited participants.
  • Remove your Zoom Room ID from your email signature.
  • Screen sharing to “host only” (can be changed for presentations).
  • Enable waiting Room
  • Meeting Password (password by default for all scheduled meetings).

Safety in general:

  • Use your MSU Denver email for all student and official emails
  • Limit any identifying student information about school, grades, etc. over email. Make sure you are addressing your email to the correct person if sharing school, field, or other personal information.
  • Use Blackboard for students to turn in their assignments, to provide grades/feedbak and for students to discuss with one another or you.
  • Double check any service/technology you may be using and review their privacy policy – make public to students.

Data Privacy & Security:

It is important for students to know how their data and information is being used. When things come up in the news, everyone may think Facebook or Zoom is the “outlier”. However, all of the online and digital services we use collect data of usage and other interactions.

Teach your students how to be smart and informed about their data.

Tips:

  • Tell students to make sure that when they connect virtually that there is not personal information on their screen that could be viewed.
  • Tell students NOT to share any passwords for anything.
  • Tell students not to talk with or accept emails or downloads for people they do not know.
  • Tell students where they can check to see how their data is being used when they agree to a service, cookies, or other data gathering sources.
  • Share with students about their online footprint and their profiles can be searched and tracked.
  • Everything online leaves a map, so only say and put things online that you are willing for others to see and hear.