ISG Blog

Santa needs a break 

Dear friends,

We wish to notify you all that our suppliers have announced a "change freeze" period from 8 December 2017 to 8 January 2018.  

What this means is that any new requests for hardware (computers, mobile phones) or connections (fibre, broadband, new phone connections, land or mobile) placed after the 8th December will not be able to be processed until the 8th January.  This is due to our suppliers putting this stop on new equipment and new services in place.

If you are aware of new staff positions who will start within this period, feel free to contact iSG and we will do what we can to accommodate your request, however we have a limited stock of equipment available.

Even if you don't know who the person taking the role is, iSG is still able to at least procure the equipment in preparation for the role beginning.  This is valid even when change freeze is not in place.  Remember that any new computer hardware can take 3-4 weeks for us to get them to you with the purchase and installation of all required software as per territorial standards plus the courier time involved.

Normal support service of queries and further assistance will continue by Team iSG as per usual during this time, although we will be working on a skeleton staff on the week between Christmas and New Year.

Summer's coming!! :-)

Its that time of the year when the iSG Team get together to ensure we are all singing from the same page (and now you are trying to imagine what we would sound like when singing... probably best if you don't ) .

This kicks off next week, and you need to be aware that we may be unavailable at different times to assist as we will be in sessions.  Primarily Tuesday until 3:30pm, and Wednesday and Thursday mornings the iSG Team will be in a variety of sessions to ensure we are all on the same page again in terms of policies, processes and projects we are currently undertaking.

Feel free to log a ticket in the usual manner and we will get back to you as soon as we are able.  For any urgent matters, feel free to contact the OpsIT Team Leader Rob Martin on 021 076 1269, and he can organise one of the team to assist you as needed.

Thank you for your understanding as we endeavour to be the best we can be, so that we are better able to "enable the mission".

Stay healthy everyone and enjoy today... It's Friday!

For all centres who are yet to move to Google Drive, specially those who are still using a iSG Rental Server, this may be the post you have been waiting for, so please read on...

We find ourselves in a very difficult situation with Centre Servers.  Due to their age, both software and hardware , they are a big risk to the organisation  as Microsoft have announced that at some point in the near future , they will be pushing out a patch that will break Windows PC's from accessing them. From a technical and security perspective, this is a wise (very wise) thing to do.  For this reason, Centre Servers will not be upgraded or replaced.

So for now, we are going to push ahead with migrating data to Google Drive for storage only.  However, we are aware that this has posed a significant change for some centres with the fact that access to files needed to be via a browser.  Google have recently implemented a new app called Google Drive File Stream (GDFS).

GDFS is a piece of software that allows access to your Google Drive files from Windows Explorer.  This means for users the only difference you would see when searching for files is that the Drive will simply have 'Google Drive File Stream (G:)' listed in the windows explorer window as per the screenshot below.

This means users don't have to use Chrome to get access or use Google Apps for your files.

The best part is that you DO NOT have to convert your files to Google Apps. Microsoft format documents will open using the copy of Office installed on your PC. PDF files will open using Adobe Reader\Foxit installed on your PC. You will be able to create and save directly into Drive from Word and Excel. You will be able to copy and paste files from your PC, USB drive or network drive straight in to Google Drive.

Any files left in Google format, for example to leverage collaboration features, will open in your default browser as normal.

The only thing you cannot do through Windows Explorer is change permissions. This still has to be done through the Chrome browser, but generally speaking most users only want access to files, and not the collaboration aspect of this, which is still available to Administrators and Manager should they want to use it.

Feedback from pilot sites and users is 100% positive and an overwhelming thumbs up so this software will go mainstream in the next few months.  If however, you are keen to protect yourself and the data at your centre, and would like to get GDFS installed for your machines, simply log a ticket with us, and one of the team will assist you in getting a Google Drive library set up, files transferred from your server, and the app installed for the individual users at your Corps/Centre.

Many of you may be aware that over the past few months there have been some changes happening in iSG and we thought it would be good for us to update the territory on what has happened as far as the team in concerned.

Mark Bennett was seconded for a period of 3-5 years by IHQ for a major global IT project and he began that work at the end of June this year.  He is still working for TSA, but no longer has day to day management of the iSG team.

Late in July Peter Hennessey was appointed as iSG Manager during this secondment period and has taken over these duties.

More recently a new Ops IT Team Leader has now been appointed and this week iSG welcomed Rob Martin into this role.

He comes to us after delivering contracted ICT services to various organisations both here in NZ and abroad over recent times.  His main role is to continue on with the excellent level of support our small OpsIT team provide to the territory and we are delighted to have him as part of the team.

As per our usual process, any queries in relation to tickets logged in Supportal would first and foremost go to Rob for attention and he will be happy to assist as necessary.

In the meantime, should you around THQ, or have a spare minute, feel free to get in touch with Rob and welcome to the Salvation Army family/whanau.

Sound familiar to anyone...?

Hoping none of you feel this way today!  Enjoy your weekend.

Recently (1am today Tuesday 17th, NZ time!) the wraps were taken off a new vulnerability, which affects pretty much most WiFi devices, everywhere.

The reason it is so widespread, is because the vulnerability affects the underlying protocol (WPA2) that is used by pretty much every WiFi device everywhere. This includes but isn't limited to smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, laptops, printers (if wireless), baby monitors, smart fridges, smart microwaves, smart TVs, IoT devices. You'll notice that list is made up of what we call "client devices" ie things that are used to communicate with an existing wireless signal. While wireless routers and wireless access points are used to broadcast the WiFi signal, the attacks themselves are directed at the client devices like your smartphone.

Eeek! Am I affected?

Probably, yes. If you read this, there is a good chance you also use a WiFi connected "something" and your WiFi client device can be attacked.

What to do?

Given the nature of the attack type, every client device needs to be updated by the vendor. So for Windows PCs, Microsoft released an update on Oct 10th, for Chromebooks, Google will release an update and for MacOS/iOS devices, Apple will also release an update.

For Android devices, the situation is not quite so clear cut. Whilst Google are working on the underlying patches for Android, and certainly will release the fix it will be up to the manufacturer of the device (eg Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC, Motorola, Huawei etc) rather than Google to supply you with the patch. Android devices have an integrated update check (on most this is under Settings > About > Update) so if you haven't already done so, we strongly recommend you check for and apply updates. Repeat this several times over the coming weeks as it may take your device manufacturer a while to get the updates out!

For other devices, you will need to contact to product vendor to see if they have provided a patch. If they haven't - ask them for one. Be aware that for many home "smart" appliances in particular, the vendor simply doesn't provide updates past a year or two. This may include your wireless router or wireless access point.

On the topic of wireless access points, the Enterprise WiFi system we use, does not appear to be significantly affected. This is a direct quote from the Aerohive statement on this issue: 

Aerohive does not believe the integrity of an Aerohive access point or branch router can be compromised by these attacks. Aerohive branch routers and access points are not affected by these vulnerabilities when acting as a standard access point.

Full statement here:

https://www3.aerohive.com/support/security-bulletins/Product-Security-Announcement-Aerohives-Response-to-KRACK-10162017.html?_ga=2.178319204.1727387007.1508180184-1088443315.1466916971 

Aerohive are still releasing an update which they are confident will be supplied by 20th (US time) which we intend to apply once available to all WAPs in our estate, even though it only affords protection under WDS connections and mesh connection scenarios - neither of which TSA are using.

If you are using Apple Airport Express WAPs, then it is unlikely that an update will be made available. If this applies or indeed if you are using any other non-iSG supplied WAPs we advise you to upgrade to Enterprise grade WiFi gear for which proper security principles are in place and updates are made available. The system currently supported and recommended by iSG is that provided by Aerohive.

Further information will be available once vendors have had time to produce updates. Also, testing tools will also become available in the future. Right now, these tools are not being made available, precisely so that vendors have time to release updates to their customers.

If you would like some further reading, here is the technical detail from the authors of a paper by the folks who discovered this attack type:

https://www.krackattacks.com/

If you want to check to see whether "device manufacturer X" is affected, you could start looking here:

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/byvendor?searchview&Query=FIELD+Reference=228519&SearchOrder=4

If you cannot obtain an update for a particular device, then, longer term your only options may be to disable the WiFi connection for that particular device, or to replace it with a newer device that can be updated. Consider voting with your wallet here, and support vendors that commit to providing updates for longer than just 1 year!

The short version of this article is easy to write but not always easy to achieve:

Update everything.

Building on the last few blog entries has been a bit like many of the calls we get when setting up new uers and computers.

Occasionally ISG gets a panicked email, phone call or text from someone who has found themselves in a tough spot that they don't know how to get out of.

They sometimes don't know who to ask for help, and maybe don't necessarilly even know the question beyond "What do I do from here?", they are just stuck.

ISG knows this can be frustrating and even paralysing, this often arises because people are intimidated by 'new' things, they can feel uninformed, blindsided and even embarrassed when presented with new ideas and technology that might draw them out of their comfort zone. Nobody wants to be made to feel stupid or inadequate, yet we often allow ourselves to go down this path without realising that there are things we can do to adapt and overcome when presented with new "computery stuff".

Rest assured, even ISG is no stranger to dealing with change, new technologies, new processes, and knowing when to ask for help.

So I thought I would come up with the helpingest helpy bits I could think of!

The last few posts have been quite Google heavy for a reason, Google drive and Google docs are still quite new to many people, so shining some light on the subject of getting help with Google and web based issues might just help pare the Google monster down to something you can use!

So, GOOGLE IT

Sometimes when you are stuck with a basic app problem such as MS Word or Excel it is advisable to consult the mighty Google (www.google.com or www.google.co.nz).

Granted it can be easy to wander off track when some similar questions lead to different answers, but short of logging a ticket with ISG this can be a quick and easy way to find simple answers to simple questions if you are the enquiring kind and want to seek out your own solutions and how-to's.

ISG USER SUPPORT PORTAL

Or "Supportal" for short, this was an accidental phrase that stuck, the Supportal itself is a treasure trove of frequently asked questions and general information about ISG and many of our policies and processes, the icons at the top of the page ALL have meaning, from logging a ticket, to FAQs, notifications, links to other resources such as policy manuals (the blue chain links) and even asks YOU for suggestions (note the lightbulb icon above)! Check it out at - https://support.sarmy.net.nz/apps/nzft/isg/support.nsf/supportportal.xsp and pass your mouse cursor over each item to see its description.

ASK SALLY

Have you met Sally? If you have not yet, you really should - https://support.sarmy.net.nz/asksally.xsp 

Sally is the helpful little search function that users of the ISG Support portal will meet when they first log in, most of the time we decline Sally's offer of a tour for first timers, but its really helpful for new and not so new staff.

Sally is VERY easy to use, simply type the key word into either of the search boxes and let her do the work. NOTE - it helps if you are logged into the Intranet via G+ as this often links to Intranet articles such as this one!

NZFT INTRANET

Did you know that you can also find a lot of internal articles and documents by using the Intranet search feature, note that you need to log into the G+ icon before you do this, so that you have access to all of the related departments and services.

SO, have you got a few ideas of your own to add? You can still contact ISG either through 04-802-6262 or if you have an enquiry that you want a more formalised response to please remember to log a ticket as this goes straight into our queue for assignment to the relevant party.

It seems that one of the most common questions I have had is based on how to take a file from Google drive and attach it to webmail (or Lotus notes) so that it can be emailed out.

Its a valid question especially when you want to share it with people outside of the organisation. This typically involves downloading the file, opening the email, attaching the file, addressing and sending the email.

This is why I think one of the best features of Google drive is the ability to share a document directly from Google drive to other TSA users.

Beware, this is an issue that can be a double edged sword in terms of privacy and the appropriateness of sharing information with external parties, so I recommend again referring to the TSA Computer Code of Conduct if you need any clarification.

The method for sending attachments is very similar to using the normal sharing process that has been covered in the last couple of blog entries, so I invite you to review some of those articles or check the how-to pages in Google or search through video tutorials in Youtube.

Firstly and probably easiest, Google docs:

1) Select the document that you want to attach, then double click to open.

2) Select file > Email as attachment (you still have the 'Share' option available for sharing with other TSA users)

3)  The next image shows a number of options to choose from, most of the time it is wise to send the file in PDF format so that it cannot be easily manipulated or edited, or you also have the option of other formats such as Word, Excel etc 

Choose the person you are sending to, and if they are TSA users then the email address comes up based on the first few characters.

If they are external users then you will need to type in their full email address eg: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can add a subject and even some text in the body of the message as it behaves just like a normal email.

You can choose to tick the box that says 'Send a copy to myself' as this will help your peace of mind by confirming the email has been sent.

Click Send and you are done!

ATTACHING NON GOOGLE FORMATS:

 If you are using Google extensions such as UFO (Universal File Opener), AwesomeDrive, or AODocs Libraries Smartbar, then you have the ability to work with any non-Google format file while storing it in The Cloud.

Sending these files as attachments can occur two ways depending on whether you have the full Lotus Notes client (see below for examples)....

Lotus Notes 8.5

Lotus Notes 9.0

OR you are a Webmail user through Google Chrome or Internet Explorer!

Lotus Notes Client User:

1) Start by ensuring Lotus notes is open on your computer, then click the file you wish to attach (remember this process from "UFO sightings on the desktop")

2) Once the file has opened on your computer, select the 'Save and Send option from the file menu.

3) Select the options in the below image and a new mail message should open with the attachment automatically inserted to the new message

(NOTE: if you get an error message contact ISG as a small software update may be required)

Webmail users

The following works for Google Chrome and probably for Internet Explorer. Try it in other web browsers and let us know how you go by posting feedback or logging a ticket at https:\\support.sarmy.net.nz

1) Right click on the file you want to send, the choose the options circled below

NOTE: This will create a COPY of the original file, in this case, the Word document will be copied into a Google document, the original will NOT be affected

 2) The file will then open as a Google doc, so you can just go through the file > Send as attachment menu outlined at the beginning of this article.

You will be left with two files that are the same name, except one will be in original format (Word, Excel etc) and one will be in Google format

To keep things tidy, just delete the one you do not want.

Next time: Its time to get some help......

Technology now allows multiple people from different locations to collaborate on documents and group projects, so there are more opportunities to come together online as a way of furthering The Mission.

Imagine two people sitting either side of a desk, with a pencil each and one piece of paper between them, yet they are both able to scribble notes on the same piece of paper at the same time! They both can see what the other is writing, and together can edit the work in front of them to quickly form a living document that both can read and change in real time.

Now imagine several people around a (bigger) desk all working on the same document!

One of the great advantages of using Google drive is that you can share your documents and folders to anyone with a Salvation Army email address.

You can give people edit or view access, with the added bonus of being able to leave comments and suggestions on the side of your document.

Read through the steps below, and you might find some extra value in the bonus tips at the end........ 

Using Google drive, you can share ANY documents or folders that you yourself have created, and in some cases, you are given enough access to be able to carry that sharing onwards.

Step 1: Sharing files and folders is easy, just right click on the document you wish to share (see below)

Step 2: Now all you have to do is choose the person or people you wish to share the document or folder with (yes, you can share an entire folder!)

Decide what level of access you want to give to people, see the options below include edit, comment, or view

Step 3: Choose the person you want to share with.

Step 4: Click 'Send' - this sends Peter a notification that he has been given edit access to the file or folder.

 This form of sharing applies to any document in any format that has been stored in Google drive.

BONUS TIP:

 This is probably a good opportunity to remind ourselves of the requirements for storing and sharing TSA data, so please review the basic summary of the Computer Code of Conduct, luckily there are some additional features to ensure that data you share is less likely to fall into the wrong hands.

When sharing a document, check out the little 'Advanced' tab at the bottom right of the sharing window

Note the screen that appears below, Peter's access has been changed to view only, and there is an option to prevent Peter from downloading, printing or copying the document, this prevents the document that I have shared from being passed onto other people without my knowledge. 

You can also prevent editors from adding or inviting further people to view the document.

 COMING UP...When you are getting somewhat attached....

So now you have gone from 'viewer to do-er' by installing UFO, and saw that our previous article included a second extension that you can add to Chrome to make document handling a lot easier.

It is called ‘AwesomeDrive for Google drive’ which allows you to create Word, Excel and Powerpoint files within Google drive, there is no need to save the file locally before uploading it to Google drive.

If you have the UFO, it makes sense to install Awesomedrive for the creation of MS Office documents.

Like the UFO, no admin level access is required to install.

Installing and using AwesomeDrive: NOTE - this assumes you are NOT already running the AODocs SmartBar for your site, if you are you should already have this functionality.

1) Open your Chrome web browser and go to the Chrome Web Store at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions 

2) In the search box type aodocs universal, you will see the results below

3) Click on the blue bar that says +ADD TO CHROME

 Again, You will see a popup prompt asking you to click on 'Add extension'

 4) Now go to your Google drive and refresh the page by pressing F5 on your keyboard, you may see the following popup

 if you do not see any popups, look for the following icon at top right of your web browser and select 'always allow pop-ups' option, then refresh using F5 again

   A final popup message will confirm that Awesomedrive is installed.

8) Open or refresh your Google Drive page and click on 'NEW' at the top left of your Google drive 

 9) Choose the kind of file you wish to create

 10) Create the file and give it a name

The file is then created IN GOOGLE DRIVE, you can edit, close and share it the same way you do with Google docs and sheets

Because you are using the full functionality of MS Office, all formatting remains intact.

So go ahead, start creating!

NOTE: 

If you have both the AODocs Smartbar and Awesome Drive installed and active, UFO can't be initialized. An error message will appear.

 The Smartbar has all the features of Awesome Drive, and more. You are therefore recommended to disabled the Awesome Drive extension on the page chrome://extensions

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Coming next: Sharing is caring....

Most people who have dealt with ISG know we have been talking about using Google Drive and Google Docs as a means of creating, editing and storing our files. The challenge has been how best to achieve this in a way that maintains a high level of security and functionality while being flexible enough to allow users to safely work on shared documents from multiple locations. 

MS Office remains the business standard for word processing and spreadsheet management, and while Google docs and sheets offer great flexibility in some areas, some functional issues remain that leave Google's offerings a little short. This issue does not just extend to MS Office, but practically ANY software program that runs from your computer. Mac users are not forgotten in this update, just go to the support link below for your own 'how to' guide.

After earlier versions of Google sync were found wanting for security reasons, Google now offer a clever extension of their Advanced Office Docs systems called 'Universal File Opener', or UFO for short.

How does this UFO fly? The basic principal is that the UFO is your 'gopher', it retrieves the file, passes it to MS Office, and then puts the file away for you again when you have saved your changes.

UFO allows you to open a Word or Excel file directly from Google drive but uses your locally installed version of MS Office to interpret the file and present it on your screen. Once you have finished editing your file, you simply close it and save any changes when prompted, the UFO then puts the file back where it came from. 

UFO is easy to install and easier to use once you have opened and edited your first file with it, the added bonus is that no admin level access is required, so any user with a Chrome web browser and MS Office installed on their computer can start working with it in minutes.

How to install and use the UFO: (The following steps are taken from the AODocs help page at - https://support.aodocs.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001874926-Install-the-Universal-File-Opener-UFO-)

1) Open your Chrome web browser and go to the Chrome Web Store at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions 

2) In the search box type aodocs universal, you will see the results below

3) Click on the blue bar that says +ADD TO CHROME

 You will see a popup prompt asking you to click on 'Add extension'

4) Now go to your Google drive and refresh the page by pressing F5 on your keyboard, you may see the following popup, if you do not see any popups, look for the following icon at top right of your web browser and select 'always allow pop-ups' option, then refresh using F5 again

Note the 'Click here' in the image below

###It is OK to download and install the UFO sync client, no admin required! 

5) Once downloaded, double-click the .msi file to open it and press the Execute button.

6) Select the checkbox to accept the license agreement, then press the Install button.

7) Press the Finish button.
    A final popup message confirms that the Sync Client is installed.

8) Open or refresh your Google Drive page and start opening and it will look like NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

But wait a minute, when you hover your mouse over a 'non-Google' file such as MS Word or Excel, you will see a new icon appear next to the file.....

9) Click on the new 'Open file' icon and the UFO springs into action with a small notification at the bottom right of your screen...

 You can now open and edit any file that has been stored on Google drive, just be sure to save your changes when you close the file, or click on the little 'Save' icon at the top left of most screens. As you saw when you opened the file, a small notification tells you the file is being saved.

You can share the files in Google drive the same way you share Google docs and sheets.

There is no loss of functionality and no limit to the files you can open as long as you have the corresponding software installed on your computer, for example if you have MS Publisher installed on your computer as part of MS Office, then you should have no problem opening .pub files from Google drive using the UFO.

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Coming next: How to make Google drive even more 'Awesome' (there's a clue there)....

Are you an introvert?  Then you need this...

Sound familiar to anyone... ?

And we are back... Friday funnies!

There seems to be a fresh spate of Windows or Microsoft Technical Support phone calls going around at the moment. Just this morning I had one to my home, it sounded like a long distance call from a call center, the caller immediately trying to get me to go to my computer to download some software to 'fix' a fake problem.

Needless to say, how you respond to these people is up to you, some people hang up immediately, which is probably the most apt and mature thing you can do (I am not 'some people', and enjoyed poking some fun at the caller for a few minutes until he hung up on me, how rude!)

Just dont talk to them. It's a sorry fact of life that there are people out there who will pretend to be some kind of technical support expert, they are in fact trying to fool you into letting them into your computer to undermine your data, your privacy, your bank account and possibly your reputation.

If you have an issue with your SARMY computer, there is only one phone number that should be involved - 04 802 6262

ISG is the only technical resource you should be talking to about any issues or problems you might be having with your Windows computer.

To recap:

Call ISG on 04 802 6262, or use the Support portal at http:\\support.sarmy.net.nz or even get someone to log the ticket for you.

When you log a ticket with ISG, it goes straight into our queues for processing and you have access to update the ticket that you log, provide feedback, even escalate as necessary if things are really getting dire.

In short, if you use a SARMY machine, ISG is your first port of call for any Windows or Microsoft technical support, if you have a personal computer make sure you only ever use a reputable, local and proven source for dealing with any technical issues.

Sound familiar to anyone...?