Warning about new e-mail virus

I received the following message from the State of Connecticut Department of Information Technology (DOIT) concerning Microsoft Word document attachments to emails you may receive.

As of this writing, Microsoft has acknowledged the existence of two “zero day” vulnerabilities effecting multiple versions of Microsoft Word. “Zero Day” means there is no remediation strategy available at this time. A number of monitoring organizations have categorized these vulnerabilities as extremely critical.

DOIT recommends the following actions:
** Do not open Word documents attached to e-mail messages from anyone you do not know.
** Do not open Word files posted to untrusted Web sites.
** Spread the word ... be sure coworkers, family members and friends are aware of the vulnerability.

DOIT will continue to provide updates as new information is provided.

If you receive a word document attachment in an e-mail from someone you are not familiar with, but believe the e-mail is legitimate, we strongly recommend that you
1) Do not open the attachment
2) Respond to the sender that due to a security vulnerability, you must request they resend the content of the document without the attachment. They may do so by “cutting and pasting” the content of the document into the body of the e-mail itself or faxing the document.

Federal Funding Update Regarding EETT

Upon conclusion of the 109th Congress last week, incoming House and Senate Appropriations leaders announced that they will likely pass a year-long Continuing Resolution (CR) for FY07. This is good news for the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program because it secures a minimum of $272 million for the upcoming year. Although this is not a “done deal” at this moment, it seems very likely to be accomplished by the new Congress in early January 2007.

Additionally, the CR included an interesting twist - the CR will not include Congressional earmarks. The dollars associated with such funding streams may provide additional resources that could flow into line-item programs, like EETT and other education programs.

CEN adds Space Science Videos

The Connecticut Education Network (CEN) is thrilled to announce the addition of Scientific Living - a series of multimedia materials for students and teachers that make science come alive! The first module is about space - planets, comets, stars, and more! These wonderful video clips and teacher/student resources will help make science even more exciting! All of the twenty videos may be viewed online or downloaded and viewed with either QuickTime or Media Player.

National Cyber Security Alliance's Cyber Security Assembly Toolkit

The National Cyber Security Alliance working in conjunction with i-Safe Inc. produced a Cyber Security Assembly In-a-Box Toolkit; an assembly in-a-box that can be played in a classroom or auditorium setting. This toolkit provides educators with a plug-in play solution for presenting cyber security awareness messages and tips to students in middle and high schools. The material is delivered in a way that is entertaining for students and easy to understand.
The toolkit consists of a DVD, instructions for the assembly and an assembly script that can be delivered in a classroom, library or assembly setting. Select http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/cstkt.htm to order a free copy of the DVD.