Technology Tips: December 2024 Edition

#Tips

Skyward IT Services

by Skyward IT Services

Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists

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Unsend an email

Isn’t it something how often you realize you made a mistake in an email right after hitting send? If your district uses Google Workspace and your email is through Gmail, you can set it up to give you up to 30 seconds to unsend an email.

To set up this feature:

Go to the Settings gear in the upper right corner. Click on See All Settings.
Next to Undo Send, select a Send Cancellation period of 5 to 30 seconds.
At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Now when you send an email, you’ll see a Message Sent notification in the bottom left of your screen with an option to View Message or Undo. Whew!

Plug in your USBs correctly the first time

Okay, this sounds basic, but bear with us. Have you ever plugged in your USB, only to realize you’re trying to do it upside down? Or do you look at the shape at the end of the device to figure out which way to plug it in? Get it right the first time every time with this handy trick: Grab a USB and look for the little symbol on one side. It’s not just for decoration! That symbol should point up if you’re plugging it in horizontally and point toward you if you’re plugging it in vertically. Easy, right?

Avoid using public charging stations

You’re at the airport and your phone is running on fumes. You might not think twice about stopping at a public charging station, but unfortunately, you should.

Bad actors are installing malware on these USB port stations, ready to snarf your credentials and personal information when you sit down for a quick recharge.

The good news is, you can still recharge your device. Just choose one of these safer methods instead:

A standard electrical outlet
A personal portable charger
A charging only cable, which won’t allow personal information to transfer

Malware of the month

There is an ongoing scam in which cybercriminals send emails which appear to come from OpenAI, the creators of Chat GPT. The official-looking email asks you to update your payment information and pay a subscription fee, or else you will lose access to Chat GPT.

If you click the link to update your information, you’ll be taken to the cybercriminals’ webpage, where they will collect your credit card data and personal information.

Don’t fall victim to this or any other email phishing scams! If in doubt, always go directly to the sender’s website, rather than replying to or clicking on links in the email.