Managing Records: Services for State Agencies: Newsletters
Newsletter: December 2007
Welcome to the December 2007 State Agency RMO Newsletter!
TRAINING WORKSHOPS SELECTED FOR SPRING 2008
Spring training workshops have been selected for 2008. Registration has not yet been opened, but will be in March 2008 .
March 26 - Retention Scheduling (State Archives)
April 17 – Managing Electronic Records (State Records Center)
May 7 – Preservation of Electronic Records (State Archives)
June 19 – Your Role as an RMO (State Records Center)
We will let you know as soon as registration for these workshops opens. Thank you to everyone who participated in the workshop survey and help us select these workshops
NEW MANUAL AVAILABLE FROM THE COUNCIL OF STATE ARCHIVISTS
The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) has released a manual on rescuing family records from a disaster. The information in this manual may be also be relevant for rescuing government records from a disaster.
This practical manual describes the records that protect a family’s finances, health, civil rights, and family history. Some, such as deeds and mortgages, may be obvious to readers, but others, such as leases, proof of intellectual property, and certain tax records, are easily forgotten in the moment of crisis. The manual prompts readers to think through all the records that may help their family survive disaster and return to normal afterwards.
It includes: a checklist of records, with space for recording whether and where the record is duplicated; various options for duplicating and protecting records, and the pros and cons of each; a discussion about why certain records may need to be certified; and a brief introduction to caring for historical family records.
The 24-page manual is available for $10, plus $3 postage and handling, from the Council of State Archivists.
To order, visit http://www.statearchivists.org/shop/rfr-buy.htm.
Proceeds will be used to support CoSA’s ongoing Emergency Preparedness Initiative.
SECURITY TIPS: PHISHING
This month’s cybersecurity tip comes from CSCIC on the subject of phishing. Phishing is a form of identity theft where the intent is to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. A phisher will send you an e-mail or an instant message that may appear to be from a friend, a business, a government agency or some other entity such as a credit card company or banks and ask you to share some personally sensitive information with them. This information can be anything from your social security number, to your credit card number, to various account log-ins. This stolen information can be used for a variety of purposes such as identity theft, and to make fraudulent purchases with your money. Some phishing attempts are easy to identify because they claim to come from businesses or companies that you have never dealt with; others may be more difficult to identify since they appear to be from entities with which you do business.
To determine if an e-mail is phishing, look to see if the e-mail asks you to "verify your information" or to "confirm your user-id and password". Does the e-mail reference any consequences should you not 'verify your information'? Remember that legitimate businesses should never ask for personal or financial information via e-mail. If you are concerned that you have received a phishing e-mail, delete it. You can also forward it to the company it claims to be from and to spam@uce.gov. Do not click on any links listed in the e-mail message and do not open any attachments contained in the e-mail. Many phishing messages and sites not only attempt to get your personal information, they also attempt to install malicious code, like a Trojan horse, on to your computer. Do not enter personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies, agencies and organizations don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens. And finally install a phishing filter on your e-mail application and also for your web browser. These filters will not keep out all phishing messages, but it will reduce the numbers of phishing attempts.
LOOKING TO A BRIGHT 2008
As the new year nears, we often look back at the last twelve months and what we’ve done. It is a chance to consider the accomplishments of your program and congratulate yourself for your achievements. A lot of hard work was accomplished in your agencies this year. You pushed the envelope, implementing innovative new projects, refining existing programs, and launching new initiatives. Take some time and look at how far you’ve all come.
2008 promises to be a year filled with new opportunities. Whether it’s implementing a new electronic records management system, developing a closer relationships within your agency’s departments, or enrolling in the State Archives Program Wellness initiative. Take advantage of the programs and resources available to you, and make this a year to remember.
That’s it for this month! Have safe and happy holidays, and we’ll see you all in the New Year!
Jennifer O’Neill
joneill@mail.nysed.gov
(518) 473-2112
Sarah Durling
sdurling@mail.nysed.gov
(518) 473-6803
