King County Information Technology is managing two new security flaws that you may have seen or heard about in the last several days. “Meltdown” and “Spectre” could allow hackers to lift passwords, photos, documents and other data from smartphones and PCs. These flaws affect most computers, laptops, smartphones, and servers.  All major tech companies are aware and managing the problem.  Microsoft and Apple have both released patches for PCs, iOS, Macs and Apple TV. Cell carriers will deploy patches to smartphones. KCIT is currently deploying patches to all King County devices. King… Read More

The Archives just rolled out a new form on its home page to facilitate efficient response to requests for King County recordings held in the collection.  Not only is the form easy to use, but it is designed to ensure that requestors provide sufficient information required to locate needed documents.  The new form, combined with a recently implemented online-payment option, greatly improves customer service by streamlining transactions and by allowing clients to conduct business with the Archives from any location and at any time of day. Thanks to Derek Sheppard and the KC Web Team for… Read More

By Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer  The holiday season is a great time to make charitable gifts to support the causes you care about, and charities often run end-of-year fundraising campaigns. However, criminals take advantage of this fact and run scams and frauds of their own to fool consumers into giving them money instead. Below are some common scams and frauds used by cybercriminals and some tips on how to avoid them. If you can spot these seasonal tricks, you are more likely to ensure your donation goes where you… Read More

On Dec. 19, KCIT is rolling out a new Office 365 product called Office Delve. Delve is part of Office 365 and finds the documents you need no matter where they’re stored – from SharePoint to Planner to Excel. It’s designed to be a time saver. You no longer have to hunt through each application one at a time to find something or see if it’s been changed and by whom.  It’s a great work hack or shortcut, fully supported by KCIT and accessible through your O365 waffle. We strongly recommend checking… Read More

New year, new laptops, new software!  Starting January 1, 2018, every new PC setup will come with Office 2016.  To get a sneak peak of the new features, check out the Microsoft training materials at the Office 365 Training Center.  Can’t wait for your next PC replacement to get the new version?  KCIT will soon have a self service upgrade package available that you can use to upgrade your current PC Office version. 

Follow these steps to start using the new OneDrive sync client. OneDrive for Business is more than just cloud storage. This guide brings tips and tricks that improve digital productivity and help create an all-digital culture within KCIT.  IMPORTANT:  These instructions do not apply to DOT users. DOT has implemented OneDrive without the Sync utility. They only store data in the cloud.   OneDrive is not currently approved for use in DPH or DCHS.  This restriction is expected to be lifted in August 2017.    Personal data should not be stored on county PCs or… Read More

Did you know over 40 percent of us check our phones within five minutes of waking up in the morning, and nearly half check up to 25 times a day, according to a 2015 study by Deloitte? Consider detaching from your phone and other electronics this upcoming holiday season. This will give you more time to spend with loved ones, and help you sleep better. To get started, here’s seven ways to break your technology habit: End idle moments.  Use tech to help you stay off tech. Don’t rely on willpower. Unplug before bed. Start small. Turn off notifications. Plan… Read More

Not everyone has access to Photoshop, so to edit a photo in a pinch, many people use a free online photo editor app called Pixlr Editor.   Pixlr is an online photo editing tool. It is fast, simple and has enough features to make this a great find for low- to moderate-level photo editing. Users can create a new image, upload an image, or grab one directly from a URL location.   Pixlr is actually a web company that has various tools for working with pictures. The one used most commonly is Pixlr Editor, with the second most used tool also being a free photo editing app called Pixlr Express.  To… Read More

Microsoft’s Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) is a KCIT-delivered service that creates useful and powerful visualizations from your data. With visualizations, it’s easy to tell the story you’ve always wanted to tell but couldn’t get the staff of graph paper on your side. The analytics piece of the program allows you to test and explore ideas. KCIT is delivering Power BI training Dec. 6 for the incredibly low price of $75.00. Sign up and become your team’s newest superhero. Register here.