Technology Services

Author: jerry

  • Gustavus Legacy Accounts

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    jerry

    Gustavus legacy accounts–those held by alumni, retirees, former employees, and friends of the College, loomed large in 2022. The security risks associated with 30,000+ mostly dormant accounts continued to offer us challenges, but it was the increasing costs imposed by our vendors that ultimately prompted us to make a big change. This past summer we…

  • Security Awareness Training Reminder

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    jerry

    A gentle reminder for all faculty and staff. The first half of your required Security Awareness Training is due on Nov. 9. We ask that you watch all of the videos and complete a very brief assessment by that date. Please note that we must meet completion requirements set forth by our insurance provider, so…

  • macOS Ventura Update

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    jerry

    Apple recently announced the release of macOS Ventura. At this time, however, this new version is incompatible with our endpoint detection system. Because of this issue, and the potential for similar problems, we will be restricting updates until our vendor(s) have had sufficient time to troubleshoot and make necessary changes. We will post an update…

  • Google Drive and Storage Changes

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    jerry

    Google previously announced that it would be removing unlimited Drive storage for educational clients. The specific timeline for this change has proven elusive, but it now appears that a January 2024 transition date is likely. With this in mind, Technology Services has been working on a roadmap for digital storage. Google Drive will still factor…

  • Security Awareness Training Update

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    jerry

    October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and to celebrate, we will be launching our new-and-improved Security Awareness Training. This year, we have contracted with a new vendor to provide enhanced features, and more engaging content. Our goal is to provide 60 minutes of information security training throughout the year. We plan to break this up into…

  • Adobe Product Options for 2022-23

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    jerry

    Adobe offers a number of powerful applications for digital image manipulation, graphic design, and PDF creation. Despite rising software costs, Technology Services has worked diligently to make sure these popular tools are available to everyone on campus. Additional funding during the early years of the pandemic even allowed us to temporarily expand this access. For…

  • Duo Phone/Voice Authentication to be Disabled

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    jerry

    Technology Services has noticed a small, but increasing, number of attempts to subvert Duo two-factor authentication through the phone/voice call method. This industry-wide uptick in malicious activity relies on the phone prompt being too vague to raise user suspicion, resulting in outside parties inadvertently gaining access. It is important to stress that if an unexpected…

  • Updates and Reminders for Fall

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    jerry

    Fall Technology Helpline Hours The Technology Services Helpline will be available this fall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Friday. We will be closed Saturday and Sunday. During office hours, you may stop by our main floor Olin location for personal assistance, or we encourage…

  • Zoom Licensing and Support to End

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    jerry

    The College’s institutional Zoom licensing agreement is set to expire at the end of June. Based on survey results and feedback received earlier this year, along with recommendations from the Academic Technology Committee (ATC) and Technology Services, there are no plans to renew this agreement. While Technology Services will no longer be able to offer…

  • New Staff/Faculty Account Access Policy

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    jerry

    Recent changes to our licensing agreement with Google have necessitated further examination of our account access practices. Specifically, we’ve been forced to look at ways to reduce the number of active accounts. Some of this work was already in progress due to ongoing security concerns, but the additional licensing issues have made this an imperative.…