Category Archives: TechNews

Who Can I Contact?

TechNews, , ,

To report a Cybersecurity Incident, please contact:

Simmons Technology ServiceDesk
[email protected]

For more information about Information Security at Simmons including consultation on alignment of business processes with our Information Security policies please contact:

Richard Phung
Information Security Analyst
[email protected]

References
https://www.cisa.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month
https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/
https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach
https://www.varonis.com/2019-data-risk-report/

Technology Support Support Options for Fall

TechNews, , ,

As we all prepare for the Fall semester, Simmons Technology Services & Support is continuing to adapt our services to support you during these challenging times. We will continue our extended phone support hours through the Fall Semester and provide 1:1 in-person support by appointment. 

The Service Desk provides remote support via phone and email. Our extended phone support hours are:

  • Monday – Thursday: 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Friday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Support analysts can assist with a wide variety of tasks over the phone. Analysts can use a remote support tool, with your permission, to see your device remotely and troubleshoot problems that are hard to describe or resolve.

The Technology Support Center is available to assist you in person by appointment only. The appointments are scheduled in advance and intended to assist with issues such as a computer repair, replacement, or other problems that cannot be done remotely. Safety during these appointments are a top priority. We will be using PPE, maintaining safe distance, and keeping the appointment brief to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Appointments can be made by contacting the Service Desk.
As always, you can call us for support at 617-521-2222, email us at [email protected], or visit our website at https://servicedesk.simmons.edu for

Simmons is moving to Workday Student!

TechNews, ,

This September, Simmons will reach the first major milestone in our Workday Student implementation.  The Workday Student project is deployed in four stages — Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum — and will roll out throughout the remainder of the academic year. Each stage delivers a new set of functionality that builds on prior work. These phases follow methodology recommended by Workday to maximize design and testing time and minimize the need for rework.  The Bronze go-live in September includes the foundational, non-transactional elements which serve as a framework for the new student information system. 

The Bronze implementation lays the foundation for the rest of the Workday Student project in production and has no immediate impact on the Simmons community’s day-to-day work.  No active transactions will be taking place and no student records will be in Workday.  This foundation allows for the Simmons community to prepare for testing of registration and other functions later this fall so that the Silver implementation in March goes smoothly. 

The Workday Student project implementation is a complex, multiyear collaboration between the Simmons Technology project team and more than 30 representatives from across the Simmons Community. Workgroups have been meeting regularly for the past 18 months to identify requirements, clean data, configure, and test the system to meet the needs of Simmons students, faculty, and staff.

Once complete, Workday Student will replace Colleague/AARC — which has been our student information system for over thirty years — with a platform that is current, flexible, highly integrated, and able to meet the Community’s changing needs.

For questions regarding the Workday Student Project, please contact Jane Ritt. 

Data Classification Policy Updates

TechNews, , ,

Data Classification Policy to permit the secure storage of some sensitive information on Google Shared Drives by enabling rules that prevent our important information from being shared. The new protocol allows Restricted and Private data to be stored in Technology-managed Google shared drives created for your Department. This initiative allows for more flexible remote access to files without sacrificing the security of the familiar Department O-Drive.

For more information about Google Shared drives and using Google File Stream, visit the ServiceDesk website for details, or contact [email protected] to get started.


For questions regarding Information Security, please contact Richard Phung.

Information Security: Back to School

TechNews, , ,

This fall, nearly 20 million students in the US are expected to attend universities. This is an exciting time for Simmons University as our students, faculty, and staff eagerly prepare for the upcoming academic year.

Unfortunately, the return to school provides ample opportunities for hackers, thieves, and other unsavory types who wish to take advantage of people during these particularly busy times. When it comes to information security, it is important for our community to not only be aware of common scams and pitfalls, but to exercise mindful safety and security practices.

Watch Out for Common Scams Targeting College Students

  • Emails that contain “important information about your Simmons account” or a “problem with your registration”
  • Scholarship scams, textbook rental or book-buying scams
  • Tech Support scams where you get a call about a “problem with your computer”
  • IRS scams demanding money for a fake “federal student tax”
  • Messages asking for your login information or passwords
  • Fake friend requests
  • Fake login pages
  • Fake DropBox or Google Docs notices

What can I do?

  • Always think twice before clicking links or opening attachments. If you get a message with an unexpected attachment, contact the sender directly to confirm they actually sent it.
  • Protect your passwords. Never reveal your password to anyone. Use different passwords for different accounts, especially between your work, school, and personal accounts. Reminder: Simmons will NEVER ask you for your password.
  • Protect your stuff. Lock up your belongings or take them with you when you leave. Do not leave your belongings unattended. Always remember your mobile device, and make sure you password protect your devices.
  • Keep your machine clean. Make sure that all of your devices, apps, browsers, and antivirus software are up-to-date. Restart your computer or phone periodically. Delete sensitive information if you no longer need it.
  • Back-up your files regularly. Use storage options that are approved by Simmons Technology to back-up your important information, and also make sure your backups work!
  • See something, say something. Report suspicious activity or suspected scams.


Send any questions or concerns to: [email protected]

Reminder: Technology Procurement Policy

TechNews, , , , ,

Not sure how to go about purchasing technology within your department? Check out the Simmons University Department Technology Procurement Policy to answer all of your questions regarding software purchases and more. Here are a few key points to remember:

  • All technology-related purchases must be submitted via the Technology Procurement Request form. This allows Technology to ensure all purchases comply with campus standards including information security, accessibility standards, and compatibility with campus systems.
  • The Technology Department is responsible for funding the annual maintenance of all software used university-wide (exceptions to this policy may be determined on a case-by-case basis).
  • Prior authorization from Technology is required for all technology purchases and commitments, including those made with a credit card.
  • Some peripherals, such as webcams, headsets, and keyboards can be purchased through Workday without consultation from the Technology Department. Check out the pre-approved items in the Zones Punchout in Workday!

For any questions about this policy, please contact Bridget Cullen at [email protected] or 617-521-2402.

Introducing: LinkedIn Learning

TechNews, , , , ,

Simmons Academic Systems & Technology is excited to announce that our Lynda.com online, on-demand learning resource has moved to a new look and feel. It is now LinkedIn Learning; the same great Lynda content in a more modern and interactive system.

Please visit linkedinlearning.simmons.edu to connect to LinkedIn Learning. If you have visited Lynda.com previously, logging in with the same credentials will reconnect you to all of your previously viewed Lynda content. You will also be prompted to connect an existing LinkedIn account to your Simmons LinkedIn Learning account, however it is not required.

Introducing: 25Live Pro

TechNews, , , , ,

Simmons University has recently launched our new events management and scheduling system, 25Live Pro – which has replaced R25.

Why 25Live Pro?

After extensive research, we selected 25Live Pro as our new room scheduling solution. This service offers more features, ease of use, and scalability for the Simmons University community:

  • A 100% web-based solution
  • Easy searching of events, and available location
  • Better performance, intuitive, easy to use interface for creating events
  • Space utilization reporting
  • Improved security

Access the new system and training

In order to access the new system, visit events.simmons.edu and log in using your Simmons username and password.

To facilitate the transition to 25Live Pro, we are holding training sessions until October. Please click HERE to sign up for a training session.

For any questions about this new service, please contact John Woja at [email protected] or at 617-521-2003.

Compromised Credentials

TechNews, , , ,
Decorative image with a lock

A credential dump is a list of email addresses and other information sometimes including passwords that are published or sold online. When you read coverage on the news about the data breach of a big company like LinkedIn or Dropbox there is often a subsequent credential dump being leaked.  More often, however, credential dumps take the form of lists that come from numerous smaller data breaches from many compromised websites over the course of several years.

These lists are commonly exploited because of insecure password practices.  According to a 2018 study, 59% of users mostly or always use the same password or variation of the same password across multiple online accounts; 62% of users use the same passwords between work and personal accounts; only 55% of users update their password after news of a site or service leaking their credentials; and 61% of users claim “fear of forgetting” as the primary reason for reusing passwords.  Hackers rely on practices like these to gain access to seemingly unrelated accounts after credentials are leaked.

What about my Simmons account?
Simmons Technology receives regular updates from information security sources that will notify us when our users’ credentials are potentially leaked and our Service Desk staff is ready to assist with account compromise and password reset procedures. Additionally, we require the use of SharkPass for our web applications which adds an additional layer of security to your login.

What else can I do?
Luckily, there are a few resources available to reduce the impact of credential dumps:

  • Check your accounts!  Have I Been Pwned is a web service that allows you to search across multiple credential dumps to see if your email address has potentially been compromised.
  • Stop reusing passwords across different websites and services.  LastPass is a password manager and password generator that stores and encrypts passwords for different websites.
  • Change your passwords.  For your Simmons account, visit preferences.simmons.edu and reset your password from time-to-time. Remember to choose strong passwords of at least 8 characters including both letters and numbers, and at least one non-alphanumeric character (e.g. “$1MmonsC0l1eg3”).
  • Enable two-factor authentication, like Sharkpass, on where available on external accounts.  Two Factor Auth (2FA) provides a good list of sites and services that support it.

Questions or concerns about Information Security?
Contact Richard Phung, Information Security Analyst.