Category Archives: TechNews

October is CyberSecurity Awareness Month

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Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Logo

See Yourself in Cyber. #BeCyberSmart.

Even though cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, ultimately, it’s really all about people. This month we focus on the “people” part of cybersecurity, providing information and resources to help everyone make smarter decisions whether on the job, at home, or at school. 

4 Things You Can Do to #BeCyberSmart

About Your Role

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When we say See Yourself in Cyber, we mean see yourself in cyber no matter what role you play. As an individual or consumer, take steps to protect your online information and privacy. Faculty, staff, and service providers can take ownership of their role by putting cybersecurity in place to prevent incidents while protecting the University’s brand and reputation. Administrators support critical operations and are a part of the network of functions and systems that others rely on.

Remember: your role plays an important part in ensuring cybersecurity for the larger ecosystem!

Phishing and Social Engineering

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Phishing and social engineering campaigns are the #1 source of ransomware and other malware[1].
Phishing is a type of cybersecurity attack where malicious actors send messages pretending to be a trusted person. Social Engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions like installing malicious software, clicking a malicious link, or divulging sensitive information.

Reduce your chances of your falling victim to phishing attacks!

Beware of messages that:

  • Do not clearly identify themselves or their company
  • Come from an email address that does not match the company’s domain
  • Do not give full contact information such as the title of sender, the company’s physical address, or phone number
  • Make too good to be true offers with no strings attached
  • Ask to pay an upfront fee or asks you to transfer money for them
  • Ask to give your credit card or bank account numbers
  • Ask to send copies of personal documents
  • Remember: DO NOT provide any personal information, especially Social Security numbers or financial information. Legitimate companies would not ask for this information over the phone or email.

If an email looks suspicious, do not respond and do not click on any links or attachments. When available, “Report phishing” to block other suspicious emails.

[1] 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)

Beware of Disaster Scams

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Remain vigilant for scams particularly related to disasters and other current events. Recent phishing campaigns include emails with attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. Exercise caution in handling any email with Hurricane Ian-related subject line, attachment, or hyperlink, and be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls related to Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

In general, avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails, never reveal personal or financial information in email and do not respond to solicitations for this type of information. Always verify the sender of email messages.

For more information about phishing and Internet scams, as well as ways to identify them, please visit our Phishing and Scams resource page

Please send any questions or concerns to Simmons Information Security Officer, Richard Phung, or the Technology Service Desk.

Upcoming Sharkpass Duo Updates

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Example of a new Duo Push

Simmons Technology will be updating Duo Security — the technology behind Simmons Sharkpass — to the Universal Prompt which will affect the look-and-feel of logging into Simmons resources. 

After this change, a redesigned prompt will be presented to users at the time they login providing a sleeker, more simplified interface. 


Stay tuned! More details to be announced soon.

Welcome Back

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Technology Support Center (TSC) located in MCB Ground Floor A-050

Technology is excited to welcome you back to campus! Whether you’re new or have been here for years, we’re here to assist you. The Technology Support Center (TSC) is located on the ground floor of the MCB, room A-050. TSC’s services, including walk-up support and equipment loans, are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Not on campus or remote?  Our Service Desk provides technical support on a wide variety of topics. We can help you troubleshoot problems with your computer, account access, printing, Zoom, and many other technology-related issues. Our website provides access to many resources including contact information, support hours, FAQs, service and support request forms, classroom and event support information, and hardware and software discounts.

New Workday User Interface

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On Saturday, September 10, Workday will update its user interface to a brand new look!  All functionality on the Workday homepage will still be there in a new format.  A new section of the homepage contains Timely Suggestions reminding you of important activities such as reminders to submit your time or upcoming registration appointments.  A new Menu in the upper left corner of every page is where you can access all your familiar Apps and Worklets.

Screenshot of Workday screen with new menu. A new Menu in the upper left corner of every page is where you can access all your familiar Apps and Worklets.

For more information or assistance, please reach out to [email protected].

LMS Transition to Moodle

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After two years of pivot, campus-based undergraduate coursework has transitioned back to Simmons Moodle.  Faculty and Students login with their Simmons credentials and no longer use a separate password to access their coursework.  Simmons Moodle is very similar to the Learning Management System of previous years and the transition from one to the other should be smooth.  

If you need technical support, please reach out to [email protected].  All support is now provided by Simmons Staff.  The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) provides instructional design assistance for faculty and can be reached at [email protected].

We’re also excited to introduce Gradescope, a cloud-based grading tool.  Gradescope allows faculty to save time grading and provides analytics on how students are doing in class.  Gradescope can be used to grade a variety of assignments: quizzes, bubble sheets, exams, worksheets, projects, problem sets, projects, and programs.  Integrated with Moodle, Gradescope works with Gradebook to manage students’ grades.

Information Security and Phishing

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ID Badge IconNearly 20 million students in the US are expected to attend universities this fall. 

This is an exciting time for Simmons as our students, faculty, and staff return for the academic year. Unfortunately, the return to school provides ample opportunities for cybercriminals who wish to take advantage of people during these particularly busy times.

Phishing attacks are once again on the rise, accounting for more than 20% of data breaches in 2021[1]. It is estimated that one in every 99 messages (1.2%)[2] is malicious which equates to nearly 3.4 billion fake emails per day.

Luckily there are some healthy security practices that we all can take to reduce risk:

  • Beware of email messages claiming to be of an urgent nature.
  • Pay attention to the sender of the email message.
  • Look out for fake logos, signatures, or suspicious message contents.
  • Check those URLs; only visit official, reputable websites with encryption.
  • Think twice before clicking links or opening attachments.
  • Protect your passwords and use different passwords for your work, school, and personal accounts.
  • Keep your machine clean. 
  • Make sure that all of your devices, apps, browsers, and antivirus software are up-to-date.
  • Delete sensitive information if you no longer need it.
  • Back-up your files regularly. 

Be mindful of common scams targeting college students, including:

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

Thank you for your continued cooperation supporting your information security and online safety!  For more information about phishing and Internet scams, as well as ways to identify them, please visit our Phishing and Scams resource page

Please send any questions or concerns to Simmons Information Security Officer, Richard Phung, or the Technology Service Desk.  

[1] Verizon 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/)

[2] Valimail Email Fraud Landscape Spring 2019 Report (https://valimail.docsend.com/view/qndhuhn)

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Departing? Export Your Data

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Icon for Digital ContentsAmid completing finals, saying good-bye to friends, and preparing for what’s next, it is important for departing students to preserve their digital files that made-up their educational experiences. After leaving the University, Simmons accounts remain active for six months.  After that, stored data may be irrecoverable. We recommend making preparations to export and backup data now while there’s still plenty of time.

Exporting data for later use may seem like a daunting and stressful task, however, special utilities make this important job much easier.  Google Takeout is a free, easy-to-use product that automates the download of user data across Google’s services making it ready to be uploaded to a new account or preserved as a back-up.

How does it work?

  • Log into Google through your Simmons login.
  • Visit the Takeout website:  https://takeout.google.com
  • Choose the products and services you wish to back-up.
  • Follow the instructions to create an export.
    The files are collected into a ZIP and can be downloaded for safekeeping.

Some downloads may take a long time. Do not worry! Google will notify you via email after they finish packing things up and when downloads are available.  Please allow yourself some time to ensure that all of your data is securely backed-up.

What is included?

Most of your Google data can be exported, including but not limited to: Gmail, Google Apps, Google Calendar, Google Drive Files, Google Keep, and YouTube.

What is not included?

Google Drive files that you are not the owner or editor; and files where downloading and copying has been disabled. Although much of your data can be downloaded and backed-up, Google may place restrictions on what can be imported to a new account.

Where can I learn more?

Google’s Account Help Pages describe the basic procedures:

The Simmons Technology Service Desk is available to help.