Category Archives: TechNews

New Year, New Web Site!

After conferring with key stakeholders and considering important campus-wide dates, the Digital Ecosystem team has moved the launch of the new web site to January 7th, with promotion and communication continuing in the following week as Simmons gears up for the start of the semester. This date ensures that external delays won’t reduce the amount of testing and training time available to the community and that we do not risk impacting key admissions deadlines. We will launch with a polished, attractive site that features Simmons news and stories and makes them more visible online.

We have been working closely with Area Editors from each functional group to make sure that all content is up-to-date and will be granting them access to their content within the site on a rolling basis to review and make changes. Training for “Simmons Internal,” an online repository for many of our existing resources for students, staff and faculty who are already a member of the Simmons community, began last week.

A Digital Ecosystem newsletter with more details about the new site will be sent out soon. Please visit our project web site  for additional information.

Online Information Security Training Now Available

securing-the-human-newsInformation security is a complex and constantly evolving topic. Threats to the security of the Simmons network and our data, as well as your personal data, change every day. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to stay secure and to prevent most common causes of unauthorized access to your information.

To help you better understand current threats to information security and the resources available to you, Simmons Technology is providing access to a short, video-based security awareness course called Securing the Human. Topics covered include: an overview of how criminals gain unauthorized access to data, staying safe when browsing and using email, securing your mobile device, tips for using social media safely, and keeping personal information secure on our network and in the cloud.

The course consists of 2-5 minute video sessions and takes about an hour to complete. It is available online at any time to faculty and staff.Completion of the training is necessary for compliance with Massachusetts Standards for the Protection of Personal Information, and we encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience.

You should have received an email recently notifying you that your account has been created and containing a link to the training. If you do not have this email, you can also access the training directly by visitingsso.securingthehuman.org/simmons and signing in with your Simmons username and password. If you have any problems accessing or completing the training, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.

Getting In-Person Technology Support

Simmons Technology has centralized all in-person support in the Technology Support Center, located in L331 on the third floor of Lefavour Hall. Our technicians are available Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm to answer your questions and check out equipment.

If you need technology assistance while in the library, please come upstairs to the Technology Support Center, or contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.