ITS Newsletter - April 2020

IT Services Newsletter – April 2020

IT Services, along with other departments, quickly made arrangements for employees to work from home. Working from home presents a higher risk of people being targeted by scammers, especially through phishing emails or through an unsecured network connection. Recent scams are impersonating emails that appear to come directly from the boss. Always check the sender’s email and never open an attachment from someone you don’t know. If you feel the email is a phishing attempt, report it or delete it. Be safe, not sorry!

Zoom Security

IT Services are aware of some recent concerns related to Zoom and have raised it with our Zoom vendor. Zoom has committed to resolving any outstanding concerns including Zoombombing and have updated services to address any concerns. If you have any questions please feel free to contact mbiermann@selkirk.ca

Security at Home

While we are settling into a new norm of working from home, protecting your devices and personal information is more important than ever.  A few tips to keep in mind are:

• Start with Security Basics: Keep your security software up to date.  Use passwords on all your devises and apps.  Make sure passwords are strong, long and unique.
• Securely store sensitive files: Physical security of files are equally important as data security of files. While at home, consider locking your sensitive files or confidential materials in a cabinet or locked storage box. 
• COVID-19 Phishing Scams: There are numerous COVIS-19 phishing scams currently being circulated.  Some include emails from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization.  The subject lines typically read “IMPORTANT: Coronavirus 2019” and are attempting to take advantage of the fear surrounding this serious pandemic.  Remember to AVOID and do not download any files or follow any links from unknown sources, CONTACT the user directly by phone or in-person to verify any requests.

Security Awareness Winner

Congratulations to Milane Kutcher for being March’s IT Security Star and the winner of a $20 gift card.  Once we are back to work, we will issue your prize. Thank you for your continued watchful eye and reporting these suspicious phishing attempts to ITsecurity@selkirk.ca

Have you checked out go.selkirk yet?

IT Services has been working diligently to provide you with as many resources as possible to assist you in working remotely and successfully. The following are just a few new services that are available:

• IT Virtual Drop-In-Centre via ZOOM – Offering a drop in service twice a day: 10m. to12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to3 p.m.. This service is available for staff and students to ask questions or get advice on any IT subject. Find the link on https://go.selkirk.ca

• NetStorage - Provides a means of accessing your secure personal storage from non-Selkirk computers using a web browser. What does this mean? Get access to your H: drive from your laptop or home desktop PC! (Username and password required)

• Microsoft OneDrive – Launched for faculty and staff use. OneDrive is a cloud storage service from Microsoft that allows you to store all your important files securely in one place and then access them virtually anywhere. It works just like a traditional hard drive, but it's on the internet, and you get access to additional features. Find OneDrive tutorials on the Knowledge Centre at go.selkirk.ca

IT Hardware – Offsite Registration

Please remember to submit your IT Hardware-Offsite registration form if you are removing any equipment from campus for the purpose of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find the registration form at go.selkirk.ca

Thanks for Reading

We leave you with a quote from Oscar Wilde: “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessing in disguise.”  Stay safe, stay healthy.