Announcements

New Voicemail System

We are moving to a new voicemail system on Friday, September 22nd. Before September 22nd, it is recommended that you document all important saved messages you may have in your current voicemail box. Any messages currently in your voicemail will not be moved.

The new voicemail system is now available for you to setup. The setup takes approximately 10 minutes. If you hangup or get disconnected during the process you can start over but your changes will not be saved.

To setup your new voicemail:

1. From your office phone, dial x4200
   1. Listen for your mailbox number, it should be the same as your extension
2. Enter your passcode, which is your mailbox number
3. Press 8
4. Press 7
5. Enter your new passcode, press #
6. To go to User Options, press 8
7. To record your greeting, press 4
8. Record your greeting, press #
   1. Playback your recording, press 7
   2. Re-record your greeting, press 3
   3. Accept your recording, press 9
9. To go to User Options, press 8
10. To record your name, press 6
11. Record your name, press #
    1. Playback your recording, press 7
    2. Re-record your greeting, press 3
    3. Accept your recording, press 9

If you need any help setting up your voicemail, call x5555 Monday - Friday between 7am and 3pm

Securing ESF Services, Software, and Computers for a Safer Campus

In our digital world, new risks are constantly emerging. The highly interconnected nature of the Internet and the inherent openness of higher education institutions exposes ESF to greater risk of deliberate cyber-attack. This threatens ESF’s information, systems, and reputation. Protecting us from these threats requires that we consider the people, our processes, and the technical cybersecurity systems.
 
To better protect our community, Computing and Network Services (CNS) will be making changes to campus security systems and the people-facing processes associated with these systems, to better align ESF with industry best practices and SUNY/State/Federal requirements. These changes will be implemented beginning on May 22nd, and continuing the weeks afterward, to help secure ESF against future cyber-attacks.
 
Changes include:

• Local administrative rights will continue to be rolled back and replaced with a Privileged Access Management system.
• Web-based system session times will be reduced when systems are left sitting idle.
• Email stored in server mailboxes older than 7 years will be deleted.
• Acceptable use policy update and periodic acknowledgement.
• Maximum password age: password resets for people using a password older than 3 years.
• ESF computers will continue to be upgraded to use Microsoft (Office) 365 (from Office 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019).
• Microsoft OneDrive will continue to be installed and configured on all ESF PCs and Macs.
• Windows 11 migration and beyond.
• Device encryption on all ESF PCs and Macs.
• @esf.edu AppleID federation.
• Renewed Network Access Control system.
• Campus Phishing and training for Phishing failures.
• Changes to campus printing to align with SUNY policy.

 
Do you have questions about the upcoming system/security changes at ESF?
 
Please join CNS for a discussion focused on upcoming advances in ESF’s information security efforts.
 
Location: 310 Baker Labs
 
Date: Tuesday, 5/23/2023
 
Time: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
 
Topic: This informational session will provide the ESF campus with details regarding upcoming changes to campus information security systems and related systems.

Fall 2023 Semester Software Requests
 
New Deadline: June 1st

If you teach in a classroom/computing lab during the Fall 2023 semester, we would like to remind you to please make your classroom/lab software requests by June 1st (for classes beginning in August). If we do not receive your request by that date, it is likely that we will not be able to have the software you need installed and tested on Lab/Classroom PCs for the start of the spring semester. To request software for installation on Lab/Classroom PCs (spring semester requests):

• Send an email to helpdesk@esf.edu, or
• Use the following link to request using a web form: https://support.esf.edu

Please include as much detail in your request as possible to be sure we can configure the experience you expect. Remember: we may know of your software, but we may not know how to use your software as you intend, and details will help us better meet your need.
 
Important Notes:

• Remote/hybrid modalities, and not knowing clearly who will be using which at any given time, have very much complicated delivering desktops and software to students, faculty, and staff. We ask that you please adhere to the December 1st date for requesting software, so we have enough time to prepare the tools you need to successfully deliver your labs and classes. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
• It may be necessary for the Department Chair or the regular/usual instructor (in the case of sabbaticals, etc.) to make the software request for any class where the actual instructor has not yet been identified. This will avoid excess confusion and delays for the instructor who may not begin their appointment until the start of the semester.
• Software licensing is a major concern on Campus PCs. Any software you request must be properly licensed. If there is a cost associated with your request, CNS will follow-up with questions regarding funding sources to support including the requested software on Campus Lab/Classroom PCs.
• Free software cannot always be installed on Campus PCs. A good indicator that that we cannot use a software title without purchase is when the vendor/author refers to it as ‘trial’ or ‘shareware.’ If you have questions about whether your requested software falls into this category, please do not hesitate to contact us.
• CNS no longer schedules computing lab spaces on campus. All computing lab scheduling is handled through ESF's Office of the Registrar

 Next year, all labs will be migrating to Windows 11 after the June 1, 2024 software request deadline. Please begin evaluating your requested software now for Windows 11 compatibility.

Transitioning from Google to OneDrive and Teams

To simplify campus storage options, provide better institutional support, and better align with State/SUNY information security mandates and insurance industry requirements, CNS will sunset support for many cloud storage solutions on campus, including the ESF Google ecosystem, on January 2, 2024.

The only acceptable storage solution for institutional data after this time, other than on-campus file servers (Saturn or Cifs), is Microsoft OneDrive for individuals or Teams for committees/departments/groups with on-going collaboration. To begin preparing the campus for this transition, CNS will host brown bags and work sessions throughout the spring semester. These sessions will demonstrate the use of Microsoftt OneDrive and the process for transitioning to OneDrive from other cloud storage solutions. If you have a laptop, we recommend that you bring it with you when you attend one of these sessions. The sessions will be held in Baker 314 on:

• Wednesday, February 15th from 11am - 12pm
• Tuesday, March 14th from 10am - 11am
• Thursday, April 6th from 2pm - 3pm

The timeline of sunsetting the Google ecosystem is as follows: January 2nd, 2024 Google Drive Jamboard Keep Google calendar Assignments Google chat and hangouts Classroom Tasks. Other Google Services On January 2nd, 2024, CNS will ensure that non-OneDrive online storage synchronizing applications, such as those used with DropBox, Google Drive, iCloud, Box and other such cloud storage services, will no longer be installed on ESF owned computers. These services will only be accessible through those services websites. CNS encourages all users to migrate their work data from other platforms to Microsoft’s OneDrive or Teams before this time.

Additional information and resources can be found on https://it.esf.edu/Google-Sunset

References:

NIST 800-171 3.13 control the flow of sensitive data in accordance with approved authorizations
NIST 800-171 3.1.19 Encrypt CUI on mobile devices and mobile computing platforms
NIST 800-171 3.5.3 use multi-factor authentication for local and network access for privileged accounts and for network access to non-privileged accounts
NIST 800-171 3.7.3 ensure equipment removed for off-site maintenance is sanitized of any sensitive data
NIST 800-171 3.8.1 Protect (i.e., physically control and securely store) information system media containing sensitive data, both paper and digital
NIST 800-171 3.8.6 Implement cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of sensitive data stored on digital media during transport unless otherwise protected by alternative physical safeguards
NIST 800-171 3.13.1 Monitor, control and protect organizational communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems
NIST 800-171 3.13.4 Prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via shared system resources

Initiatives & Maintenance