Multi-Factor Authentication is a security technology that helps protect your Middlebury account from potential compromise by requiring the use of more than just a username and password to prove your identity during login.
Learn more about how you can start using Multi-Factor Authentication today to better protect your Middlebury account at http://go.middlebury.edu/mfa.
As we continue to integrate Middlebury services with cloud providers like Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365, we are aware of possible account conflicts that may arise. In particular, on Monday, April 25th, we will begin automatically syncing Middlebury Google Apps accounts for all students, faculty and staff with @middlebury.edu or @miis.edu addresses. This may result in conflicts for those who have been using stand-alone Google services with an account that you set up to use your Middlebury address but was not provisioned by ITS in our Middlebury Google Apps instance.
What if I have registered my @middlebury.edu address for stand-alone Google services?
If you have been using stand-alone (ie. not Middlebury Google Apps) Google services with your @middlebury.edu address, you have what Google considers to be a “conflicting account” and you will need to rename your account to a non-middlebury.edu address after the update.
Do I need to do anything now?
After the accounts are synced, any documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides, or files in Google Drive) that you created with your personal account will be transferred to a new account to resolve the conflict. Afterwards, you will not be able to transfer ownership to anyone in the middlebury.edu domain. So if you have any documents under a personal stand-alone account with institutional data that should remain associated with the College, you need to transfer ownership to someone with a Middlebury Google Apps account now.
How can I tell if the account I’m using now is a personal or institutional account?
Try logging out and logging in again. If you enter your Google account password at Google’s login page, that’s a personal stand-alone account and the above considerations apply. If instead you enter your Middlebury e-mail and password at our new login page, that’s an institutional account and you’re all set. You can also watch this video.
Can I still access Google’s services for my personal use?
You can choose to maintain a separate account for your personal use of any Google services under a non-middlebury.edu address. If you have multiple Google accounts, the username that appears at the upper right corner of most Google services will help you ensure that you’re using the intended account.
What if I have questions about this?
Please email any questions about this change to helpdesk@middlebury.edu. Or create an helpdesk ticket.
Defining and avoiding conflicting accounts
https://support.google.com/a/answer/185186
Help with your conflicting account:
https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/1699308?rd=2
Moving your personal data between accounts:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1109839?hl=en&ref_topic=30035
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Join your colleagues from both the Middlebury and Monterey campuses for a presentation and discussion on critical cybersecurity issues including phishing and cracking.
Please join us for this discussion. It is open to students, faculty, staff and the community. Computer security is the responsibility of us all.
For more information call Information Security at 802-349-5805
A year ago the Internet saw a rash of malware known as ransomware. This malicious form of cyber attack is known for infecting a computer and encrypting a drive. The victim is then unable to recover their data until paying a ransom to the attacker. Middlebury, like many other institutions was not immune to this form of attack.
A week ago the FBI announced a new variant on a common form of these attacks known as CryptoWall. This form of ransomware is known to have four methods of infecting a computer.
According to the FBI, by far the most common method of attack is phishing, particularly with attachments in the message.
What you can do to protect yourself:
Sources:
From Remote-Learner, our Moodle Host:
http://moodle.middlebury.edu has been scheduled for Production Upgrade at 01:00 EDT on 5-JUN-2015.
Your site may be unavailable for up to 120 minutes while this action occurs.
Thank you,
Remote–Learner
As we all endure these cold temperatures, it can be easy to forget that some of the stuff we carry with us is isn’t quite as hearty. Notably, electronics can be damaged quite easily and seriously in this weather. It’s not the cold itself that is always a problem (although it can be), but instead it’s the temperature change from cold to warm which triggers condensation inside the device.
That fogging of your glasses when you come in from outside is water condensing onto the cold glass surfaces. This same thing takes place unseen inside your phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and other electronics. Because we all know that water and electronics do not play well together, this puts your data as well as the device itself at risk.
We would never try and use our device after it had fallen into water, but just coming in from the outside can result in enough water inside the device to cause the same damage. To the right you’ll see the result of actual water damage inside a MacBook… an extremely expensive repair (click the photo for a better view).
Condensation/water isn’t the only killer here. Cold batteries will die faster, cold hard drives can have trouble spinning and can damage your valuable data, cold LCD displays won’t look or function right, and the sudden change from cold to hot as internal components heat up when powered on can cause permanent damage. While too much heat can hurt electronics, too much cold has plenty of negative effects as well.
So… what to do to keep your device and data safe? Here are the best practices:
Stay warm and safe computing!
-Scott Remick, ITS Senior Technology Specialist
Greetings!
Over the course of the next several weeks, we will be replacing the wireless networks at Middlebury.
What do I need to do?
Starting March 2nd, please connect to the new secure wireless network named MiddleburyCollege (like midd_secure but better). Middlebury Faculty, Staff and Students will login with your standard Middlebury username and password. Guests will need to create a Middlebury guest account and use it to connect to MiddleburyCollege. This is not a change for change’s sake – we are confident that the end result will be a wireless network that is more convenient and more secure for everyone.
Why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve?
Some devices have trouble with the current configuration of midd_secure. Midd_secure was created many years ago and wireless standards have since evolved. Additionally, guests have traditionally connected to midd_unplugged, a non-secure network.
It is important that all wireless devices, including those of faculty, staff and students as well as guests, have a way to connect to our network securely, quickly, and easily. Also, as part of our improved security posture, and to comply with all regulations and generally accepted guidelines, devices on our network need to be identified and associated with an individual, for everyone’s benefit.
What will the new configuration look like?
How will we get there? What is the transition schedule?
To reduce the impact of this change, we are planning on a phased implementation that gives people time to transition from one network to another. For performance and capacity reasons, we cannot have more than four different wireless networks at once, so we will introduce new networks on the following schedule:
| Now to 3/2 | 3/2 to 3/09 | 3/09 to 3/16 | 3/16 forward |
| midd_unplugged (transition to midd_secure) |
MiddleburyCollege | MiddleburyCollege | MiddleburyCollege |
| midd_secure | midd_secure (transition to MiddleburyCollege) |
MCPSK | MCPSK |
| Midd-standard | Midd-standard | Midd-standard (transition to MCPSK) |
GuestAccountCreation |
| eduroam | eduroam | eduroam | eduroam (unchanged – for guest access from other institutions) |
Other Frequently Asked Questions:
Are you saying guests will connect to the MiddleburyCollege network? Isn’t that a little weird from a security perspective?
There’s some behind-the-scenes magic there – people with Middlebury Guest accounts will be isolated from the regular Middlebury network and be provided with Internet access only.
Why start by removing midd_unplugged instead of another network?
For starters, it’s slow and insecure, but a good chunk of people keep using it, unaware that that’s the primary reason for their bad experiences. As much as possible during this transition, we want to make life easier for the people who are currently depending on the faster secure networks. We did consider temporarily disabling eduroam instead, since not as many people use it, but it’s part of an agreement with other universities and we want to honor that.
If I’m bringing a guest to campus after March 2nd, how can I make their experience easier?
The best thing to do is direct them to Middguests so they can create an account before they get here. Then, once they arrive on campus, they can immediately connect to MiddleburyCollege with their guest username and password. If they’ve forgotten their account info, once the GuestAccountCreation network is in place, it’ll provide links to help them reset their password or create a new account.
What about College faculty, staff, or students who’ve forgotten their password or don’t have one yet?
The GuestAccountCreation welcome page will also have a link to the password activation/reset page, and the Helpdesk phone number should anyone get stuck.
What if I have more questions?
If you have a technical issue, now or at any time, or if you need access to the limited MCPSK network, please make a ticket or call us at 802.443.2200 so we can assist you. If you have general questions about the plan, please post them here so everyone can see the answers.
Peace and change,
~Zach Schuetz for the Helpdesk
During our regular maintenance window this Sunday, February 8th we have the following activities scheduled:
We appreciate your patience as we continuously strive to keep our systems functioning optimally.
Billy Sneed
ITS – Central Systems & Network Services
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753
The following information is important only for individuals having a Key Survey account used to create, distribute, and work with surveys and response data.
Please be aware that the WorldAPP team (our Key Survey host) will be performing needed hardware maintenance on this coming Saturday, January 17, 2015, between the hours of:
EST: 2 am to 7 am (GMT: 7 am to 12 pm)
During these hours Key Survey will be temporary unavailable. Once the hardware maintenance has been completed, all applications, survey and forms links, and reports will be available as usual.
WorldAPP apologizes for the short notice and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this maintenance. Feel free to contact their Support Team via email (cs@worldapp.com), phone (781.849.8118), or live chat from www.keysurvey.com.
The following information is important only for individuals having a Key Survey account used to create, distribute, and work with surveys and response data.
WorldAPP (our Key Survey host) is excited to announce that your Key Survey / Form.com account will be upgraded to the new software version 8.6. on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014, between the hours of:
EST: 1 AM and 10 AM / GMT: 6 AM and 3 PM
Loaded with variety of new features, this latest software update introduces many of the advanced task management and workflow capabilities that you, our customers, have asked us for.
Please note that your account may be unavailable during the system upgrade. Your respondents attempting to access surveys, forms or reports will receive a friendly notification of the system maintenance in progress. Once the maintenance has been completed, the application and all survey/form/report links will be accessible.
To learn more about version 8.6 software release ahead of time, visit the Fall ’14 Release Promo page.
If you have any questions about this update please feel free to contact support@worldapp.com.