Computer Support

COVID-19 is drastically changing the daily habits of workers globally. If the decision to work remotely is made, it’s a good idea to keep cybersecurity fundamentals and best practices in mind. That means protecting your devices and the critical data you work with just as you would in the workplace. Maintaining the security of critical Westminster University data and protecting personal information is the responsibility of everyone in the community. If you have cybersecurity questions or concerns or require support with any of the university’s information systems, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Computer Support.

Maintain close contact with Westminster University and your supervisor. 

It’s a smart move to stay on top of all university communications. As Westminster continues to react to developments related to COVID-19, you will receive important notifications regarding policy changes as well as updates to help keep you, your coworkers, and the community safe. Additionally, if you have questions, please ask. There are several resources available to support you in your role.

Use what’s in the university’s software toolbox.

Fulfilling the university’s mission of educating students in the best manner possible given the current situation will require a degree of improvisation. The university has several resources available that are conducive to a collaborative environment and will help you accomplish your responsibilities. These programs and applications have been vetted for their data security attributes and are fully supported by the Computer Support Team. Substitute programs may not have the same security protections and support. Additionally, personal email should not be used to conduct university business and university data should never be stored on personal devices.

Use strong passwords unique to different applications and accounts. 

The Westminster University Password Policy offers some great guidance on how to construct a strong password. Keep in mind that longer passwords are more difficult to break than shorter passwords. Additionally, it is important to use a password unique to each application or account. This means your home WiFi, your online banking application, Westminster University account, etc. should all have different passwords. If the same password is used for multiple accounts, having just 1 password revealed exposes all accounts sharing that password to an attack known as credential stuffing.

Be conscious of where you are working. 

Working remotely affords great flexibility where job responsibilities can be accomplished. Working with critical data should be done from a known, secure network; never from a public, unsecured WiFi network or hotspot. Home WiFi networks can be secured by utilizing a strong password to access the wireless network and enabling the WPA2 data encryption standard. Enabling these safeguards protects your devices and important data you may be working with from cybercriminals.

Beware of coronavirus themed phishing emails and other social engineering attacks. 

Cybercriminals are exploiting the pandemic to send fake emails with dangerous links as well as posting fraudulent coronavirus update websites. Clicking on malicious attachments or embedded links could allow cybercriminals to take control of your device, log keystrokes, or even access sensitive university or personal data. Westminster University flags all emails sent to university email addresses from outside the university’s domain. These flagged emails should be met with additional scrutiny. If you receive a suspicious email, please report it by entering a computer support ticket and a member of the IS security team will be happy to investigate.

Information Services (IS) recommends you consider the resources listed below, keeping in mind that should local and/or national Internet usage peak due to similar approaches taken in other organizations, traffic may slow or even halt at times. For this reason, it’s best to plan to allow for flexible, asynchronous response on assignments, and the development of low bandwidth uses as much as possible (limit or avoid audio and avoid video completely).

All systems listed will require internet connectivity (cell phone service included) and may require internet speeds at least 40MB up and down. IS would also recommend regularly updating your computer (OS and browser) as well as rebooting frequently. Last, please be aware that phishing scams are appearing in many inboxes with content related to preparation for a COVID-19 outbreak.

Accessible Multimedia Guide: Resources for ensuring your digital course content is accessible to all students.

Canvas: Westminster’s learning management system, all academic courses are pre-loaded and we would encourage faculty to start populating the courses with course material.

Faculty and Staff Resources Webpage: Westminster webpage with links to many different faculty/staff resources that might be helpful at this time.

Microsoft Teams: Collaboration space available to all employees and students, it is a great location to conduct meetings remotely and collaborate on projects. Teams also allows video conferencing, which would be a good way to interact with the community and/or students if face to face contact is needed. IS has prepared a quick-tips guide for use of Teams – simply contact the Help Desk to have one sent to you. You can access Teams through Office Online.

OneDrive: Cloud file storage that is available to all employees and students. Allows the user to access any file from anywhere, similar to the H: drive, except all you need is internet access to get to your files. You can access OneDrive from Office Online.

Online Instruction Best Practices: Westminster’s Professional and Continuing Education department has information on best practices on organization/time management, technology, communication, and learning that you may find useful during this time.

Westminster Anywhere: A virtual desktop tool that allows users to have access to most academic applications that are on a Westminster computer. This resource is extremely useful when the user is needing to use administrative tools (Colleague, Informer, etc.). Students might also use it for academic software that is needed for class.

Contact: For more information about resources or for assistance in getting course materials or documents moved, please submit an IS request ticket under the general question form. The IS support team will contact you to set up a meeting time.

• Tips for Online Learning: The Office of Student Success and Retention created this collection of tips for online learning that you may find useful as you transition to online courses.
• Canvas: Canvas is Westminster’s learning management system.
• Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is collaboration space available to all students. This is a great way to conduct meetings remotely and collaborate on projects. Teams also allows video conferencing, which would be a good way to interact with others if face to face contact is needed. You can access Teams through Office Online.
• Westminster Anywhere: Westminster Anywhere is a virtual desktop tool that allows users to have access to most academic applications that are on a Westminster computer.
• OneDrive: OneDrive is a cloud file storage that allows you to access any file from anywhere. You can access OneDrive from Office Online.
• Current Student Resources Webpage: The Current Student Resources webpage provides links to many different resources that might be helpful.
• Microsoft Office 365: As a student, you have access to download and install the full Microsoft Office suite on up to 5 devices. The suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
• Computer Support: Information Services (IS) help desk staff are ready to assist all Westminster students with any technology questions or issues.