UAH | Office of Information Technology (OIT) | News | ��ԭ��Ʒ

Outstanding UAH faculty, staff celebrated at 2025 University Awards for Excellence event

2025-06-06T08:08:21-05:00

��ԭ��Ʒ (UAH) celebrated 14 faculty and staff members for their outstanding achievements during the 2024-25 academic year at the 2025 University Awards for Excellence ceremony on May 1.

UAH welcomes Tang as Chief Information Officer

2025-02-03T10:17:28-06:00

��ԭ��Ʒ (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, has named Danny Tang as its chief information officer, effective February 17, 2025.

Cybersecurity Week Four: Incident Response

2024-10-25T11:16:05-05:00

What to Do When You See Something

by Staci Radden, OIT Cyber Analyst

This last cybersecurity awareness month article is all about incident response, and what to do when you see something suspicious. Reporting any questionable cyber activity is a way to protect UAH’s data and systems. Therefore, it is critical that we remain diligent in recognizing and reporting suspected cybersecurity threats.

What to Report

As discussed in our previous articles this month, cybersecurity risks can present in a multitude of ways, including phishing emails, malware, ransomware, social engineering (e.g., job scams & tech support scams) and much more! Such threats can jeopardize personal data and put UAH processes into disarray. A few examples of suspicious activity are included below.

These are not the only examples of cybersecurity risks and these risks can take on a number of forms. Regardless of their appearance, any potential cybersecurity risk should be taken very seriously.

Why to Report

Have you ever tried to rationalize why you shouldn’t report a possible threat?

“It’s probably nothing.”
“I’m just being paranoid.”
“I’m sure someone else will report this issue.”

We may feel embarrassed about clicking a link in error or worried that we caused a problem. We may be afraid that we are making a big deal about nothing and creating unnecessary alarm. However, by communicating a potential security issue, you are helping the Office of Information Technology (OIT) do its job. Your prompt reporting allows UAH’s cybersecurity team to quickly react, often preventing the incident from becoming bigger and impacting more people. The valuable information you provide can assist OIT in improving security measures, such as user education, anti-phishing tools, stronger password policies, and software updates.

How to Report

To report suspicious cyber activity, contact the OIT Help Desk at helpdesk@uah.edu or 256-824-3333. Provide them with as much information as possible, including date, time, description of the issue, and any screenshots available, as well as forwarding phishing emails.

Remember, we all play a crucial role in keeping UAH #ChargerSecure!

Cyber Security Week Three: Remote Work

2024-10-03T13:25:42-05:00

Protecting Yourself While Working Remotely

This week is all about protecting ourselves while we are working remotely; whether you have a position that is approved for telecommuting or travel frequently for the university. The ability to work from anywhere has revolutionized how we support our students and has given us the flexibility that many of us enjoy. However, that flexibility also brings with it unique cybersecurity challenges.

Below are some tips to protect yourself, your family, and UAH while you work away from the main campus.

Keep Your Device Secure

Whether you are using a tablet, laptop, or other mobile device, the university is only as secure as the devices that connect to it. It is crucial that you keep your device as secure as possible. It is best practice that you:

Keep your operating system and applications on the latest supported versions. Your system should be configured to automatically update when new versions are released. If you are unsure if this is the case, contact your UAH support personnel.
Do not allow non-UAH personnel (even family members) to use your device. UAH devices are provided to you to fulfill UAH’s mission. You never know what others will do on your computer when you give it to them to use. There have been instances where an employee’s child has downloaded a pirated version of software to their UAH device and it became infected with malware.
When you have your UAH device away from the campus, store it in a secure location.
Never attempt to bypass security software on your device or “jailbreak”, “crack”, or “root” the device. Doing so bypasses a number of security protections in place and makes it more likely that your device will be compromised.

Keep Your Logon Secure

The combination of your password and your Duo Multifactor Authentication (MFA) solution is sufficient protection for a majority of UAH use cases. However, there are some caveats to this statement:

You should use Duo any time it’s technically feasible. Duo MFA provides additional layers of protection for your account above and beyond what you get with just a password alone, making accounts protected by Duo more difficult to compromise.
Never share your Duo code with anyone. UAH IT will not ask for the code that appears on your Duo app or other authentication device. Sharing that number with an unknown individual is one of the only ways your account can be compromised while using Duo. Any text message or phone call you receive claiming to be from OIT and asking for that number is an attempt to compromise your account and should be reported to the OIT Help Desk.
Do not use your UAH password as a password for any other non-UAH website or computer system. Computer systems and websites of all kinds are being compromised all the time. Many times when a website or system is compromised one of the first things they do is download a copy of stored user passwords whether they’re encrypted or not. If you used the same password for your UAH account as you did on a commercial website and that website gets compromised, then the password they have from the commercial website could be used to gain access to your UAH account.
Never share your UAH password with anyone. Per UAH policy you are responsible for all actions taken by your user account.

Keep Your Location Secure

Even with a secure device and a secure login, you need to be aware of your surroundings while working on a UAH device.

Be wary of anyone trying to look at your screen. It is potentially a breach of confidentiality if someone sitting behind you in the coffee shop reads the FERPA data on your screen. If you have to work in a public place, choose either (a) not displaying any information that would be protected by federal, state, or local laws or statutes or (b) sitting in a location where no one can be behind you without your knowledge.
Whenever you are remote, especially on public wi-fi, use the UAH Virtual Private Network (VPN). OIT provides the Ivanti VPN client that is pre-configured to connect to the UAH VPN. This software is available for download from Chargerware. It is not difficult to use. All you have to do is run the Ivanti Client and then log in with your UAH credentials and it provides a secure, encrypted connection back to the UAH network.
Contact the Office of Research Security (ORS) before traveling internationally with UAH devices. ORS maintains an updated list of embargoed countries and can help ensure you do not run afoul of any Export or International Travel regulations.

By taking a little care and following a few simple steps you can help UAH stay #ChargerSecure

Cyber Security Week Two: Cyber Threats

2024-10-03T13:10:05-05:00

Cyber Threats

Higher education is a prime target of cybercriminals. Vast amounts of valuable data, including personal information, intellectual property, and financial details, make universities vulnerable to cybercrime. According to “Cyber Attack Trends: 2022 Mid-Year Report”, attacks against higher education increased 114% between 2020 and 2022. Therefore, it is critical for all of us to integrate cybersecurity awareness into our daily routine. Below are some guidelines to follow in an effort to keep UAH and your information cyber secure.

Keep Your Phish Hooks Sharp

Phishing is one of the most pervasive and detrimental cyber threats impacting universities. Phishing emails may appear to come from university IT departments, faculty members, or even classmates. Links to fake websites are often included which, when clicked, install malware or steal users’ information.

Ways to recognize phishing attempts:

Sense of urgency or threat
Sender is not legitimate. Pay close attention if [External] is at the beginning of the subject line.
Spoofed links directing you to an invalid URL. Hover over the URL without clicking to see where a link may take you.
Grammar and spelling errors
Requests for sensitive information
Unrealistic discounts, exclusive offers, or prizes

What to do after receiving a suspicious email:

Do NOT click on any links!
Do NOT respond to the email.
In Gmail, you can click the “Report phishing” button.
For additional help, you may forward the email to the OIT Help Desk at helpdesk@uah.edu
Delete the email to prevent accidentally clicking links within it at a later date.

Take a ‘Byte’ Out of Malware

Malware (“malicious software”) is any software created to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Recent studies have shown a 50% increase in malware attacks within universities in the last year. Such strikes often involve phishing emails, ransomware, and strategies to steal user credentials.

Tips to avoid malware:

Practice safe browsing habits by avoiding suspicious links and pop ups.
Use good email hygiene! As mentioned previously, do not open attachments or click links in suspicious emails.
Use strong, unique passwords.
Consider using multi-factor authentication.
Keep operating systems and applications updated.
Use antivirus and anti-malware software.

Social Engineering (NOT a UAH Degree!)

Social engineering, within information security, is the manipulation and deception of individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. Social engineers often exploit trust and urgency to achieve their mission.

Common examples targeting universities:

Fake Job Scams - This scam often targets students and recent graduates. Scammers advertise for fake jobs in emails, on job sites, and on social media. They might even mail you a check to deposit and then tell you to send money to another account. Do NOT deposit the check. It is FAKE. Do NOT send the money they requested.
Tech Support Scams - A scammer pretends to be an IT support technician, with the goal of tricking the victim into revealing sensitive information and/or giving the scammer access to their computer. OIT will never ask for your password or your Duo MFA from your app.
Pay-for-Training Schemes - This scam requires payment for training before being hired. Legitimate employers usually cover training costs.
Fake Recruiters - Scammers impersonate recruiters from known companies and ask for sensitive information or request payment for a background check.

RED FLAGS to watch for:

As applies to all phishing emails, notice unprofessional communication. Poor grammar, spelling errors, or unprofessional email addresses can be indicators of a scam.
Take note of vague job descriptions. Valid job postings usually define a clear role.
Be suspicious if there are offers that are just too good to be true.
Be cautious if sensitive information is requested.

In today’s interconnected world, cyber awareness is critical and a shared responsibility. Understanding the strategies used by cybercriminals and recognizing the signs of potential threats is essential in protecting our digital landscape and keeping UAH #ChargerSecure.

Cyber Security Week One: Phishing

2024-10-03T12:54:20-05:00

Phishing - A Pervasive Threat

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity and the steps you can take to help protect yourself, your family, and UAH. This year we will have a different theme for each week:

Week 1 - Phishing
Week 2 - Cyber Threats
Week 3 - Protecting Yourself While Working Remotely
Week 4 - Incident Response - What to Do When You See Something

If you’ve read previous cybersecurity newsletters or previous years’ Cybersecurity Awareness Month articles you will recognize the phishing topic as being one that I have mentioned before. So if I’ve mentioned it before, why should I write about it again? It’s because phishing is the most common type of attack that is used to target UAH faculty, staff, and students. UAH receives thousands of potential phishing emails every day and more than 99% of them are caught and either prevented from reaching your inbox or are removed automatically when the Google anti-phishing and anti-spam analysis is completed.

However, no solution is perfect and chances are that you will eventually receive a phishing email in your inbox. It is critical that you keep a wary eye out for signs that an email is not legitimate. To assist you, here are some signs that can indicate that an email is actually a phishing threat.

Look for the [External] tag at the beginning of the subject line.

Any email that does not originate from a uah.edu email address will have [External] at the beginning of the subject line. Many safe and legitimate email messages come from external email systems. The [External] tag does not automatically mean the message is a scam, but it does provide additional information about the message source. The [External] tag means you need to carefully examine this email before you respond or take action.

Phishing emails are getting more sophisticated and harder to detect but the [External] tag confirms that this email did not come from a UAH email address. Emails that offer jobs, internships, or requesting sensitive information, should never have an “[External]” tag in the subject line.

For example, if your subject line says “Request for Information” then it originates from a UAH email address and has a high chance of being legitimate but if that same email’s subject line is “[External] Request for information” then this email has a higher chance of being a phishing email.

The [External] tag is implemented to help protect your account from possibly being compromised as well as protect the University.

Look at the “From:” address

By policy, all official UAH communication will originate from a UAH email account. The information after the “@” symbol in an email address indicates the domain and anything not “uah.edu” after the “@” symbol should be a cause for additional scrutiny. Chances are these emails will have the [External] label at the beginning of the subject line but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

How do you know it is a UAH account? The from address will look like abc123@uah.edu or mailto:first.last@uah.edu. Official UAH email won’t come from DrJohnSmith@gmail.com or JaneCharger.uah@att.net. Not even Google employees use the Gmail domain for official correspondence.

If the domain does not match the apparent sender of the email, the email is almost certainly not legitimate. For example, if the sender is Floyd.Carter@.optonline.net but the email is signed, "Dr. Lori Charger," it is almost certainly a scam.

Look for these indicators that an email may not be genuine

Although there are many different types of phishing emails, most of them rely on a common set of characteristics to trick users into replying or responding. Remember to stop, think, and verify information before you click.

Some phishing scams use a sense of urgency such as claiming you need to take immediate action to keep your account or the person is requesting sensitive information and needs it right away.
Some phishing scams play on fear. The email could contain threats or fear-mongering such as warnings that your account will be closed or that you have been referred to law enforcement. One scam we’ve seen recently was trying to state that the recipient had a past-due wireless bill of $3,138.
Some phishing scams will play on greed by offering limited-time offers for exclusive deals, or discounts and prices that are too good to be true. A recent phishing scam we saw was offering iPads for sale for $15.
Some phishing scams use personal details to try to make them seem more legitimate. The list of UAH faculty and staff is available on public websites and newer AI-based phishing techniques can even use information published on social media sites such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, and other sites as part of a targeted phishing campaign.

If you receive an email you believe to be phishing, do not respond to the message. In Google Mail, it is possible to mark the email as phishing or you can add a message to your spam filter for unwanted messages by clicking the “Report Spam” button.

If you are at all unsure about the legitimacy of an email, you should err on the side of caution and do not provide any information. Instead, contact the purported individual who sent the email in person or over the phone to verify the email is legitimate. Also, you can forward the email to the OIT Help Desk at helpdesk@uah.edu for more assistance.

By remaining vigilant against phishing emails, you can help UAH stay #ChargerSecure

Computer Hardware Assessment

2024-04-05T09:38:20-05:00

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) previously announced that as of October 1, 2024, support will end for hardware that is 5 years old or older.

During the month of March, OIT will:

Provide instructions for steps that you can take to determine the age of the laptop or desktop that has been issued to you.
Provide details regarding the process for requesting help with the procurement of a replacement computer.

If the computer you use is (or will soon be) in need of replacement, you are encouraged to begin the process of ordering a new computer as soon as possible to allow for the purchase, delivery, and configuration of the new device by October 1, 2024. Each department is responsible for purchasing the necessary equipment; OIT is available to offer assistance throughout the process.

If the computer is less than 5 years old, you are encouraged to set a reminder on your calendar to replace your computer before it exceeds the age of 5 years.

For more information, please see /images/administrative/oit/oit-device-support-standards.pdf

OIT Quarterly Newsletter - April 2024

2024-04-04T08:56:30-05:00

Quarterly Newsletter April, 2024

From the CIO

Malcolm Rice

In our commitment to providing efficient support, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) offers various methods of assistance. Understanding the purpose of each can enhance your experience and ensure timely resolution of your queries.Communication Methods

1. Phone calls and direct emails to our Help Desk

Effective for quick queries or direct communication with OIT.
256-824-3333 / helpdesk@uah.edu

2. OIT Client Portal:

For computer-related issues (repairs, software installations) or problems with OIT-supported applications like Banner.
Access instructional articles and self-help solutions.

3. On-Line User Request System (OURS)

Ideal for requesting specific data (e.g., Excel spreadsheets).
Users on campus can coordinate with data custodians to submit requests on THEIR behalf.
Data custodians, as subject matter experts, facilitate accurate information retrieval.

4. OIT Project Site:

Use the Project Intake Form on this platform for project-related requests.
Initiating a request in this location triggers a discovery meeting to understand your project details.
Enables efficient scheduling and resource allocation.

Benefits

Efficiency:
- Streamlined processes for specific needs result in faster response times.
Centralized Communication:
- Prevents emails from getting lost in individual inboxes.
- All relevant information and communications are consolidated in one place.

How to Choose?

Quick Queries: Traditional channels (Phone Calls, Direct Emails).
Specific Data Requests: On-Line User Request System (OURS).
Issues with Computer or OIT-Supported Applications: OIT Client Portal.
Project-related Requests: OIT Project Site.

By choosing the right method, you not only ensure your request is promptly addressed but also contribute to a more organized and efficient support process.

Projects

As we enter the new year, a priority will be on completing the transition from Self-Service Banner (SSB) 8 to the more modern and user-friendly Self-Service Banner 9. You might have already experienced the enhanced interface in applications such as Leave Balances (Employee), Budget Query (Finance), Personal Information (General), and Student Profile (Student).

We are actively working with various departments to implement the remaining applications of SSB 9, including Timesheets, Requisitions, and Registration.

Stay tuned for updates on additional SSB 9 applications, and thank you for your cooperation as we strive to enhance your user experience.

You can visit the OIT Project Site to view a list of the current open projects.

Cybersecurity

Jeremy Shelley, CISO

2024 Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Training Course is Now Live!

UAH faces more threats than ever before. From phishing scams to ransomware attacks, cyber threats are constantly evolving, putting UAH’s systems and data at risk.

We're excited to announce the 2024 Cybersecurity Awareness Refresher Training Course is live and available at https://uah.instructure.com/courses/74623. All employees will receive a reminder email in the coming weeks to complete the course. The course consists of a short video and PowerPoint presentation. This training is required for all faculty and staff and must be completed by 12/15/2024.

Reminder: Your UAH Email is intended for UAH Business

This is your friendly reminder that UAH policy states that your UAH email account is intended ONLY for official university business. Please do not use your UAH email account for personal business such as your personal bank information or recovery email for access to personal sites. Using your UAH account in this way could lead to a compromise of your account, unauthorized access to UAH data, or loss of access to these other accounts should you no longer work for UAH.

Watch Out for Tax-Based Phishing Emails

A number of educational institutions in the US are reporting phishing attempts against faculty, staff, and students by individuals attempting to collect personal information and even steal money from you. These phishing attempts will say they are from some tax service, consumer advocacy group, taxpayer advocacy panel or even pose as the Internal Revenue Service. Many times these emails will contain false links to claim tax credits, collect a refund, or contest a bill you may have with the IRS. These emails may even contain personal information such as the last four digits of your social security number, relevant dollar amounts, or your home address.

If you receive such a phishing email:

Don’t reply to the email.
Don’t open any attachments to the email.
If the email claims to be from the IRS, contact the IRS to verify its legitimacy or go to https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing for more information.

Client Services

Wendy Worlund, Director

The OIT Client Portal not only contains a list of services we offer and a collection of helpful articles. It can be used to submit a new ticket, view the status of your tickets, and see our contact information and the calendar of maintenance events (where you’ll see scheduled downtime for OIT services). Please add a bookmark to your favorite web browser and visit uah.edu/ithelp when you need information about UAH IT.

In the top right corner, make sure you’re already signed in (you’ll see your name if you are). We encourage you to click Chat With an Agent for immediate assistance, explore our articles, browse our services, and more! If you click View My Requests in the My Tickets box, you can see details and add comments or update open ones.

End Of Life

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) previously announced that as of October 1, 2024, support will end for hardware that is 5 years old or older.

To prepare for the enforcement of OIT’s Device Support Standards, those using UAH-owned devices should take steps to evaluate their device's support life and make arrangements to replace the device if necessary.

Please visit What to Know About OIT’s Support Standards to learn how to estimate the age of your device and what to do if your device is approaching the end of its support life. We provide full instructions in this article, including information about how to purchase a new computer.

Need to evaluate the support status of a Dell computer or other Dell device? Enter your Dell service tag(s) at pclookup.uah.edu to quickly determine the support status of your device(s).

Infrastructure Update

Michael Turner, Director

In the near future, the Infrastructure Team will begin the process of removing the legacy “5” (Staff5, Student5, Faculty5, etc.) wireless networks from production access points, and we ask you to start utilizing the “Eduroam” or “UAH Get Connected” wireless networks instead. If you have problems utilizing “Eduroam” or “UAH Get Connected,” please open a ticket with the help desk.

The Infrastructure Team has been working to enhance and expand the wireless network coverage; however, if you are having an issue with wireless coverage, opening a ticket with the help desk will help us identify and address areas where service is lacking.

Additionally, please inform the Infrastructure Team via a ticket if you discover damage to any network jacks or wall plates in your offices across campus. Once we are notified, we will come and repair the jack.

Enterprise Applications

William Eubank, Director

Google is enhancing the Calendar appointment scheduling experience with new features. For those unfamiliar with appointment schedules, you can:

Create and share booking pages so people can book time with you
View booked appointments alongside your schedule in Google Calendar
More information can be found at the following links:

Learn about appointment schedules in Google Calendar

Improving the Google Calendar appointment scheduling experience with new features

Did you know that Finance has a learning page where you can access training videos and PowerPoints? Check out this link to learn more about your budget, and transfers!

Congratulations Kelly Jo Lyle for being promoted to Software Developer III. We value your hard work and commitment to UAH! Thank you for all you do!
Congratulations Hunter Fuller for being promoted to Network Engineer IV / Lead Network Engineer. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work supporting university network operations!
Congratulations to Mike Kleystueber in his retirement from UAH! Please join OIT in congratulating him on this achievement.

Sai Kaniganti, Software Developer II

OIT Client Portal Banner Upgrade Center OIT Project Site

Let us know if there is a topic you would like OIT to cover by sending an email to oit@uah.edu.

OIT Newsletter 4th Quarter 2023

2024-04-04T08:53:01-05:00

FROM THE CIO

^{Malcolm Rice}

Service Level Agreement (SLA):

OIT has recently developed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) designed to enhance the efficiency and reliability of our technology support services.

The SLA serves as a formal commitment from OIT, outlining specific timelines for response and resolution to ensure a more predictable and satisfactory experience for our campus community.

SLA Terms:

Priority Levels: The SLA defines different priority levels based on the nature and urgency of reported incidents or service requests. This allows us to allocate resources effectively and address critical issues promptly.

Response Time: The SLA specifies the timeframe within which you can expect an initial response to your tickets.

Resolution Time: Guidelines are provided regarding the resolution of reported incidents.

For detailed information on the terms and conditions of our SLA, click here.

OIT Device Support:

It is often time-consuming and a security risk to attempt to support aging UAH-owned devices. Each year, OIT evaluates the current technologies and establishes a level of obsolescence. Devices that are not fully supported will no longer be provided with replacement parts and software, and we will only provide extremely limited support on such devices.

With the decreasing cost of computer hardware and the increase in the number of computers on campus, it is often much more cost-effective for the university to replace obsolete equipment than attempt to repair or support it after the manufacturer or vendor no longer can.

To give the campus time to replace any devices, enforcement will not begin until October 1, 2024. If you need assistance in determining the status of your device, please enter a ticket by sending an email to helpdesk@uah.edu.

For detailed information on our Device Support Standards, visit OIT Device Support.

Your Feedback Is Important:

As we roll out this SLA and the Device Support procedures, we encourage you to provide feedback. Your feedback helps us refine and improve our services to better meet the needs of our campus community.

Van Hudson, Help Desk Technician
Ryan Pounders, Software Developer I
Rhianna O'Reilly, Help Desk Technician

We are so happy to have you here, and wish you well in your careers!

Jeremy Shelley, CISO

Required Annual Cybersecurity Training Reminder

If you have not yet completed the annual cybersecurity training course on Canvas, please do so ASAP. The deadline for completion is December 1st.

Automated Application Patching on Primary UAH Domain

Beginning December 11th, OIT will begin automatically applying patches and updates to installed applications on Windows 10 and 11 systems in the primary UAH campus domain (DS domain). We have been testing this process within OIT, and on computers in the Nursing Department, Library, and the College of Engineering with no negative repercussions reported.

Our Cyberinsurance carrier has asked UAH to meet an aggressive patch schedule with critical vulnerabilities patched within 7 days.

This automatic patching will reduce the number of vulnerabilities on UAH systems, improving the security for the entire university.

How It Works

When a new patch for an application is made available, OIT will publish it to computers in the primary UAH campus domain (DS domain) to be downloaded within 7 days. For those rare application updates that require a restart of your computer, you will be prompted to restart your system and can choose to delay the restart by up to 5 days.

You will see alerts like the one below on Windows 10 (the alerts for Windows 11 are similar).

These alerts are not indicative of a virus infection and are labeled with the UAH OIT logo. While these updates are a new process and the temptation may be to ignore these notifications, it is critically important that you allow these updates to be installed to avoid a forced installation at an inconvenient time.

CLIENT SERVICES

Wendy Worlund, Director

Reminders about Multi-Factor Authentication

Google 2-Step Verification is similar to but separate from Duo. Both utilize a second factor (commonly a mobile device) to add an extra layer of security to your UAH accounts. For any SSO systems like Canvas and myUAH, Duo is required. For any Google Workspace products like Gmail and Drive, you will use Google 2-Step. Keep reading for more examples.

Duo

myUAH
Banner
Canvas
See others in this article

Google 2-Step Verification

Gmail
Google Drive
Google Calendar
Google Docs, Slides, Sheets

Duo allows you to manage your devices easily and at any time. Please see https://uah.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2075/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=67315 for more information.

When adding an international phone number to Duo, add it as a Wi-Fi-only device.

No Email Client Required

Did you know that it’s not necessary to use a desktop application and locally store your email on your computer? You’ll see faster performance when using your mail and calendar if you switch from a desktop client (such as Microsoft Outlook) to a web-based app! We recommend using mail.uah.edu to access your UAH email. From there, you can access many Google apps (Calendar, Drive, and more). Please let us know if you have any questions.

Prevent Loss of Data

If you are a faculty or staff member, please make sure you’re backing up your UAH computer with CrashPlan. Visit https://chargerware.uah.edu/all-software/crashplan to get started.

Install the Software You Need

Most UAH faculty & staff members can install approved software products even if they do not have an administrator login to their computer. Read our article about how to do this here.

Students are included in what software products are available in Chargerware. Please visit chargerware.uah.edu for more information.

Physically Secure Your Device

The holiday season often brings on more lost devices (misplaced or stolen). To help prevent theft and unauthorized access, make sure that a PIN or password is required to access your device. Also, never leave your laptop or mobile device unattended in a public place, and lock your devices when not in use. Use caution when leaving a device in a car; take all valuables inside or at least hide them from plain view.

Losing your device could contribute to identity theft as well. Please secure the data on your device (whether it’s someone else’s or your own). Add your mobile device to your cloud account so you can find it or remotely wipe it if lost or stolen:

Find, lock, or erase your lost Android device

Get started with Apple's "Find My"

To view the current list of OIT projects, please visit the OIT Project Site.

How to Reach OIT

Did you know that you can reach out for technical support from OIT via several channels? See shortcuts to them all in our Client Portal at uah.edu/ithelp. The Client Portal offers forms, ticket history, Knowledge Base articles, and more!

1. Call 256-824-3333 for remote help 24/7/365.

2. Chat with an agent 24/7/365 using this link.

3. Use our Chatbot, called ITChat (click the message bubble in the bottom right corner of the ITChat page).

4. Send an e /oit/contactmail to helpdesk@uah.edu. We respond to emails during Help Desk Hours (weekdays when UAH is open; 8:00 am to 5:00 pm).

5. Visit us at the OIT Help Desk, which is located inside the M. Louis Salmon Library.

When submitting a ticket to the helpdesk for an error message you received on your computer, include a picture of the error message and the date and time you received it. You can easily copy the image by pressing the s/windows/shift keys on your keyboard and then pasting (ctrl v) it into your ticket.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Mike Turner, Director

The Network Team is currently evaluating several new vendors of wireless access points for potential future use at UAH. The current plan is to deploy Aruba access points in Spragins Hall and Charger Village Food Court as well as Juniper Mist access points in the cafeteria and VBH OIT areas. These new access points have the latest 802.11 standards enabled, supporting 2.4, 5, and 6GHz wireless connections (devices supporting the 6E standard). Utilizing these access points will be seamless to the users (they will still broadcast UAH Get Connected and Eduroam SSIDs).

Please continue to utilize only the Eduroam and UAH Get Connected SSIDs, as the Faculty5, Student5, and Staff5 networks will be removed from our broadcast soon.

The Infrastructure Team has been working to make several enhancements to the overall fiber infrastructure that connects UAH to the outside world. We have added a second Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) Add/Drop node in the Library, bringing the total number of units to two on campus, and significantly improving our redundancy and resiliency. We are currently working with both Alabama A&M and Alabama Super Computer to enable additional external connections, further improving our external redundancy.

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