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RESOLVED: Service Provider Issue Affecting Access to Pitt Email via myPitt

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 14:32

 

9:40 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Microsoft has resolved the issue with its Office 365 service that affected access to Pitt Email earlier today. Full service has been restored. 

2:32 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Microsoft is experiencing an issue with its Office 365 service that is affecting access to Pitt Email. Attempts to access email through myPitt (my.pitt.edu) and outlook.office.com display an error message. Users can still access their Pitt email through a mobile app or their desktop email client.

Microsoft is aware of the issue and working to restore full service as quickly as possible. Updates will be posted as they become available.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions about this announcement.

May Microsoft Security Update

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 15:17

 

Microsoft Corporation has announced security updates for May that affect the following software: 

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Edge
  • ChakraCore
  • Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps
  • Windows Defender
  • Visual Studio
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • .NET Framework
  • .NET Core
  • Power BI

Pitt Information Technology recommends that users immediately identify and install the security updates necessary to remediate these vulnerabilities by using Microsoft's Windows Update feature on their computers as soon as possible. Additional information about the updates is available on Microsoft’s Security TechCenter.

In addition, Pitt IT recommends that all students, faculty, and staff install Antivirus (Symantec Endpoint) and Anti-Malware (Malwarebytes) Protection. Both are available at no cost through the Software Download Service. Departments can submit a help request to obtain Malwarebytes for multiple machines.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement

PittNet VPN (Pulse Secure) Maintenance on May 15

Thursday, May 14, 2020 - 11:16

 

PittNet VPN (Pulse Secure) will undergo a version upgrade from 9 to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 15. This is a proactive step to increase security and ensure business continuity in the current remote work environment.

Users will be able to connect during the maintenance and any connections in progress will not be halted. Once the maintenance is complete macOS and Windows users will see a prompt when they login until they update their Pulse Desktop Client version. Updating to this version of Pulse Secure is optional—previously installed versions will continue to allow remote access to University resources—but provides users with the most updated and reliable version.

As a reminder, most University resources can be accessed remotely without PittNet VPN. Refer to these guidelines on when PittNet VPN is and is not needed to access University resources.

Please contact the 24/7 Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

RESOLVED: Service Provider Issue May Intermittently Affect Network Access at Bradford Campus

Saturday, May 9, 2020 - 10:29

 

5 p.m., Saturday, May 9, 2020

PennREN has resolved the intermittent issue that briefly affected network service at the Bradford campus earlier this morning. Full service has been restored.

10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 9, 2020

PennREN, one of the University’s Internet Service Providers, is experiencing an intermittent issue that briefly affected network access at the Bradford campus this morning.

Network service has been restored, but Bradford campus users may experience additional intermittent network service interruptions as PennREN works to resolve the issue. Updates will be posted to status.pitt.edu as they become available.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions about this announcement.

PRISM Maintenance Scheduled for May 8–9

Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 10:37

 

In order to update the PRISM system with the latest quarterly Payroll patches, it will be necessary to take the system offline beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8, and continuing through noon on Saturday, May 9.

Users should be sure to save all work, complete all transactions (including printing), and exit the system before 5 p.m. on Friday. Any work or transactions not completed will be terminated without notice when the system goes offline.

Thank you for your cooperation. Should you have any questions, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357).

Phishing Alert: Quarantined Message Scam from “Support Desk” Includes Recipient’s Email Address

Tuesday, May 5, 2020 - 13:22

 

Pitt Information Technology has received reports of a new email phishing scam that claims to be from the “Support Desk,” even though the From field uses a non-University email address. The body of the message includes the recipient’s email address and asks the reader to click a button to review their quarantined messages. The button actually links to a harmful website that attempts to collect the recipient’s University password.  

Below is a sample of the recent fraudulent email. If you receive an email similar to the one below, please report it by forwarding the email message as an attachment to phish@pitt.edu. Detailed instructions on reporting scams are available at our phishing awareness page.

******************************************************************************

From: Support Desk – pitt.edu <external email address>

Subject: Alert for PITT user jdoe99@pitt.edu

******************************************************************************

Pitt IT strongly recommends that you do not reply to unsolicited emails or emails from unverifiable sources. Avoid clicking on links contained in such emails, as these may lead to sites that contain malicious software. If a link looks suspicious, you can hover over the link with your mouse to preview the URL without clicking on it.

In addition, Pitt IT recommends that all students, faculty, and staff install Antivirus (Symantec Endpoint) and Anti-Malware (Malwarebytes) Protection. Both are available at no cost through the Software Download Service. Departments can submit a help request to obtain Malwarebytes for multiple machines.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

 

Campus Power Outages Affecting Remote Desktop Connections for Some Pitt Users

Saturday, May 2, 2020 - 21:05

 

As a result of a commercial power outage in Oakland this afternoon, Pitt faculty and staff may be unable to establish remote desktop connections to computers in buildings that lost power. Those impacted should coordinate with their department to have the computer manually powered on in order to reestablish a remote desktop connection. Office computers that remained powered on after the outage—as well as computers configured to turn on after a power failure—are not affected by this issue.

In the interim, Virtual Desktops for Remote Work is available to access University-provided software from any device with an internet connection. Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) to request this service or if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

Power Issues Cause of Network Service Disruption in Chevron and Other Campus Buildings

Saturday, May 2, 2020 - 14:54

 

Commercial power issues disrupted PittNet connectivity at the Chevron Building and several other buildings on the Pittsburgh campus earlier today. Network service is being restored after the service provider resolved the power issues.  

Pitt Information Technology continues to monitor the network for residual issues. Updates will be posted to status.pitt.edu as they become available.  

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions about this announcement.

Preferred Name Enhancements Take Effect May 9

Friday, May 1, 2020 - 13:38

 

Starting May 9, 2020, individuals who have set a preferred name in Accounts Self-Service (accounts.pitt.edu) will see their preferred name display within additional Microsoft-provided services, including apps like iOS Mail and Mac Mail.

University students, faculty, and staff can use Accounts Self-Service to set a preferred name that differs from their given/legal name. For more information, please refer to the Office of the Registrar’s web page concerning personal information. Students: For additional guidance, please refer to the Preferred/Chosen Name Guidance document from the Office of the University Registrar.

Preferred names have displayed in the Student Information System (PeopleSoft), Find People (find.pitt.edu), CourseWeb (Blackboard Learn), and Pitt Email (Outlook) since 2018. However, some service providers pull name information from different fields within Active Directory, resulting in inconsistent display names. On May 9, Pitt IT will populate an individual’s preferred name to additional fields within Active Directory, helping to ensure more reliable use of an individual’s preferred name across University services.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions about this announcement.

Be Vigilant for Phishing Scams Related to Student Aid and the CARES Act

Thursday, April 30, 2020 - 12:31

 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes funds intended to provide emergency assistance to university students. More than 11,000 students on all five Pitt campuses are receiving CARES Act grants.

Scammers are also aware of these grants and are already plotting ways to exploit the situation. Be vigilant for phishing scams related to CARES Act student assistance that are likely to surface in the coming days and weeks.

Keep in mind the following tips for spotting scams:

  1. Federal, state, and local governments will not ask you to pay a “deposit” or any other fees to obtain CARES Act grants. Any attempt to collect money in exchange for grants is a scam. 
  2. Neither the government nor the University of Pittsburgh will request your Social Security number, bank account number, credit card number, or other sensitive information as a prerequisite for receiving a CARES Act grant.
  3. Refer to the University’s official web page (emergency.pitt.edu/cares) for details about student aid being distributed through the CARES Act.

If you receive a message you believe to be a scam, please report it by forwarding the email message as an attachment to phish@pitt.edu. Additional tips for spotting phishing scams—along with detailed instructions for reporting suspicious email messages—are available on our phishing awareness page.

Please contact the 24/7 Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.