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Announcements

Sam Steinhardt joins the Office of the CIO

June 11, 2015

In forming University IT just over a year ago, our goal has been to provide the most seamless experience that we can for clients across campus. To further increase our operational effectiveness, efficiency, consistency, and integration, I am creating a University IT Shared Services unit to provide non-technical shared support. 

I’m pleased to announce that Sam Steinhardt will become the Assistant Vice President for University IT Shared Services, effective Monday, June 15, 2015. Sam will report to me, and will join the Office of the CIO.  

The University IT Shared Services organization will include:

  • Finance, led by Molly Reynick
  • Vendor Management, led by Tracy Yuan
  • Business Partners, led by John Freshwaters
  • Communications, led by Jim Knox
  • Service Management, led by Kathy Pappas Kassaras

Combining the Financial and Vendor units will create greater efficiencies with respect to the management of University IT financial resources. Bringing the Business Partners and Communications units together will continue to develop a single voice to the Stanford community. Service Management will help create consistent systems and processes across University IT. The University IT Finance function will continue to have a secondary reporting relationship to Noel Hirst, Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs Finance and Facilities.

Sam has worked closely with clients to simplify business operations and to consolidate campus spending. He recently led a team of eight leaders from across University IT to better align the three organizations of Administrative Systems, the Information Security Office, and IT Services. To this new role, Sam brings business savvy, strategic perspective, and a dedication to continuous improvement.  

Please join me in welcoming Sam to his new role. 

 

Randy Livingston
Vice President for Business Affairs and CFO

Issues accessing email and calendar from mobile devices

May 22, 2015

Dear Stanford mobile device user community,

During a planned upgrade to Stanford’s Mobile Device Management system (AirWatch) on the morning of May 22nd, your mobile device may have been disconnected from Stanford email, calendar and contacts. We apologize for this, and we assure you that no data has been lost.

You will need to re-enter your Stanford password in order to reload the data to your mobile device. It may take a while to fully resynchronize your data, so we recommend connecting to a WiFi network to expedite the process. You can re-enter your password on Apple devices under: Settings --> Mail, Contacts, Calendars --> Stanford Mail --> Account --> Password.

If you need additional assistance, please contact the Service Desk at 725-HELP (4357) or submit a help request at helpsu.stanford.edu.

Certificate warnings in Chrome 42

April 20, 2015

Google released Chrome 42 last week, and as users have upgraded, they've seen a warning about the SSL certificates installed on a number of Stanford websites. A red X and line appear in the lock icon and "https" of the URL.

This warning is displayed for certificates that are signed with an older encryption algorithm. It is not an indication that there's a current security problem with the site or certificate—this is Chrome's way of encouraging more rapid adoption of stronger encryption.

While new certificates that Stanford issues are signed with stronger encryption methods, issues with some older operating systems and applications prevent University IT from deploying newer certificates across all sites right now.

In the meantime, this specific warning in Chrome 42 and later versions can be safely ignored. For more information about this warning and the reasons behind it, please see this post from Google's security blog.

If you have any questions, please submit a HelpSU request.

Blue Jeans and Google Chrome v42 and higher

April 13, 2015

Important!  The new Google Chrome browser version 42 and higher will no longer work with live Blue Jeans meetings.  If you try to join a Blue Jeans meeting in Chrome v42 and higher, Blue Jeans will redirect the meeting from your Chrome browser to your operating system's pre-installed browser (Mac=Safari, Windows=Internet Explorer, or Linux=Firefox). Click here for more details.

 

Important! Upgraded version of Google Chrome will impact Blue Jeans Users

March 17, 2015
In an upcoming version of Google Chrome -- possibly version 43, expected on or around April 1st -- Google is expected to make changes that will impact Blue Jeans users. 
 
Although you can continue to use Chrome as your default browser to access My Meetings, pair with room systems, and conduct scheduling, administrative, and reporting tasks, this upcoming version of Chrome will no longer support the live "in-meeting" experience in a browser window. Google has postponed this change in the past, so Blue Jeans is watching closely for additional news about Chrome 43.

 Meanwhile, Blue Jeans is preparing to release a new Blue Jeans application to support the live in-meeting experience for Chrome users. Please read the Blue Jeans FAQ for information on how to minimize any inconvenience for those who use Chrome with Blue Jeans.

Moving from Drupal 6 to Drupal 7

March 9, 2015

Drupal community support for Drupal 6 is expected to end soon. For information security reasons, University IT strongly recommends migrating Drupal 6 sites to Drupal 7 as soon as possible rather than waiting until support for Drupal 6 ends.

Migrating your site to Drupal 7 is not an automated process and could take up to several weeks or months, depending on the size of your site. For more information on how to migrate your Drupal 6 site to Drupal 7, go to https://itservices.stanford.edu/service/web/drupal-6-to-7

March University IT Newsletter Available

March 3, 2015

University IT is a collaborative partnership of the three IT units within Stanford’s Business Affairs organization, all dedicated to delivering world-class service and technological solutions in support of research, teaching and learning, administration, and healthcare.

The March issue of the University IT newsletter is now available.

Access to Restricted Library Journals From Off-Campus

December 19, 2014

Stanford University Libraries (SUL) is updating the method by which authorized community members access restricted journals from off-campus.

Rather than using Stanford's VPN (Virtual Private Network),  SUL wants community members to use its EZProxy service:

http://library.stanford.edu/using/connect-campus/ezproxy-alternative-campus-access

The community is encouraged to use this new method immediately.

Two-Step Authentication Service Enhanced

December 18, 2014

 

Stanford University IT

Two-Step Authentication Service Enhanced

Last weekend, University IT rolled out the new Two-Step Authentication service powered by Duo Security. With this enhancement to the service, you have new options for two-step authentication, including:

  • Duo push notification — A push notification is sent to your smartphone or tablet. No more typing in codes!
  • Duo passcode — A six-digit authentication code is generated on your smartphone or tablet and you simply type the code in WebLogin to authenticate. Internet or cellular access is not required.
  • Phone call — You receive an automated phone call to a number you designated earlier. After answering, you press any key to confirm your identity and authenticate.

You can still use SMS text message, Google Authenticator (if you had already set it up prior to this service upgrade) and Printed List (though this will be phased out in 2015 and replaced by a hardware token that generates authentication codes).

A couple of other great features of the new service are:

  • a backup option that allows you to use a secondary two-step authentication device if your primary device is not available; and
  • a self-service "one-time-use" passcode option that allows you to generate an authentication code when you don't have access to your primary or secondary two-step authentication device (e.g., you left your smartphone at home). You must have your Stanford ID card available to complete the passcode.

Additionally, with the university now using Duo, faculty, staff, or students who have a dual affiliation with Stanford Children's Health can use the Duo app to authenticate in the same way with either institution's systems by simply adding an account to the Duo app. Stanford Health Care is currently testing Duo. When it goes live, Stanford community members can add the SHC account to their Duo app as well.

Please go in to accounts.stanford.edu and try any of the new methods and set up your backup device. Encourage your staff and colleagues to do the same. The instructions are available from the new Two-Step Authentication service site.

You may also notice that University IT updated the look of WebLogin. The new screens now align with Stanford's latest identity guidelines.

We hope you find the new Two-Step Authentication service and the new WebLogin screens make it easier for you to help us protect Stanford's data and resources.

If you have any questions, please submit a help request.

 

Drupal 6 on the Collaboration Tools Installer retiring

December 17, 2014

This is a notification that the Drupal community will stop releasing updates for Drupal 6 sites about three months after the release of Drupal 8, which is likely to be released in the next year. University IT will continue to test and provide updates to Drupal 6 sites through the upgrade tool as long as the Drupal community releases them. While University IT will not support any new Drupal 6 installs through the Collaboration Tools Installer, University IT will not take down any existing Drupal 6 sites.

University IT strongly recommends upgrading to Drupal 7 soon and not waiting until after Drupal 8 is released. Stanford faculty, staff, and students who are interested in starting a Drupal site are encouraged to use Stanford Sites, a self-service tool for building Drupal 7 websites.

For more information on navigating to Drupal 7, see Moving From Drupal 6 to Drupal 7.

MediaWiki on the Collaboration Tools Installer retiring

December 17, 2014

University IT no longer supports installs and upgrades for MediaWiki through the Collaboration Tools Installer and Upgrader. You may continue to run your existing site; however, you are responsible for keeping MediaWiki software for that site up-to-date (see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki for more information) and adjusting settings to make it compatible with Stanford's web infrastructure.

As an alternative, University IT offers Confluence, a more supported wiki environment, which allows any authorized user to add, delete, or revise content via a web browser. Confluence is available to Stanford users only.

If you are using MediaWiki as the foundation for a website, a better Stanford option is Stanford Sites, a self-service tool for building and managing websites. Stanford Sites is available to current faculty, staff, and students free of charge.

WebEx Retirement

December 5, 2014

Effective December 5, 2014, University IT will no longer support or offer WebEx licenses. Current WebEx users are encouraged to use BlueJeans, which is provided at no cost to all faculty, staff, and students.

After December 5, 2014, the Stanford University WebEx site will no longer be accessible.

Please contact Gino Piccardo at WebEx if you want to obtain a department license.

University IT support coverage for winter closure

November 26, 2014

Stanford University suspends operations, where feasible, during the winter holiday season, 5 p.m. Friday, December 19, 2014 through Friday, January 2, 2015. Accordingly, many University IT offices will close or provide limited support during winter closure. We will resume full support on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 8 a.m.

More information about service orders, support, and system outages is available at itwinterclosure.stanford.edu.

Note: Monitoring and support for critical services will be maintained throughout winter closure.

Two-Step Authentication SMS Text Message Codes Update

November 14, 2014

On Sunday, November 16, 2014, the SMS text message codes you receive for your Two-Step Authentication will increase from 6 digits to 7 digits.  Additionally, you will receive the message from a 313 area code (previously 650). 

November University IT Newsletter Available

November 3, 2014

University IT is a collaborative partnership of the three IT units within Stanford’s Business Affairs organization, all dedicated to delivering world-class service and technological solutions in support of research, teaching and learning, administration, and healthcare.

The November issue of the University IT newsletter is now available.

lynda.com Online Training Available at No Charge

November 1, 2014

University IT is tremendously excited to let you know that the lynda.com service is now available for free at Stanford.

Thanks in part to the generous support of many campus partners, Stanford faculty, staff, and students can start using this highly-respected service to spur their learning and development, as well as get just-in-time help on subjects that include business, design, digital media, web development, and so much more. There are over 3,000 titles "chunked" into short topic-based videos that your colleagues can access at their convenience, 24x7.

To get started, faculty, staff, and students to go to:

Those already using lynda.com will have the option of merging their existing account information into their Stanford account. New users can simply create their Stanford account. Any additional support is available easily from the lynda.com resources available at the site.
 

University IT Website and Newsletter Launches

October 1, 2014

University IT is a collaborative partnership of the three IT units within Stanford’s Business Affairs organization, all dedicated to delivering world-class service and technological solutions in support of research, teaching and learning, administration, and healthcare.

University IT has just launched a new website and newsletter.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Enterprise Agreement

September 3, 2014

In early September 2014, current Amazon Web Services (AWS) account holders should have received an email directly from AWS, on Stanford’s behalf, informing them of the new Enterprise Agreement negotiated between AWS and Stanford University as of May 2014. Learn more.

Free Video Conferencing (BlueJeans) now available!

September 2, 2014

As part of the Converged Communication package, BlueJeans audio/video conferencing service is now available to all current faculty, staff, and students at no cost.  To access your BlueJeans account, go to stanford.bluejeans.com and log in with your Stanford SUNet ID. Upcoming training sessions are available. See the BlueJeans training schedule for more information.  For more information, visit:  videoconferencing.stanford.edu.

Stanford ID cards get new look

July 30, 2014

New look for Stanford ID cards

Effective Aug. 1, the university will begin issuing Stanford ID cards with a new look. While the change will not affect those with existing cards, IDs issued to new employees and new students arriving this fall will look distinctively different. The changes have been made to ensure that the cards conform to Stanford's updated wordmark and visual identity system.

“Because this card appears slightly different from existing cards, we would like to make sure all campus departments and services are aware of the change, to limit confusion over the legitimacy of the new cards,” said Jay Kohn, director of card services.

For those who are eligible for the Go Pass, the new design accommodates space on the front of the card for that sticker.

ID cards with the old design remain in effect unless the card is lost or stolen. Replacement cards will continue to cost $20. When a replacement card is issued, it will reflect the new design.

ID Cards are issued by the Campus Card Office. For more information, visit the Campus Card Services website or call (650) 498-CARD or (8-2273).

Is Stanford Affected by Heartbleed?

April 17, 2014

The Internet is abuzz with news of the "Heartbleed" bug that affected the security of the majority of web servers in the world, as well as other computer systems that rely on OpenSSL code. This bug is serious, but its immediate impact at Stanford is not cause for alarm. Learn more on the Secure Computing website.

Apple Update Required for OSX and iOS

March 31, 2014

Apple Inc. has released updates for Mac OSX 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9 to address a critical security problem. Stanford's Information Security Office recommends that you update your Mac OSX systems and iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices as soon as possible to protect your personal privacy and security, as well as to protect the university's data.

On April 4, 2014, Mac OSX systems that are not up-to-date will have the update pushed to them automatically. Please restart the system to complete the installation. For instructions and additional information, visit the Secure Computing web site.

On April 14, 2014, compliance rules in MDM will be updated to no longer allow insecure versions of iOS 6 and iOS 7. Please update your device today.

For more information, go to securecomputing.stanford.edu.

Urgent Update to iOS

February 24, 2014

Apple has issued a security update for all iOS devices including the iPhone and iPad. IT Services recommends that you apply this update. First, back up your device using iCloud or iTunes. Then go to Settings>General>Software Update and download and install to update your device.

Winter Close Information for IT Services Clients

December 19, 2013

Stanford University has decided to suspend operations, where feasible, during the winter holiday season. In support of this decision, most groups within IT Services will be closed from end of day Friday, December 20, 2013 through Friday, January 3, 2014. Normal business operations will resume on Monday, January 6, 2014 at 8 a.m.

Services to both hospitals and the clinics (SHC and LPCH) will continue as normal during this time, and staff will be available to provide the expected levels of support.

The majority of IT Services offices will be closed. A small number of staff will be on hand to support university offices that must remain open. These staff members will provide operator services, monitor and support critical applications, process high-priority service orders, and provide priority response to urgent HelpSU requests. Please note: You may experience longer-than-normal response times during this period.

For University departments needing work orders to be completed before winter close, please submit your request no later than December 9, 2013 for Data Center orders or December 11, 2013 for telephone orders. We will make every effort to complete orders received by those date on or before December 20, 2013. Orders received after those date may not be completed until on or after January 6, 2014.

Complete details regarding IT Services support and staffing plans during winter close are available at: itwinterclosure.stanford.edu

Please Update Your Password!

July 25, 2013

As a precautionary measure in the wake of an apparent breach in its IT infrastructure, Stanford University is asking all SUNet ID holders to update their passwords. Go to accounts.stanford.edu and click Manage, then select Change Password. We also encourage your to turn on Two-Step Authentication, available on the same page on the Two-Step Auth tab. This will require a single-use code in addition to your password for access to campus systems. Also, please be vigilant for unusual activity in systems that may signal unauthorized access. The investigation is ongoing and we will keep you updated as new information is available.

TIPS Celebrates 25 Years on July 10

July 8, 2013

The Team for Improving Productivity at Stanford (TIPS), coordinated by IT Services, is celebrating its 25 year anniversary.  Join us for the celebration on July 10 at 9am in Paul Brest Hall!  For more information, visit:  tips.stanford.edu

AFS Quotas Have Increased!

January 26, 2013

AFS disk quota has increased to meet campus needs. Individual user quota went from 2 to 5 GB, group quota from 500 MB to 4 GB, department quota from 2 to 4 GB, and class quota from 1 to 2 GB.

Learn More About the New OrderIT

December 19, 2012

The New OrderIT was launched on December 3rd and is available to all current OrderIT users. The December 14th Tech Briefing was recorded to give you everything you need to know about the new ordering portal.