Newsletter: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Topics

Email Impersonation

NKU community members recently began receiving emails from what appears to be NKU personnel requesting purchases or information. Example of these requests include large value gift cards or your cell phone number so that the sender can send you an important text message. While the emails look like they originate from NKU, examine them closely, as @gmail.com is being appended to the end of the NKU email address. These are not legitimate requests and not NKU emails. These are phishing scams using social engineering trying to impersonate legitimate NKU personnel.

If you receive one of these impersonation email messages, never respond to these emails. Never provide information to the sender. Do not click or log into any web links in these emails.

Forward the email to abuse@nku.edu. You may contact the IT Help Desk for further assistance.

Lab and Classroom Software

Would you like any software added to departmental labs, smart classrooms, or IT computer labs? Do you want to make sure particular software remains on a lab or classroom system for the summer semester? If so, please submit a service request to IT no later than March 15.

If you are using software that has not been used previously, be sure to provide proof of licensing, as well as the installation media. Because of the complexity of running multiple applications for instructional use, software requests submitted after the deadline may not be available for immediate use at the beginning of the semester.

Innovation Workshop: Virtual Reality

Interested in learning about the growing topic of Virtual Reality (VR)? Join us March 10th at noon in FH 370, the Health Technology Lab, to see how IT and the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) have collaborated to use state-of-the-art equipment for health education. Learn about and experience the Virtual Reality equipment, including a Vive Pro supplied with several educational VR applications.

Feel free to bring your lunch; light refreshments will be provided.

Come experience VR so you can start brainstorming how you could use VR in your department!

Electronic W-2s for 2020

Online W-2 open enrollment will allow currently employed faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to receive their 2020 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-2 online through myNKU Employee Self Service. Please visit the Payroll website for detailed instructions. The enrollment period to receive the 2020 W-2s online is January 15th through December 31st, 2020.

Please note:

Enrolling now will not allow you access to past years W2’s.
Once you have enrolled to receive your W-2 online through myNKU
Employee Self Service you do not need to enroll again.
Your election will remain in effect for future years unless you change your election or separate employment from the University.
Please remember that Internet Explorer 11 is recommended for optimal user experience in the myNKU portal.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the payroll office at 859-572-6326.

Microsoft for Employees and Students

To access the online versions of Microsoft Office 365 applications:

Go to webmail and login.
Click the app launcher (9 small white dots in a square shape) in the top left corner
You will see the list of apps available
To open, click on your preferred app

VPN Upgrade

NKU IT has upgraded the AnyConnect VPN client. This upgrade will affect all VPN users. Your upgrade will automatically begin the next time your AnyConnect VPN client is connected. Please contact the IT Help Desk for assistance.

VPN access is not required to access email, Canvas, VMware View, and most myNKU functionality. VPN does not secure web browsing traffic. VPN is only required to access some functionality of myNKU, remote desktop, network drives (i.e. J and K), and department servers. It is not required on campus if you connect to the network via hard wire, or wirelessly through NKU_Encrypted.

NKU Account Information

Configure your alternate contact information on the password change website now so that if your password expires in the future, you can unlock it with a validation code received via text or your personal email address.

Go to the password change page, select "edit password recovery info", and follow the instructions to add your mobile phone number or non-NKU email address.

Windows 7

Be aware that on January 14, 2020 Microsoft ended support for the Windows 7 operating system. Importantly, no security updates to Windows 7 are being released. To schedule an OS upgrade on your NKU computer, please contact the NKU IT Help Desk for further assistance. If you must stay on Windows 7 for specific business reasons, please submit a service request so we can evaluate how best to protect the PC while keeping you productive.

Process Change for IT Purchases

Before submitting purchase requisitions for technology, please visit the Procurement webpage and complete the Form for IT Purchases.

Technology spending represents a large portion of NKU’s annual expenses. The IT Purchases Form is an effort to:

Improve the management of NKU’s campus-wide IT Portfolio and underlying IT Projects
Ensure compliance with applicable laws and rules
Address campus-wide redundancies and inefficiencies

Technology Policies

Now is a good time to review key Information Technology policies. These include:

Acceptable Use Policy
Data and Web Privacy Policy
Information Security Policy
Records Management Policy

You may find these and other University information technology policies on the NKU Policies website. To ensure your data security, you should periodically review these documents to understand changes and developments. They describe your rights and responsibilities to access and use NKU technology securely.

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January 2025

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Contact IT

Norse Tech Bar

University Center, plaza-level

Help Desk

Phone: 859-572-6911
Email: helpdesk@nku.edu

IT Newsletter February 2020

IT Newsletter
February 2020

Newsletter