In response to the growing impact COVID-19 is having on our workplace and the reality that many of us may be working from alternate locations, the IET team has put together the following suggestions to help minimize disruptions while working remotely.

If you have a laptop, please make sure you are undocking the device and bringing it to and from your office every day. Should we suddenly have to work off-campus, you may not be able to retrieve your laptop if it was left in your office.

• Important: Be sure to check your Zoom client is at least at v 5.0 or the sessions will not work. You can update it from the link on your MyVWCC Zoom page using the Download Client link at the bottom of the page.
• Is it up? Check the VCCS Outage page for notices. In some cases you might be able to bypass the MyVWCC login and go directly to some of the resources from here.
• Click here to take a free 10-minute course – Securing Your Work at Home
• Manage Inappropriate behavior in Zoom
• FBI PSA on COVID-19 Telework Vulnerabilities

Take These Steps Now

1. Test Your VDI using one of the three options below:
   On-campus
   Off-campus with 2Factor
   Note: If you are still using https://secure.virginiawestern.edu and the Symantec VIP app for VDI access, please be aware that it will be shutdown on August 26, 2020 on expiration of our current license. Please contact the Help Desk if you havent already transitioned to Microsoft MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) using the secure site at https://remote.virginiawestern.edu.
   Off-Campus without 2Factor
   Note: This site will be shutdown by end-July to enhance security and enforce 2Factor access for all VDI logins. If you haven’t already been set up for 2Factor, you can use this link for now, but you have to schedule your transition to 2Factor immediately by contacting the Help Desk.
2. Log into ZOOM with your myVWCC credentials.
3. Log into Outlook Online with your VWCC credentials.
4. Setup Call Forwarding for your phone on the web. You must be on campus or on a VDI for this link to work. The format for the number you are forwarding to is 915409990101 (91 + 10-digit phone number).
5. Bring your VWCC issued laptop to work to make sure it is patched and updated, and be sure to take it home every day.
6. Contact the Help Desk if you don’t have VDI access.
7. Keep your germs at home, share your contact info with your team!

How to Work From Home

Useful links and documentation

• Outlook web email, OneDrive, Teams
  • Office365 Tutorials (Microsoft)
  • Teams Tutorials (Microsoft)
• Download MS Office Software
• SIS, HR, Canvas, and Enterprise apps
• Zoom – Use your mic and camera
  • Zoom Tutorials
  • Default Zoom Settings
• Forward your telephone from on-campus or your VDI
• Google Hangouts/Meet – Video/Chat (use your myVWCC credentials)
  • Google Hangouts/Meet Tutorials
• IET Services Page

Don’t Have a Laptop?

Don’t have a laptop? You can use your personal computer, tablet/iPad (or even your phone) for e-mail, Teams, Zoom, OneDrive, Gmail, Google Drive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Chrome River, Canvas and more! Use Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts for chat/IM.  You can use your VDI to access your shared drives.

Other Tips

• Exchange cell phone contacts with your peers.
• Download the clients for Zoom and Teams
• Check your home internet! Make sure it’s working!
• How to reset your MyVWCC password

Evil takes many forms.  During emergencies and times of great stress many evil doers will target you in an effort to profit or otherwise take advantage of the situation. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that scammers are trying to trick people into sharing their account credentials through social engineering tactics or by sending email messages with malicious content or attachments.  You may be offered information by email concerning the COVID-19 disease or asked to contribute to a charitable concern to assist persons in need.  These scams come in the form of emails, websites, phone calls, text messages, and even fax messages.  Examples of suspicious behavior include asking for login information, sending unasked-for email attachments, directing you to malicious websites, or asking for direct donations to emergency response plans or funding appeals.

To avoid becoming a victim of these scams:

• Prior to opening an email, verify the sender by checking the email address
• If the message looks suspicious, don’t open attachments and delete the message
• Hover over and check the link before you click.  Do not click from mobile phones if you cannot check the link
• Be cautious about providing personal information
• Do not rush or feel under pressure to take action
• Identify and only use nationally recognized sites to obtain COVID-19 information
• Navigate to authoritative websites by keying in the URL directly into your web browser

Recommended sites and URLs to use for information concerning the source and spread of the disease:

• World Health Organization (WHO): Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• Centers for Disease Control: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)  
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• CDC: Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Institutions of Higher Education
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-ihe-response.html
• The Virginia Department of Health    
  http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/novel-coronavirus/

IET is adding measures to secure your email accounts by activating Two Step Verification for Office365 Outlook. This will protect against phishing attacks and other exploits by providing an extra layer of protection. The first step is what you use now, your user ID and password. With Two Step Verification, a second step, which could be a PIN code generated by an app, a code sent to a device of your choice or, if you use the Microsoft Authenticator app, just pressing an OK button, will also be required before you can access your account. If you use apps like Apple or Android Mail on your mobile device to read your email, you might also need to create a one-time app password, which is a code that gives an app or device permission to access your Office 365 account. For more on how to set it up for your email check out the links below.

• Set up 2-step verification for Office 365 – Office 365
• Sign in to Office 365 with 2-step verification – Office 365
• Use Microsoft Authenticator with Office 365

Please call or email the Help Desk if you have any questions.

If you received a message on Friday, July 12th that looks like the one below, it was a phishing attempt.  This was obviously a fake message just by looking at the email address it originated from and the language that was used.  We received 123 of these messages and blocked the address after that.

Please remain skeptical when receiving emails from high level officials or colleagues that don’t quite make sense or match a typical conversation you might have with them.  We will definitely see more scams like this in the future, so be on the lookout.

FAKE EMAIL FROM FRIDAY:

From: Robert H. Sandel <president79779@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2019 3:10 PM
To: HelpDesk <helpdesk@virginiawestern.edu>
Subject:

Good day,

I’m stuck in a seminar right now and I need your assistance which I will appreciate your help a lot. Kindly drop your cell phone number to send you a text message.
Thanks

Dr. Robert H. Sandel
President
Virginia Western Community College

END FAKE EMAIL