UPDATE: January 21, 2023, 11:15 AM

Jaggaer indicates that they have fully resolved the the errors recently introduced in Denison’s e-procurement software. They note, “All failed Purchase Orders associated with this error have been requeued and sent to suppliers.”

Please contact the ITS Service Desk at 740-587-6395 or servicedesk@denison.edu if you have any questions or concerns about Denison’s e-procurement software.

UPDATE: January 20, 2023, 11:50 AM

Jaggaer has provided an update on their progress resolving the errors in Denison’s e-procurement software:

JAGGAER Developers have identified root cause and are developing and testing a fix for the issue introduced with last night’s maintenance release. Our anticipated ETA for full resolution on all servers is 6:00 PM ET / 11:00 PM GMT.

ITS will post more information here as Jaggaer provides additional updates.

ORIGINAL POST: January 20, 2023, 10:15 AM

Jaggaer, the company that publishes Denison’s e-procurement software, released a notice acknowledging errors that were introduced after an update:

Jaggaer Email Update: We have received reports of display issues with Forms and an error occurring during Purchase Order Distribution when a document contains a Form Request. We have confirmed that these problems were introduced during last night’s maintenance release (January 19, 2023). JAGGAER Developers are working quickly to resolve this. We will follow up as progress is made and we are able to provide a timeline to resolution.

ITS will publish an update here as more information is available.

For part of Friday, December 23, 2022, faculty and students could not access Fall 2022 courses in Canvas. ITS staff identified the cause and restored access to courses Friday evening.

If you are a faculty member and need further assistance accessing Fall 2022 Canvas courses, please email the ITS Service Desk at servicedesk@denison.edu. We are checking this account once per day during Winter Break (except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) and will respond once we receive your message.

Best wishes for a restful Winter Break!

Apple released macOS 13, also known as Ventura, on Monday, October 24, 2022. This is a major upgrade to the current Apple operating system, macOS 12 (Monterey).

Information Technology Services (ITS) strongly recommends that you DO NOT immediately install Ventura for the following reasons:

  1. ITS is testing Ventura’s compatibility with Denison systems and software. We are already aware that key applications may be negatively affected, such as printing to network printers.
  2. If you plan to make a major change to your computer like updating to a new operating system, it’s best to wait until you aren’t depending on your computer to work as expected every day, such as in the middle of the semester. 

ITS continues to test macOS Ventura with Denison systems and software. We will share an update on Ventura’s compatibility after the end of the semester.

Please note: Before you update macOS on your computer, it is strongly recommended to back up your system and personal files prior to the update. In the rare event there is a problem with the update process, it may be necessary to erase your computer’s hard drive, then install a fresh copy of the operating system and restore your personal files. To protect your important data, please adopt a recommended file storage location or backup approach.

If you have questions, please contact the ITS Service Desk at servicedesk@denison.edu or 740-587-6395.

UPDATE 8/29/22 9:00 AM
Late yesterday evening, ITS staff identified and resolved the root cause of yesterday’s Canvas enrollment issue. If you have any questions about Canvas, or any other Denison technology, please contact the ITS Service Desk at servicedesk@denison.edu or 740-587-6395.

ORIGINAL POST
On Sunday, August 28, several students contacted the ITS Service Desk to report that one or more previously visible Canvas courses were not currently shown in their account. ITS staff investigated and resolved the problem earlier this evening. We are working with Canvas to determine the cause and will update this post when we have more information.

If you are a student and believe that you have been unenrolled from a Canvas course you could previously access, please contact the ITS Service Desk at servicedesk@denison.edu or 740-587-6395.

UPDATE: August 2, 2022, 7:00 AM

The certificate associated with “radius.denison.edu” was replaced this morning. Your devices may display the prompt described below the next time they connect to the eduroam campus wireless network. See this Google Doc for examples of the eduroam certificate prompt on different devices.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 740-587-6395 or servicedesk@denison.edu.

ORIGINAL POST:

On Tuesday, August 2, 2022, devices connected to the eduroam campus wireless network may display a prompt asking you to accept a new certificate. This is a legitimate prompt based on a required update to the security certificate associated with eduroam that takes place August 2 at 5:00 AM. 

This is a one-time action needed because the security certificate associated with “radius.denison.edu“, which supports eduroam logins, must be renewed. Certificates are issued for designated time periods (in this instance, one year).

The way you will receive the prompt varies by device. On Macs, after you accept the prompt you might also be required to enter your computer password so your computer saves your “Certificate Trust Settings”. Please see these screenshots for examples of the eduroam certificate prompt on different devices.

If you experience any issues or need assistance, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 740-587-6395 or servicedesk@denison.edu.

In this series, ITS shares information about common tactics cybercriminals use to get access to and steal information from protected systems. After reading, you’ll know how to identify these online dangers, why they are harmful, and how to respond if you see one.
 

What’s the Scam?

Criminals employ fake pop-up messages to trick you into thinking your computer or mobile device has detected a major problem. The “alert” describes steps you should take to solve the “problem”, but following the instructions actually puts you directly in touch with the criminals.

What’s the Danger?

In this scam, the criminals try to trick you into giving them something they want. Often, they want you to provide a credit card number so you can pay “Support” a small fee to resolve the problem. Once they have your credit card number, the charges they make on it will be anything but small. 

They might also ask you to download and install software that will let them “troubleshoot” the problem. This could be remote access software that lets them control your computer and monitor the sites you visit and the personal information you enter. Or the software could be a malicious program that encrypts or steals files on your computer, including files on network drives connected to your computer.  

What Does It Look Like?

These alerts might look like generic browser pop-up windows, or they might appear similar to authentic windows from your computer’s operating system. Below are two examples:

These messages vary from scam to scam but often contain these ingredients:

  • Official notification:  The message might resemble a genuine message coming from your computer or its antivirus/security software. They often appear almost immediately after you browse to a web page that (sometimes unknowingly) hosts the pop-up message.
  • “Dangerous” problem: This could include notice of missing files, a virus or malware that was downloaded, or a flaw in the device’s operating system.
  • Urgency: If you don’t take action now, you might lose data, a dangerous program might run, or your computer might permanently shut down. Some pop-up windows even scare you further by playing a loud warning siren noise.
  • No escape: If you try to close the pop-up window or even the web browser window, the browser might not respond. 
  • Convenient fix: “There’s a problem with your iPhone! But it’s easy to fix if you call our 1-800 number. Operators are standing by.”

If you see a message like this and aren’t sure if it’s authentic, the last point above is the giveaway—A genuine error message on your computer or mobile device will never ask you to call a phone number to fix the problem. (And if you are using a Denison-owned computer, you should contact the ITS Service Desk to arrange for repair, not the device manufacturer.)

What Should I Do?

These messages appear from time to time on the web. Here’s how to handle them.

  • Don’t act on it. These messages are designed to scare you, and it’s natural to want to take action to fix the problem. Just don’t follow the instructions in the pop-up message.
  • Contact the ITS Service Desk right away. Call 740-587-6395 or email servicedesk@denison.edu. Be ready to share the following information:
    • Approximate date/time the pop-up appeared
    • Page you were browsing when the pop-up appeared
    • A description of the pop-up (screenshots are extremely helpful)
    • How you responded to the message, if at all. If you followed any instructions in the pop-up message, be sure to let the Service Desk know. 

We can’t always control the threats we encounter online. But we can control how we respond. We hope this is helpful information, and we look forward to sharing information about other cyber scams.

Thanks for doing your part to keep Denison safe.

Due to current events, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning of increased cybersecurity threats. While we hope that Denison is not directly affected by any particular issue, we want to inform you of two forms of increased risk to the college and ask for your help:

First, we are concerned about phishing, malware, and ransomware campaigns. These are the most common forms of malicious email campaigns.

  • Phishing: Tricking someone into revealing their username and password to gain access to our systems
  • Malware: Delivering destructive software by email
  • Ransomware: Using software that encrypts files on your computer or a network drive and requests a ransom payment to unlock them

Second, we are also concerned about a direct attack on Denison’s network, applications, or resources. Such an incident could take many forms. It could be either targeted or widespread and would have broad implications for Denison.

How You Can Help

We would like to ask everyone to do the following:

  • Be vigilant. Be extremely watchful for suspicious emails or unusual behavior online, whether on your Denison computer or a personal device. 
  • If you see something, say something. Something doesn’t feel right about an email you received? Accidentally clicked on a suspicious link? Don’t wait. Call the ITS Service Desk promptly at 740-587-6395 to report any unusual online activity. 

Also, if you have not done so, please complete your KnowBe4 cybersecurity training. Denison provides annual cybersecurity training for all employees to help you identify possible email-based threats, including phishing and malicious email attachments. If you haven’t completed your training, log in now at training.knowbe4.com and get started. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers additional tips (here and here) for detecting fraudulent and dangerous emails and staying safe. 

Thank you for your efforts to keep Denison, our community, and our shared systems safe.

Due to the inclement weather, the ITS Service Desk is working remotely on Thursday, February 3, 2022. If you have questions about Denison technology, please contact us:

  • For urgent technology support needs, please call 740-587-6395 or send a Google Chat to servicedesk@denison.edu.
  • For non-urgent requests and questions, please submit a service request through TOPdesk .

Where appropriate, our staff will use Google Meet’s screen sharing feature to see what you see and work toward a solution.

(And if you are working remotely, be sure to consult our MyDenison page describing remote work resources.)

If you prefer to research solutions on your own, a number of Denison resources may be able to assist you:

  • MyDenison contains a great deal of technology service information. Please use the MyDenison search box or browse the Information Technology Services section to find information.
  • At any time, you can search the TOPdesk Knowledge Base and read more than 100 knowledge items about eduroam, Duo, Google Workspace, and many more topics.
  • Denison’s LinkedIn Learning agreement provides access to video tutorials on many technology (and other) topics.

Welcome back! Like you, ITS is excited for the start of the Spring 2022 semester. This article provides an update on technology support during the first week of class as well as a brief reminder of your options for getting help with Denison technology.

ITS Service Desk Operating Remotely During First Week
Due to professional and student staff availability, the ITS Service Desk will operate remotely during daytime hours this week. But don’t worry! We’re still available to help you.

  • For urgent technology support needs, please call 740-587-6395 or send a Google Chat to servicedesk@denison.edu.
  • For non-urgent requests and questions, please submit a service request through TOPdesk .

Where appropriate, our staff will use Google Meet’s screen sharing feature to see what you see and work toward a solution.

(And when you are working remotely, be sure to consult our MyDenison page describing remote work resources.)

If you prefer to research solutions on your own, a number of Denison resources may be able to assist you:

  • MyDenison contains a great deal of technology service information. Please use the MyDenison search box or browse the Information Technology Services section to find information.
  • At any time, you can search the TOPdesk Knowledge Base and read more than 100 knowledge items about eduroam, Duo, Google Workspace, and many more topics.
  • Denison’s LinkedIn Learning agreement provides access to video tutorials on many technology (and other) topics.

Best wishes for a healthy and productive start to the Spring semester!

As of 10 AM on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, you may see an “invalid certificate” error in your browser when you attempt to reach Notebowl.

ITS is working with the Notebowl vendor to resolve the certificate error and restore connectivity to Notebowl. We’ll update this post with more information as soon as it is available.