Security Awareness [PY5]

Each year to ensure data security across the College, CFAES IT requires everyone to take the annual security training provided by the University. It was previously offered in BuckeyeLearn as, “Securing the Human,” but this year the training is titled, “Security Awareness [PY5]”.

We ask that all faculty and staff log into BuckeyeLearn to access this training and complete it by June 28th, 2019. Instructions on accessing this training are below.

Access the Training

The training explains how users play a critical role in protecting our university and covers a wide array of topics on how users can protect their cyber activities, both at home and at work. SANS has updated their materials from previous years to make it more engaging.

The course is available for anyone to request in BuckeyeLearn by searching for Security Awareness [PY5] and clicking REQUEST. Alternatively, departments can request enrollment at the unit/department level enrollments by emailing buckeyelearnsupport@osu.edu. Users who already completed the current offering in BuckeyeLearn (published in November 2018) do not need to repeat it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Michael Chakerian (chakerian.1) or Kaylee Buzard (buzard.19).

CFAES Help Desk now redirects to OCIO Self Service

As a reminder, the CFAES Help Desk website now redirects to the OCIO Self Service site at go.osu.edu/IT. You are likely familiar with using this site as a way to request help with certain services like email and password resets. You can use this site to submit tickets and order services for any IT issues.

Faculty and staff can use the OCIO Self Service tool to submit tickets for issues and order services. This allows both you and the IT Service Desk team to track your ticket, communicate with each other through one system, and help resolve issues in an efficient manner. You can learn more about the Self Service site by viewing the brief training module: Self Service Overview

The CFAES IT Help Desk website had some topics listed in a drop down menu to help categorize your requests. On the OCIO Self Service site, you can get help with any IT issues by submitting a ticket or ordering services that you need. To get started, log in to the site using the button on the right side of your screen.

Submit a Ticket

If you are having IT issues and need assistance, you can click the large red “Need some help?” button that appears on the dashboard after you have logged in. You will see various categories to select from to report your issue. If your issue does not fall under one of those categories, just select “Other” and provide details about your request. You can also select “Get Help” from the menu on the left side of the screen and select to submit a ticket. A list of categories will appear to select from, including CFAES specific items. Click the following link to view a brief training module on how to submit a ticket: Submitting a Ticket.

Order Services

If you need to order a service, click the Order Services button in the menu on the left side. You can select from a wide range of service options. Common requests like event support, loaner devices, file share, and print share appear under the Client Computer Services menu. Click the following link to view a brief training module on how to order services: Ordering Services.

In addition to the 24/7 Self Service site, you can always call 614-514-IT4U (4848) with IT-related questions. Calling the IT Service Desk is the best method to get help for an urgent request.

Explain Everything Whiteboard App Price Increase

Explain Everything Whiteboard is a paid mobile app that functions as an interactive whiteboard platform where people collaborate, share, and learn. Students receiving iPads as part of Digital Flagship have the Explain Everything app included at no cost. Faculty and staff may wish to purchase Explain Everything Whiteboard to mirror the student experience. The price for Explain Everything Whiteboard recently increased to $14.99 regardless of how many copies are purchased. If you wish to purchase a copy of Explain Everything Whiteboard (or any other software) then you may submit a request to the IT Service Desk.

If you’d like to learn more about using the app, OSU’s own Scott Sheeler has developed some tutorial videos on using Explain Everything.

Amazon Web Services Immersion Day

Amazon Web Services Immersion Day
Wednesday, Oct. 3
The Great Hall at The Ohio Union

Whether you’re looking for compute power, database storage, content delivery, or other functionality, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has the services to help you build sophisticated applications with increased flexibility, scalability and reliability.

AWS is coming to Ohio State! Join us for an immersion day to meet members of Amazon’s team and take a deep dive into learning about AWS, how it can help you, and how to use it securely. This day will be an engaging, tech-driven event focused on helping you accelerate and secure your journey on AWS. If you’d like to participate in the lab exercises please be sure to bring a laptop and a power cord.

Click here to register.

IT Transformation Project September Update

Several areas throughout our college spent the better part of August gearing up for a new academic year.  Likewise, IT teams within the OCIO and CFAES were hard at work during this period, collaborating to move units within the college to new Managed IT Services, and provide solutions for unique mission-specific requests.

Network improvements will drive many solutions, and continue to be a main first focus within CFAES – we are excited about the implementations that have taken place, and well as others slated to take place over the next few months.

As a follow-up to our last update, we are continuing to examine the question of “How will we pay for these services?”  A Cost Allocation Strategy workgroup has been established within our college, and will meet several times over the next few months to continue shaping options and recommendations.

Attached is the September update of our progress with the CFAES IT Transformation Project. As a reminder, updates on the CFAES IT Transformation can be found at https://it.osu.edu/cfaes.

CFAES IT Transformation September Update

BuckeyePass to Protect eLeave, eTimesheet, Carmen and Vita

OCIO’s highest priority is protecting our data – whether the information belongs to you, the university, students, or customers. Ohio State is expanding its use of multi-factor authentication to increase the level of protection that prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing your information.

To continue to improve security, OCIO plans to add BuckeyePass multifactor authentication to eLeave and eTimesheet on Sept. 30.

BuckeyePass will be enabled for Carmen during Autumn Break on Thursday, Oct. 11. At this time, BuckeyePass will also be enabled for Vita, which faculty may be using to manage and track scholarly activity. Adding BuckeyePass to the login process for the Carmen learning management system not only reduces the risk of credential theft, but also helps address academic misconduct.

BuckeyePass is a self-service tool. That means employees can add, modify, and remove devices at any time as needed. OCIO recommends having at least two devices registered, in case your primary device is lost, damaged or stolen. Click here for more information on how to make changes and manage your devices.

OCIO Hires Customer Experience Managers to Support CFAES

On May 25, all CFAES employees received an update on the implementation of the workforce plan of the IT Transformation Project. That update include the organizational charts of both OCIO and CFAES, and highlighted where employees transitioned as part of the project.

The organizational charts also showed three senior managers of customer experience to oversee CFAES’s three campuses: Columbus, Wooster, and Statewide. Those three positions were posted and have been filled. Below are the three new managers overseeing customer experience.

Columbus Campus
Caitlin Baer joined the team on July 9 as senior manager of customer experience, working with the OCIO IT Service Desk team onsite in Columbus on the Midwest campus.

Having started her career as a student employee at 8Help several years ago, Caitlin is excited to make her return to OCIO.  Since she left, she’s worked full time for the College of Veterinary Medicine and, most recently, has been managing the IT Service Desk for the College of Arts and Sciences for the past two years.  While at ASC, Caitlin has been strongly invested in knowledge management and ASCTech’s Culture Team. She has a BS in Biology from The Ohio State University.

Wooster Campus
Cort Sutherland joined the team on July 2 as senior manager of customer experience, working with the OCIO IT Service Desk team onsite at the Wooster and Mansfield campuses.

Cort comes to us from Kent State University at Stark, where he has spent the last six years supervising Helpdesk operations for its campus of 5,000 students. Prior to that, Cort worked for Forbes Rehab Services in Mansfield, Ohio, where he fulfilled system administration duties, while also performing product development and technical support. Cort comes to us with 10 years of professional experience and a master’s of Technology degree obtained from Kent State University.

Statewide Campus – County Extension
Steve Lichtensteiger accepted the role of senior manager of customer experience and began in his new position on June 18. Steve manages the District Technicians – IT staff supporting the Ohio State University Extension staff in all the county extension offices, and to use his words, has a player-coach role – he supports a number of county Extension offices in the NW portion of the state himself. He also manages the support techs for the Marion and Lima campuses.

Steve’s been with the university supporting the county Extension offices for some time now, and managing the District Techs.

Continue to check out the IT Transformation Project website for updates and to submit questions.

IT Transformation Update – Purchasing IT-Related Items

As the transition of IT services and support occurs, we will be rolling out new processes and procedures for the various ways you receive IT support. This update highlights one of those ways – how you purchase IT equipment. Please note that how you receive help desk support has not changed; continue to request IT help as usual, until you receive specific instructions otherwise.

Since the announcement of the partnership between the college and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), we have received some excellent questions from faculty and staff. One topic that continues to be raised is how to go about purchasing IT-related items including computers, software, services, or other equipment.

As part of the agreement with OCIO, existing computers will be refreshed every four years. This refresh program will kick off in a few months. In the meantime, the purchasing of new computers is for individuals who have devices that are unusable to effectively do their job or for new employees.

Starting today, we are introducing a new standard process for all CFAES departments and units to follow to purchase computers and other technology equipment. This includes equipment purchased with grant funds.

If you need to purchase computers or other IT-related items, please contact the IT Service Desk. You can contact it through the following methods:

For individuals that submit eRequests, you should NOT submit an eRequest or purchase the equipment directly. The IT Service Desk team will work with you to determine specific requirements and find the best option. Based on the joint determination, the IT team will initiate the purchasing transaction.

Please note that some items are NOT covered by the refresh program. Examples include iPads, software, and some services. The IT Service Desk will work with you to order these items. They will be paid for by your department/unit and billed to your chart fields.

You should still follow your internal department and unit processes and procedures for seeking approval for IT-related items. If someone in your department approves these requests before they are submitted, you should still follow that process.

We know that transition periods can sometimes be confusing. We continue to be committed to addressing any questions as soon as possible. We encourage you to reach out with questions. Please contact Mike Chakerian, Graham Cochran, or Diane Dagefoerde. You can also submit questions through the Ask a Question form at the bottom of the CFAES IT Transformation Project website at any time.

 

CFAES IT Services Leadership Update

As CFAES starts implementing the CFAES IT Transformation workforce plan, we are excited to announce the leadership team for the new CFAES IT Services. This new team will collaborate with Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) staff to provide a combined IT Services Portfolio for CFAES.

Michael Chakerian has been appointed to director of information technology. In this role, he will establish the overall strategic direction for computing support for CFAES, direct a portfolio of college-provided IT services, manage the SLA relationship with OCIO, and lead the IT portion of building projects. He also will serve as part of the associate dean for operations’ leadership team.

Michael joined Ohio State in 1996 as a member of University Technology Services (now Office of the CIO) where he served as a support specialist. In 1999, he joined CFAES as a systems manager with the Department of Animal Sciences. Michael has carried a joint appointment with the broader CFAES IT Services team since May 2015, where he worked to improve core services to several CFAES buildings on the Columbus campus as well as serving on committees tasked with shaping the university’s IT strategy. In 2012, Michael received the Distinguished Staff Award for accomplishments, leadership and contributions to The Ohio State University.

Matt DeVore has been appointed to director of application services. In this role, he will lead the CFAES local applications strategy, lead a portfolio of college-provided local applications services, and partner with CFAES and the Office of Distance Education and eLearning on support for the Digital Flagship.

Matt joined Ohio State in 2001 at OARDC, where he served as a systems developer/engineer. Since then he has taken on additional responsibilities and leadership, serving as the head of OARDC Wooster IT and in 2015 serving as the college’s chief information officer (CIO). As CIO, he provided overall strategic direction for information technology services across the college.

Mike and Matt will provide leadership as part of CFAES’s new IT Services team focused on support for research and local applications. Research support includes instrumentation specific consultation, high-performance computing, research file storage, research network support, research data management, security and compliance, specialized computer needs, and consultation. Local applications include purchased or custom software, software as a service, or mobile apps that college units adopt to support college administrative, academic, research administration, and extension functions.

These leadership appointments are effective immediately.

SAS Renewal

For those individuals that use SAS, please see the below email from Michael J. Dangler:

Subject: SAS Renewal – Temporary extension files

You are receiving this email because you have requested a copy of SAS in since 9/1/2017. We’ve experienced a delay in receiving new codes from SAS due to a contract issue that has been resolved, but we are still pending codes that will function through the remainder of 2018. Because our codes are expiring, I’ve requested an extension to bridge the gap; additional codes will be forthcoming, and you will receive new codes as soon as we have received and tested them.

The attached codes will extend the license 30 days. They have also been loaded into OCIO Self Service, where they will be provided with new copies that are downloaded until the new codes arrive.

We currently expect arrival of new, fully functional codes before the end of the week, but we requested these codes because SAS could create them immediately, and if SAS cannot provide codes until early next week, we wanted to ensure your copy would run through the end of the month.

You will receive a second set of codes to run through 2018 as soon as we are able to obtain them from SAS.

OCIO provides SAS renewal instructions for 9.x versions in this knowledgebase article (http://ocio.osu.edu/KB00689).

 Additionally, there are further instructions contained in the attached .zip file. If you have difficulty, or if the .zip file is somehow stripped from this message when you receive it, you can obtain the file from the following BuckeyeBox link (https://osu.box.com/s/sybwjlu29umwrfs1worjusqf45s99eid).

Please refer to the KB article or the ReadMe file with any questions regarding the renewal.

Michael J Dangler | Category Leader – IT Contracts and Licensing
The Ohio State University
OSU Purchasing | Strategic Purchasing
Purchasing & Receiving Building | 2650 Kenny Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43210
614-688-4031 Office
dangler.8@osu.edu osu.edu

Update on IT Transformation Project

The Oct. 16 CFAES Weekly News Digest provided an update on the CFAES IT Services Review. As outlined in that update, on Nov. 1, the college launched the CFAES IT Transformation Project. The goal with this project is to ensure a robust IT strategy and approach to management, seek efficiencies, and do more in focused areas. As we start implementing this 18- to 24-month project, here are a few things that will happen in the next 90 days.

The college has established a core project team to lead the planning and implementation of the project. Graham Cochran, Matt DeVore and Eric Bode from CFAES, and Diane Dagefoerde, Bob Corbin and Jason Haskins from OCIO serve on that team.

In addition to the core project team, an IT Transformation Task Force will help guide the work and provide input on key decisions. Click the link below to see the members of the task force. There also will be opportunities for faculty and staff members to provide feedback.

CFAES IT Transformation Project Core Team & Task Force

Also in the next 90 days, the college will develop a workforce transition plan that will stem from the creation of a new service portfolio for CFAES IT Services and the finalization of the service level agreement with OCIO. Decisions about the services CFAES will provide and the services OCIO will provide will determine the transition of some staff from CFAES to OCIO.

Since the goal of the project is to ensure a robust IT strategy, decisions will be made based on how to provide quality and efficient IT services to our faculty, staff, students and customers. This includes support for desktops, classrooms and research. In some of those areas, things will look different; however, we are focused on maintaining a level of service that will meet your needs moving forward.

Until the changes are implemented, there is no change in how you request IT support. It is business as usual when you need help!

The college will continue to provide email updates as well as create a website landing page for information, including project updates and frequently asked questions. If you do have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Matt DeVore, Graham Cochran or Diane Dagefoerde.

Adobe Acrobat XI Upgrade

On October 15, Adobe ended support for Acrobat XI Pro, which is widely used for creating and editing PDF files. Although Acrobat XI remains functional, Adobe will no longer provide updates or address existing bugs or security issues for this product.  Because of this, a new version of Acrobat Pro will be deployed. The new product is called Acrobat Pro DC and is very similar to Acrobat XI, but with an updated look and feel.

CFAES IT Services has developed a process to update Windows computers to this new product with deployment beginning on Tuesday, November 14, 2017. This involves removing Acrobat XI from the computer and then installing the newer program.  In most cases, this can be completed remotely with limited user interaction. However, some users may receive a prompt indicating that programs must be closed in order for the task to run. If you receive this prompt, please close all running programs and allow the process to complete. Failure to close software when prompted may result in the inability to view/edit PDF documents until a support representative can assist you. The expected time to completion is between 3 to 5 minutes, but may take longer depending on computer specifications. Once finished, a notification will appear indicating that the task is complete.

Users of Acrobat XI on macOS should contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

If you experience any issues during this upgrade or begin having issues accessing PDF documents, contact the IT Service Desk at 614-514-IT4U (4848), Toll Free at 844-614-IT4U (4848) or online at http://go.osu.edu/ITServiceDesk.