CaTS Blog

The Help Desk was recently notified of an IT security threat targeted at a University device, which consisted of a pop-up alert notifying the device’s user that the computer has been compromised, and listed a ‘Microsoft’ number to call for support. Once on the phone, the person on the other end attempted to gain access to the computer remotely to investigate the issue behind the alert. This could have resulted in an opportunity to steal personal, financial, or University information.

Please be aware that pop-ups or alerts like this are a scam, and you should never allow someone calling from an unknown number to access your computer via a remote connection.

While the CaTS Help Desk does offer remote support like this to Wright State members, a CaTS representative will:

• Call from an internal, Wright State number
• Identify themselves as a CaTS employee
• Direct you to the website ‘support.wright.edu’ to initiate the remote connection

If you have questions about any pop-ups or security alerts on your University machine, contact the CaTS Help Desk at 937-775-4827 first. A CaTS representative will then determine the next steps needed to ensure your device and information remains secure.

For more information about IT Security, visit https://www.wright.edu/information-technology/security. To read about the University’s IT Security policies, visit https://policy.wright.edu/policy/11300-it-security-policy.

CaTS has been made aware that access to the Raider Academic Progress System (RAPS) is currently unavailable. At this time, Wright State members are unable to log in, check-in for advising appointments or to the Academic Success Centers, schedule new advising appointments online, or issue early alerts.

CaTS is working with the vendor on a resolution, and will notify the University once access has been restored. 

Welcome to the Fall 2021 edition of the Quarterly Security Reminders email, brought to you by Wright State's Chief Information Security Officer. This quarter's newsletter will provide you with important information about ransomware.

Ransomware: What is it?

The term ransomware has been in the news quite a lot over the past year or so. Many businesses, as well as government agencies and universities, have been significantly impacted by these types of attacks. One notable ransomware attack hit the Colonial Pipeline, which led to its operations being shut down for several days. It has been reported that a ransom of 5 million dollars was paid in order to regain functionality. The federal government recommends not paying such ransoms, but losing access to critical files and systems has left some institutions with no other choice.

Most modern ransomware not only encrypts files on the computer system it infects, it also steals the files and saves them on servers controlled by the perpetrators of the attack. This causes further complications for the university if there is sensitive data contained within the files. This would constitute a data breach resulting in real dollar costs to the university. For instance, this may require us to provide identity theft protection to individuals impacted by the data breach. Additionally, damage to the university's reputation and public image would likely occur.

You might be wondering how you can protect your WSU files and systems against ransomware attacks. There are three key ways to protect yourself:

1. Check to see that you have SentinelOne installed on your WSU -provided computer. SentinelOne provides protection against ransomware attacks by not only providing advanced anti-malware protection, but also by backing up your files to a location the ransomware cannot reach.
2. Store your important files on your H, K, or R drives which are backed up nightly allowing those files to be restored should an attack find a way around our defenses.
3. Remain vigilant against potential phishing emails, as it continues to be the primary method to initiate ransomware attacks against organizations.

SentinelOne

Computer systems distributed by CaTS will have SentinelOne installed at the time the computer is configured for you. Check if SentinelOne is operating on your computer using the steps below:

PC Users: The SentinelOne icon should appear in the hidden icons menu in the bottom righthand corner of your screen.

Mac Uers: The SentinelOne icon should appear in the top righthand corner of your screen.\

Additionally, you can contact the CaTS Help Desk at 937-775-4827 and they can quickly check to determine if the program is installed. 

Continuing in CaTS effort to support Wright State students by providing remote learning options, we have re-launched access to Virtual Computing Labs provided throughout last year.  Improvements have been made to streamline the user login process and provide an experience consistent with other virtual computing resources offered by CaTS.

For instructions on how to connect to CaTS' VDI system and access the Virtual Lab, please visit https://www.wright.edu/information-technology/virtual-computing-labs.  Once connected, choose the option for "Labs-Remote".

Note that Duo Two Factor Authentication is required for all users connecting to any VDIs from off-campus.  For instructions to enroll in 2FA, visit https://www.wright.edu/information-technology/two-factor-authentication.

If you need assistance, or if you have any questions, contact the CaTS Help Desk at 937-775-4827, or helpdesk@wright.edu.