IT is implementing new cybersecurity measures
As you are probably aware, the number of cybersecurity incidents, particularly ransomware,
has been skyrocketing for some time. Like most institutions, UNCSA has been working
to improve our security on many fronts. Keeping us safe and secure is Information
Technology’s top priority, and we are constantly balancing safety against our ability
to work with technology as efficiently as possible.
One area that has been difficult to secure is allowing users to install software on
their PC or Mac university-issued computers. This requires administrative rights to
the computer, and we have been inconsistent with applying those privileges. Granting
these rights opens us up to greater threats, but not granting them makes us potentially
less efficient. To further complicate the issue, the cyber insurance companies require
us to restrict administrative rights on local computers as this now is considered
an unsafe practice.
Because of this, we have purchased a system that we believe strikes a balance between
efficiency and security called Admin By Request. Once deployed, if a UNCSA employee
using a university-issued computer needs to install software on their machine, it
is a simple matter to make a request through this system. IT will review the request,
and if the software is new to us, we will perform a safety check on it and approve
it for installation. Once approved for a user, a future request for the same software
will be automatically permitted. For this process to be effective, a user will have
to anticipate a need for the software in advance, and IT will need to be responsive
when requests are made. Our turnaround time for this approval will be two business
days.
After testing in IT is complete, we will move to test in at least 2 other departments
before deploying campuswide. You will receive notice before it is deployed to your
device, and we expect no interruptions to your daily work.
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact Nick Johnson
at johnsonn@uncsa.edu.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep our computing environment safe at UNCSA!
Contact: Terry Harmon
July 19, 2022