COVID FAQS Information Technology

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COVID19 Information Technology

Information Technology

 

Q1: What IT-related support will be available if the campus is transitioned to a remote work environment?

A1:    Technology Assistance Center (TAC) supports day-to-day operations and requests for IT-related services and assistance, including problem resolution, new computer
equipment, application or web services, network questions, firewall requests, telephone or project-related needs Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM; and Friday from 7:00 AM to 1:15 PM.

Contact TAC at: ithelp@nps.edu; 831-656-1046; TAC Support Wiki

  • Distance Learning assists with the latest educational and classroom technologies, including Sakai, Video Conferencing, Audio/Visual, Assistive Technologies, and Multimedia Services. Contact DL at: clehelp@nps.edu 831-656-2020; Educational Technologies Services Wiki.
  • Cybersecurity includes protective measures that ensure information and communications technologies are safe, secure and fulfill their role in supporting the NPS mission, including an arsenal of next generation protective tools, complimentary best practices, policy, processes and procedures, overlapping rights, rules, and restrictions, focused on a very basic set of information assurance principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
    Contact Cybersecurity at: abuse@nps.edu; 831-656-6070; Security Center Wiki.
  • The SharePoint Portal is a single enterprise solution that supports portals and team web sites for information sharing and document collaboration. Each department has a SharePoint site to facilitate collaboration, provide content management, implement business processes and share information across the organization. SharePoint users can take advantage of the workflow feature, document versioning, and enterprise search. Business critical information can be stored in one central location.

Contact: SPResearch@nps.edu (Thesis); sharepointadmins@nps.edu (Non-Thesis); 831-656-1046; SharePoint Wiki.

  • For comments, corrections, or updates to the NPS website, requests for website announcements, bulk email, website content updates, site account creation, site access, website metrics, Liferay support, Wiki support, JIRA support, and EXERN accounts, Contact:webmaster@nps.edu; 831-656-1046.

Q2: Can I use my personal computer to do government work?

A2:    NPS does not have enough laptops to supply to the campus to telework, so a personal desktop/laptop can be used to do government work.  

Q3:  Can I get a CAC reader/laptop?

A3:    ITACS has a limited number of CAC reader/laptops, but priority requests can be made through a Dean/Chair/Director. Users’ CAC-enabled keyboards can also be disabled and taken home.

Q4: How do I prepare my laptop for possible teleworking?

A4:    Since your remote computer will be connected to the NPS network, it must meet
security requirements.

  • Operating system security patches must be applied
  • Anti-virus software must be installed and updated routinely
  • Duo two-factor security must be installed
  • GlobalProtect must be installed
  • See ITACS for more information: https://nps.edu/faculty-staff

Q5: How do I work remotely?

A5:    A user should:
1.    Ensure personal/Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) meets minimum standards.
2.    Determine if VPN is required (what service are you using).
3.    Ensure Duo if required is installed on a personal device you have access to or home phone number (landline).
4.    Ensure Encryption & Digital Signatures (DOD CAC) with DOD certificates capability are installed.
5.    Set up for Remote System (BYOD or GOV) through self-service or with ITACS support: https://www.cac.mil/ and https://nps.edu/web/technology/support.
•    ITACS provides several tools that enable the NPS community to work remotely. These tools include:
1.    GlobalProtect VPN (http://pounder.nps.edu/): allows a user to create a tunnel between an external device and the NPS network. Once connected to the VPN, the user will have full access to the NPS enterprise services.
2.    O365 / SharePoint / Webmail/ OneDrive (https://o365.nps.edu): Microsoft O365 allows the user to access online version of Microsoft products, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc. The client version of Microsoft o365 may also be downloaded to a personal or Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) through the NPS o365 website.
3.    H Drive (Map Drive on Mac, Map Drive on Windows): H drives contain the NPS users’ roaming profile, which includes their desktop, configurations, and files.  To connect to the H drive, users must be connected to the VPN.
4.    CloudLab (https://cloudlab.nps.edu): CloudLab allows users to access the NPS enterprise network and services remotely through a virtual environment.  
5.    Apporto: Virtualized environment that provides access to several pieces of lab software (i.e. MATLAB, SolidWorks)

Q6: How do I connect to the Virtual Private Network?

A6:    Access to NPS internal networks is via a secure connection called the Virtual Private Network (VPN). To use VPN, Duo Security must be installed on your device, and this link added to your  browser: https://pounder.nps.edu/.
For step-by-step instructions click on the Wiki HERE.

  • To comply with and ensure the security of the network and its files, users must:
     
  • Download and run Antivirus – McAfee, available for free at NPS Software Downloads (NPS login required)
  • Run all system updates

Q7:  Should I be testing my ability to log in to the NPS intranet from home?

A7:    It is recommended that in preparation for teleworking, test to ensure you can effectively work from home. Discuss with your supervisor options for determining your connectivity and access to resources.

Q8: What services can and cannot be accessed using the VPN?

A8:    Services accessible through VPN include:

NPS Password Reset:

Services that require VPN or CloudLab access include:

Q9: Can I connect to the MIL network from home?

A9:    DOD controls do not permit access to .mil sites from home.

Q10: How do I reset my password/unlock my account?

A10:    To reset passwords:
1.    Visit https://npspassword.nps.edu
2.    Click Create/Reset Profile
3.    Log In
4.    Create three security questions and answers
5.    For additional support contact the Technology Assistance Center (TAC) (ithelp@nps.edu; 831-656-1046)

Q11: How do I access my files?

A11:    To access files on H Drive: Connect to Cloudlab or VPN and map your H drive
 (Map Drive on Mac, Map Drive on Windows).
•    To access files on SharePoint/OneDrive: Visit Sharepoint or OneDrive without VPN directly at https://o365.nps.edu.

Q12: How do I save work-related information on my device?

A12:    Save everything to OneDrive, not on your personal computer’s hard drive.
Follow these instructions to setup your OneDrive.

Q13: How do I communicate with others in my department?

A13:    Microsoft Teams have been created for each school and department.  These can have sub-channels added to create additional groups within the Team.

Q14: Will I have access to the STBL/ SCIF?

A14:    No. There is no scenario where remote access to classified environments is possible.  
For faculty: Check with your POC.

Q15: How do I access my research tools?

A15:    In some cases, if software-based, access via CloudLab or contact the TAC.

Q16: Can I take my NPS desktop computer home to telework?

A16:    No. Only laptops are set up for remote access; PCs and Apple desktop machines do not
support remote log in functions.
 
Q17: Can I use either a thumb or external drive to store my information if I telework?

A17:    Neither is permissible in government computers. Use OneDrive for primary cloud storage for easy access from any machine.
 
Q18: If I incur costs for purchasing an Internet service or a computer to work from home,
         are they reimbursable?

A18:    Reimbursement is at the Agency’s discretion, but special allowance payments can be made on a case-by-case basis during a pandemic health crisis.

Q19: Is there audio conferencing available through Microsoft Teams? 

A19: The Audio Conferencing feature for Microsoft Teams has been enabled on Office 365 accounts, which allows meeting participants to join by phone in addition to using the Teams app. 

Q20: How does the Audio Conferencing feature work? 

Q20: When you create a meeting in Teams, the audio conference phone number will be automatically added to the meeting invite. All of your existing Teams meetings will be updated automatically with the audio conference phone number.

You will receive a separate email with additional information about the conference number and your PIN similar to the one below:

“Subject: You now have Audio Conferencing for Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business Online – Here is your dial-in information and PIN

You now have Audio Conferencing for Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business Online – Here is your dial-in information and PIN…”        

Please contact the TAC if you have any questions.

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