From Mark Roman | Remote Desktop Security Improvements for On-Campus Computers
This message is sent on behalf of Mark Roman, Chief Information Officer of SFU. It has been sent to all faculty and staff.
On May 17th, the university will introduce SFU's Virtual Private Network (SFU VPN) as a new security step for remote desktop connections to on-campus computers. This security change will safeguard our community as we work remotely with on-campus devices.
This extra step may impact your daily routine, so IT Services is providing online resources and support to help with this transition.
How can you prepare?
For faculty and staff, we ask that you:
- Ensure your SFU account is enrolled in the university's Multi-Factor Authentication service (you only need to complete this once).
- Set up SFU's virtual private network app on your remote computer. You will need to sign in to this app before connecting to any on-campus computers as of May 17th.
If you need any assistance, IT Services has also updated our online remote desktop resources for Windows and Mac. We are also working with departments that are providing online lab space for students to minimize the impact of this change.
For further assistance, our IT Service Desk is also available at https://www.sfu.ca/itservices/help.html.
Why is SFU making this change?
IT Services is improving this essential part of our security fabric as we engage in more opportunities for remote work, study, and research at the university. SFU VPN protects the remote connections we make, while multi-factor authentication protects the accounts we use. Together, these services safeguard the work we do, no matter where we may be.
Thank you,
Mark Roman
Chief Information Officer
Simon Fraser University