UNCG ITS News

Information Technology Services

Illustration showing a representation of an email being caught on a fishing hookPhishing is their game, using fake emails, social media posts, or direct messages to lure you into clicking slimy links, coughing up sensitive info, or downloading dodgy attachments with the promise of juicy catches. If you take the bait and click the deceitful link, you might find your personal information swimming in treacherous waters. 

Spot scammy emails, keep an eye out for:

  • Don’t Get Hooked by Emotions: Does the message trigger an emotional reaction? If an email makes you feel too much, be skeptical. Stay on your guard and don’t let your feelings lure you in.
  • Reel in Urgency: Does the message require quick action? If an email demands a quick catch or sudden jump into action, slow down and carefully evaluate it. 
  • Odd messages: Does the email or text message seem off? If an email or text message from someone you know seems fishy give the person a call to verify the message before diving in.  
  • Avoid Going off the Deep End: Are you being asked to perform some action that is out of the ordinary? Are they asking you to use a unfamiliar websites, uncharted file-sharing services or exotic payment methods? Instructions like these can lead you into a sea of trouble. Ignore and delete the message. 
  • If it’s Too Good to Be True, It’s Probably a Red Herring: Don’t fall for it. It’s likely a baited trap.

Don’t take the bait! Never take the plunge and engage with or follow links in phishing emails. Instead, report these fishy messages by clicking Report in Outlook.

 

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Be a cyber angler, not a cyber guppy! You are the guardian of your own digital waters. Stay vigilant and protect yourself from these phishing pirates and their ever-evolving net of tricks! Your data is worth it. 

If you need help with an information security issue or need technical assistance, submit a 6-TECH ticket, call 6-TECH at (336) 256-TECH (8324), or email [email protected].

 

UNCG’s Zoom service ends on December 31, 2023. This includes the Canvas Zoom integration, the use of UNCG credentials in the free version of Zoom, and the end of ITS support for Zoom. In Spring 2024, all courses will be required to use Microsoft Teams for virtual class sessions and meetings. Since Zoom will no longer be on the University’s list of pre-approved software after 12/31/23, Departments will be unable to use University funds to purchase Zoom licenses for their area’s use.

Since UNCG’s transition from Zoom to Teams was announced, we’ve received valuable feedback from many of you. We understand that this change has raised concerns, and we want to assure you that we are diligently working to address the issues that have been brought to our attention.

We acknowledge that there are differences between Zoom and Teams that may necessitate changes in workflow or additional setup. To support you through these adjustments, we have compiled a range of resources designed to address these challenges. You can access these resources on the new Teaching with Teams website.

We are providing faculty and staff the opportunity to sign up for fifteen-minute one-on-one consultations. These sessions offer hands-on experience with Teams, covering tasks like muting and unmuting participants, raising and lowering hands, screen sharing, allowing others to share, and accessing settings during class sessions and meetings. During these consultations, you are welcome to ask any other questions you may have. We’re here to support you through this transition to Teams.

Thank you,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Information Technology Services (ITS) will delete courses in Canvas from the following semesters in accordance with the Canvas course deletion cycle:

  • Spring 2017
  • Summer 2017
  • Fall 2017
  • Spring 2018
  • Summer 2018

Deleting courses cleans up faculty dashboards and course listings in Canvas, makes current and past courses easier to locate, and frees up storage space in Canvas.

How do I export a Canvas course? provides directions on how to save course material if any faculty wish to do so.

For technical assistance, please submit a 6-TECH ticket, call 6-TECH at (336) 256-TECH (8324), or email [email protected].

Make it automatic.

Most reputable software companies offer the convenience of automatic updates for their products, with reminders when updates are available. If automatic updates aren’t available, set a quarterly reminder to manually check for updates.

Get it from the source.

When downloading a software update, ensure it’s from the official company that created it. Unlicensed versions often contain malware and can cause more problems than they solve.

Watch for fakes!

You might have come across those annoying pop-ups when browsing a website or using software which demands instant downloads or form submissions. Be aware that these are always fraudulent and should be ignored. A legitimate browser message won’t ask you to download anything; they simply caution against proceeding or staying on an unsecure web address due to potential malware threats.

Make it a habit.

  • Ensure new devices have automatic updates enabled.
  • Regularly confirm old devices also have automatic updates enabled.
  • Get in the habit of promptly restarting to finalize updates.
  • Routinely check for updates on devices that lack automatic update capabilities.

On October 11, 2023, an issue in Canvas that affected peer reviews was reported to Information Technology Services (ITS). Instructure, the vendor for Canvas, reports their engineers have corrected the issue. ITS has verified that peer reviews appear correctly. 

If you still experience the issue with peer reviews, please submit a 6-TECH ticket, call 6-TECH at (336) 256-TECH (8324), or email [email protected]. 


{Original post, October 11, 2023, 12:16 p.m}

Canvas recently introduced an update aimed at simplifying the process of students accessing their assigned peer reviews. Unfortunately, a bug is causing an error, displaying the wrong peer reviews on students’ Modules and Assignments pages. This has resulted in confusion among affected students.

Students should ignore the peer reviews listed on the Modules and Assignments pages. Instead, they can access their assignment submission to find the correct peer review assignments.

Instructure, the vendor for Canvas, is aware of the problem, and their engineering team is actively working on a solution. They have not provided a specific timeframe for the fix. Their response to our support request stated that they believe it will be resolved soon.

We will provide updated information as it becomes available.