bITe-size email newsletter archive

bITe-size is our regular newsletter aimed at the University's IT community, highlighting service and project news from UIS. Sign up to receive monthly emails.

You can find links to previous editions below.

2024

March 2024

Contents:

• Cyber security actions for all staff
• Cloud storage update
• Microsoft Teams: Switch to New Teams on 1 April 2024
• DS-Filestore will be decommissioned on 1 April 2024
• Ucam-webauth (legacy) and Ucam-webauth decommission
• Turnitin technical support 
• Planned essential network maintenance on 4 April
• Student Payments Project extended by a year
• Moodle upgrade
• Physical Access Control survey update
• UIS University Briefing

 

February 2024

Contents:

• Reminder: UniOfCam SSID wireless service to be decommissioned on 4 March 2024
• CHRIS 10.50 upgrade Thursday, 7 March
• Plan to decommission DS-Filestore on 1 April 2024
• Cloud storage update
• Proposal to decommission ucam-webauth by 1 December 2024
• Research Computing Services wins sustainability award
• Acceptable Use Policy and Systems Management Policy
• Physical Access Control project update
• University Briefing – Lent Term

 

January 2024

Contents:

• Refresh your eduroam wifi set-up 
• UniOfCam SSID wireless service to be decommissioned on 4 March 2024
• Plan to decommission DS-Filestore on 1 April 2024
• Cloud storage update
• New Managed Print Portal
• Email address allocation and retention policy
• IT Infrastructure Defragmentation SharePoint launched
• Physical Access Control project
• Digital Literacy Skills training

 

2023

November 2023

Contents:

• VPN maintenance on Sunday 10 December
• Elements: downtime 14–18 December
• GitLab downtime in December
• UniOfCam SSID wireless service to be decommissioned in January 2024
• Cloud storage comms to users exceeding the new quotas
• Teams Phone – departmental adopters enjoying the benefits
• Audio conferencing service to be decommissioned at end December
• New comms kit available
• October major incident reports published
• Student Payments Project
• Education IT Portfolio 2022/23 year in review
• Content rationalisation pilot project

 

October 2023

Contents:

• UIS University Briefing for Michaelmas Term – recording and slides
• NetScaler ADC and Gateway vulnerability alert
• Changes to the IT self-service portal homepage
• Changes to Google Workspace accounts from 6 November
• New posters: Printing (MFDs) and UMD Rooms (formerly MCS service)
• Digital Admissions: My Cambridge Application first admissions cycle

 

September 2023

Contents:

• Prepare for cloud storage quotas
• UniOfCam wifi service to be discontinued in January 2024
• TLS certificate validity period change
• Major incident report: University website unavailability on 26 September
• New UIS posters available for download
• Student payments: first show and tell session
• Digital Admissions: My Cambridge Application launch
• Web stabilisation
• Content rationalisation

 

August 2023

Contents:

• NCSC vulnerability guidance on Citrix NetScaler
• University Managed Print service installs 300th multi-function device
• Microsoft Teams Phone: coming soon for University staff
• Jackdaw web server outage: major incident report published
• Student Payments Project
• Digital Admissions: My Cambridge Application

 

July 2023

Contents:

• University Wireless Service maintenance, 1–3 Aug
• New service: UIS Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) now live
• Update on preparations for Google Workspace storage quotas
• Reminder: Annual archiving and deletion of Panopto content 
• ArcGIS licence changes
• Zoom – forced upgrade announced
• Cyber incident mitigation guidance from Jisc
• Malware threat GOOTLOADER – NCSC guidance
• Development of an Information Services Acceptable Use Policy
• Email address allocation and retention policy to be piloted for 1 year
• Managed Cluster Service closure
• Moodle upgraded to version 4.1
• Digital Admissions - My Cambridge Application
• Migrate your MMD to Exchange Online

 

June 2023

Contents:

• Proposal to decommission UniOfCam SSID service in September 2023
• Replace AP-200 wireless access points by 14 July 2023
• Web Print launched for the University's managed print service
• New Blue AD Toolkit launched
• University Wireless Service maintenance, 1 to 3 August
• Wiki deprecation in Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Teams: Shared Channels enabled in the University tenancy
• Annual archiving and deletion of Panopto lecture capture content
• MCS closure on 1 August 2023
• Moodle upgrade to version 4.1 on 18 July
• Migrate your MMD to Exchange Online
• New Student Payments project
• Research Computing Services helps advance fusion energy in the UK

 

May 2023 

Contents:

• Wireless APs on the West Cambridge Site – check your config by 9 June
• Major incident report: Website and applications outage 21 April
• Update your Google Analytics account before it stops working on 1 July
• AP-200 wireless access point replacement deadline extended to 30 June
• Consultation re decommissioning UniOfCam SSID service closes 30 June
• Netlogon protocol changes related to CVE-2022-38023 (RPC Seal)
• Microsoft Teams – changes in June
• Check in to meeting rooms with Booker QR codes
• Moodle upgrade to version 4.1 in July
• University Card – new policies published
• MMD migration to Exchange Online

 

April 2023 

Contents:

• Slack to change certificate provider
• Advance notice: required cyber security training for all University staff
• Consultation report: Improving the University Card renewal process
• Apollo's major upgrade improves research support at Cambridge
• Changes to Google Workspace accounts
• New guidance on setting up Google Analytics 4 properties
• Proposal to decommission UniOfCam SSID service September 2023
• Service status report for January to March 2023 published
• MCS closure
• Lecture capture service focuses on consistency
• Are you ready to migrate your MMD to Exchange Online?

 

March 2023 

Contents:

• Cyber security awareness training
• Changes to Google Workspace accounts
• Major incident report published: Exchange Online rejecting email on 1 March
• Apollo and Elements upgrades: downtime from 20 April
• Wireless Service maintenance in April 2023
• Pembroke College joins the Common Balance for DS-Print
• Introducing the IT consumables framework
• New Qualtrics contract
• Malware threat targeting Postgres databases
• Lecture capture
• Moodle stabilisation project now in BAU
• Delivering Digital Presence
• Deprecation of Managed Mail Domains on PPSW/Hermes

 

February 2023 

Contents:

• Changes to Google Workspace accounts from March
• Wireless Service maintenance in March and April 2023
• Updated charges for Wireless Service access points on 1 August 2023
• bITe-size email newsletter archive
•  Major IT incident reports published
• Service information web pages moving to the IT Help and Support website
• Postgraduate funding roadshows in Easter Term
• Deprecation of Managed Mail Domains on PPSW/Hermes 

 

January 2023 

Contents:

• University guest wifi service now accepts email registration
• Added security for Raven accounts in 2023
• Monitor devices with the Managed Endpoint Protection Service
• Institutional File Storage service gains new features on the Self-Service Gateway
• Exchange Online change to quarantine process on 6 February 2023
• Changes to Microsoft Stream video sharing from Tuesday 7 February
• New University cyber-security incident process from 8 February 2023
• Microsoft 365 conditional access policy update on Monday 13 February
• Media Transfer Service retirement on 31 March 2023
• Moodle successfully migrated to managed hosting service
• Deprecation of Managed Mail Domains on PPSW/Hermes
• Streaming Media Service (SMS) upgrade
• University Card Management System
• Questionnaire for GitHub users and software developers

 

2022

December 2022

Contents:

• Exchange Online authentication policy update
• Altmetrics and Dimensions to use Azure AD sign in from 11 January
• Free AWS and RONIN cloud learning/support for researchers
• Moodle stabilisation
• Delivering Digital Presence

 

November 2022

Contents:

• University Wireless Service maintenance Saturday 3 December
• Major incident report published on WCDC loss of cooling on 16 October
• Exchange Online 'first contact' safety tip now enabled
• DS-Print: difficulties purchasing Common Balance credit resolved
• Changes to UIS user registration form Tuesday 22 November 2022
• Office 365 licensing script updates from 28 November 2022
• Quicker Jackdaw user sign-up process goes live on 1 December
• Universal Analytics will be decommissioned on Saturday 1 July 2023
• Moodle stabilisation
• Digital admissions

 

October 2022

Contents:

• Code signing certificate regulations will change on 01 June 2023
• Tell us about your 'Raven for Life' websites and applications
• Encourage users to follow eduroam set-up instructions
• Arrangements for visiting UIS
• Encourage staff and students to complete their cyber security training
• UIS helps University of Cambridge Investment Management (UCIM) to adopt hybrid working in a new London office
• Moodle stabilisation
• Postgraduate funding
• Overall degree classification

 

September 2022

Contents:

• macOS Ventura release and urgent security update
• Your help needed to communicate a change to Display Names in Lookup
• Reminder: Microsoft withdrawing support for Basic Authentication from 01 October
• University Card: new Card management system is live

 

August 2022

Contents:

• New cloud research platform service from UIS
• Symplectic Elements: major upgrade successful
• App Passwords end on 01 October – Exchange mailbox users affected
• Yammer version update during 17–18 September
• Fitzwilliam College joins the Common Balance for DS-Print
• Update on sourcing new wireless access point equipment
• MCS Linux service deprecated
• Deprecating the old Juniper VPN for the Administrative Computing Network
• New retention policy for Panopto content from 01 September 2022
• Email security: moving MMDs into Exchange Online
• University Card: new system launches on 15 September

 

July 2022

Contents:

• Jackdaw upgraded successfully
• Panopto: desktop recorder users need to upgrade their version
• Symplectic Elements: major upgrade coming in August
• NTP servers under csx.cam.ac.uk to be withdrawn
• Incoming RDP traffic to be blocked at the Janet-UDN border from September
• Managed desktop provision update
• McAfee Enterprise rebranded as Trellix
• HMRC tax refund scams circulating again
• University Card: new University photo policy
• SMS: new platform launch delayed – interim guidance for users

 

June 2022 

Contents:

• Students vote Cambridge 4th best university for wifi and internet 2022
• University Data Network (UDN) connection speed set to double
• Wireless Service maintenance schedule for July
• Vulnerable periods webpage updated
• Developer Hub upgraded to GitLab 15
• DS-Print: temporary suspension of support for iOS and Android devices
• Streaming Media Service (SMS) reserved for business-critical uploads
• Additional attributes exposed in Lookup
• Uptick in eduroam set-up issues because users aren't following instructions
• UIS RADIUS servers change of DNS names in August
• Apps Anywhere (Citrix) virtual managed desktop service ending in September
• Google Drive 20GB quota deferred until December 2023

 

May 2022

Contents:

• Lookup updated to provide better institutional affiliation data for students
• New email address policy update from the Information Services Committee
• Unix Support Mirror Service will continue under new domain name
• Old URL for the Network Access Tokens service to be withdrawn on 1 August
• UIS Service Desk introducing satisfaction surveys for user tickets
• UIS helps the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) migrate to the cloud
• Streaming Media Service

 

April 2022

Contents:

• Review of managed desktop provision: update and report
• Sidney Sussex join the Common Balance for DS-Print
• Consultation on the future of the Unix Support Mirror Service
• Microsoft to end Basic Auth support from 1 October
• Office 2013 will reach end of support on 11 April 2023
• McAfee Enterprise rebranding to Trellix
• Major incident report on multiple University Microsoft accounts getting locked on 30 March
• ICE connects to the Granta Backbone Network (GBN)
• Digital Presence Programme (DPP) project status update

 

March 2022

Contents:

• Help us improve our IT support portal
• Google Workspace Education Plus is now ready to use
• Update on the future use of Moodle and migration to alternative services
• New restrictions on the use of 'send as' addresses in Exchange Online
• SafeLinks: Defender for Office 365
• Visitors can now log in to the University's guest wifi service with GitHub
• Streaming Media Service: new platform announced
• Lecture capture rollout continues
• Major incident report on reported exam authentication problems on 18 March
• Transforming Research Support
• Digital Presence Programme: read the latest report

 

February 2022

Contents:

• Review of managed desktop provision to departments and colleges
• Guest wifi service posters now available
• UDN distribution router upgrades in March
• GitLab upgrades introduce a simplified Geo configuration and streaming audit events
• Ransomware protection to be rolled out on the Institutional File Store (IFS)
• University Card
• Lecture capture
• Student Support Document CamSIS project

 

January 2022

Contents:

• Aruba Networks praises UIS Wireless Team's "brilliant" ARP solution
• Employee Self-Service (ESS) and CHRIS: new way to log in
• TLS 1.0/1.1 deprecation in Exchange Online
• University Microsoft tenancy: new Guest users will be required to use MFA
• University GoogleDrive: 20GB quota limit from December 2022
• UIS partners with Schmidt Futures in new software engineering network
• Digital Presence Programme: Content Community workshop

 

2021

December 2021

Contents:

• Lookup: users can now specify their personal pronouns
• Annual telephone system upgrade on 28 December
• Endpoint protection service: VirusScan goes EOL
• ITSM Tool, Ivanti Heat:
• CHRIS and ESS to get MFA and Blue authentication
• Managed Firewall Service: webinar catch-up
• Campaign to target users who haven't set up their self-service password recovery
• Reminder: flag your Mailman lists for transfer to Sympa
• Final countdown to Hermes closure
• Digital Presence Programme 2021 review
• Content Community: Writing for the web part 2

 

November 2021

Contents:

• Raven development reaches an important milestone
• Developers’ Hub gains ‘GitLab Pages’ feature
• Digital certificate service: new user interface
• Mailing list migration to Sympa
• Moodle upgrade in January 2021
• DS-Print: new print queue management tool now available
• Windows 11 compatibility with University systems
• Managed Mail Domain changes planned for 2022
• Increasing security on MDMs
• Closure of the Managed Web Service
• KMS moves to a new server
• Falcon migration project completed: view the highlights
• Hermes closure on 31 December 2021
• Lecture capture

 

October 2021

Contents:

• New University Wireless guest system: deployment schedule announced
• The Lookup API now available on the University API Gateway
• Updates to GitLab bring many useful new features
• Windows 11 now available to order on most Dell systems
• Service status report for September published
• Update on plans for the closure of Hermes on 31 December 2021
• University Card project: intended change to code128 barcode format
• Multi-factor authentication rollout
• Digital Presence Programme update

 

September 2021

Contents:

• New University guest wifi service coming soon
• DS-Print: PaperCut focus on Cambridge
• Lecture capture recording equipment for academic year 2021–2022
• Falcon migration from Plone to Drupal completed
• IT service status report for August available
• Raven Password Reset app: mandating self-service recovery security details
• Lookup: changes to default visibility of people’s names
• Microsoft announces switch-off date for basic authentication for O365
• Multi-factor authentication rollout: completed
• Hybrid meeting room pilot rollout
• Digital Presence and the Content Community: creating accessible content workshop
• Migration progress – only 4,400 mailboxes to go!
• New web page: deleting old Hermes profiles from devices
• Action required: MMDs still resolving to @hermes.cam.ac.uk
• University Card system
• Mailman migration to Sympa

 

August 2021

Contents:

• Managed Zone Service closedown and migration to Mythic Beasts
• Microsoft EES Agreement renewal
• College mailing lists being migrated to Sympa
• Investigating Microsoft Teams telephony to replace Cisco Jabber
• Hermes migration update: 19K mailboxes left to go
• Multi-factor authentication rollout
• Hybrid meeting room pilot rollout

 

July 2021

Contents:

• New digital certificate service launched
• ‘Bolt-on’ Office 365 product licences will be available directly from UIS
• Migrate your mailing lists to Sympa
• Internet Explorer 11 no longer supported by Microsoft 365 apps and services by 17 August
• New feature added to Lookup to set forwarding addresses
• Hermes migration update
• University Card project
• Digital Presence Programme
• Multi-factor authentication rollout

 

June 2021

Contents:

• Streaming Media Service: deleting obsolete files
• Last chance to have your say: survey of cookie-based automated access to Jackdaw by IT supporters
• UFS access and Java 8 versions
• Qualtrics login changes
• New MFD contract awarded to Konica Minolta
• LinkedIn Learning institutional licence extended for three years
• HR Transformation Programme: vendor demonstrations
• Accelerated rollout of multi-factor authentication on University Microsoft accounts begins in July
• Digital Presence Programme: update and status report
• Content Community: SEO for beginners
• University Card system gets new APIs
• Hermes migration
• Mentoring Scheme update
• TechLink talks and resources

 

May 2021

Contents:

• Reminder: 2 June cut-off for unregistered devices sending unauthenticated SMTP email via PPSW
• UIS IT help and support site migration update
• Do you use cookie-based automated access to Jackdaw resources?
• Digital Presence Programme: Accessibility at the University
• Hermes migration update

 

April 2021

Contents:

• Mailman replacement: call for Sympa early adopters
• UIS pilots Microsoft Defender for our Microsoft 365 accounts
• UIS Friendly Probing Suite decommissioning plan
• UIS IT help and support site migrating to Drupal
• Multi-factor authentication
• Hermes migration
• HR Transformation Programme

 

March 2021

Contents:

• University Email Service: new security proposals approved
• Sympa – Mailman replacement service
• Google has announced changes to G Suite for Education
• The Developers' Hub has gained new features via a major GitLab upgrade
• Online assessment: temporary cloud-based Moodle launched to deliver online assessments in Easter Term
• Hermes migration project

 

February 2021

Contents:

• New managed router service
• Cloud Print everywhere
• New version of GitLab was deployed to the Developers’ Hub
• Bringing a 15th century building’s data network up to 21st century standards
• Account cancellation process: checking members of your institution
• The future of the Streaming Media Service (SMS) and media hosting
• TLS certificate service changes predicted
• Microsoft Teams: change to download permissions for recorded meetings
• Digital Presence Programme update
• University Card management system upgrade
• Email service