IT Solutions recently completed upgrades to our VPN.  Staff will be upgraded to the new client when they next connect to VPN.  The new client is very similar in function to the previous client, with the following changes:

1. When connecting to VPN, a tab in your default browser will open to complete the MFA process.  This was previously handled within the VPN client’s internal browser.  This tab can be closed once authentication is complete.
2. A tab in your default browser may also be opened on disconnect.  This can be closed when disconnect is completed.
3. The VPN client has been renamed to the “Cisco Secure Client”.  It was previously called the “Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client”.  If searching for the app on your computer, search for “Secure”.

Due to College system maintenance, the College’s online application, registration, and payment systems will be unavailable from Saturday, August 27 until approximately Sunday, August 28 at 6 pm. All other systems, such as Case Log, LEARN, etc., will be available and unaffected during the service period.

IT Solutions would like to make the College community aware of a resolution to issues with Adobe Acrobat Reader that occurred on August 23.

IT Solutions has identified the issue which caused Adobe Acrobat to be removed on some College workstations/laptops and has completed steps to avoid this issue from occurring on additional workstations/laptops. For some affected by the issue the resolution was a reboot allowing IT systems to repair the issue but this hasn’t worked for all staff. If you were impacted and are still having an issue with opening Adobe Acrobat Reader on your workstation/laptop, please follow the steps below.

Steps to resolve Adobe Acrobat removal from your computer

Please perform the following actions:

1. Right click on Start.
2. Click on either Apps and Features in Windows 10 or Installed Apps in Windows 11.
3. Click Adobe Acrobat DC.
4. Click Modify.
5. Click Next on the Adobe Acrobat DC Application Maintenance window.
6. Select Repair, and then click Next.

These actions will restore Adobe Acrobat on your computer.

If you require direct assistance from an ITS Staff member on this issue please submit an ITS Service Desk ticket and a staff member will contact you to assist in resolving the issue.

Need IT help?

• ITS Help Resources has many self-help categories designed to help you solve common IT issues. ITS adds new pages all the time, so visit this resource often!
• ITS Service Desk is the website to use if you have already explored the Help Resources pages and still cannot find the answer you are looking for. You can submit a new support request to receive help directly from an ITS team member.

As part of RRC Polytech’s ongoing commitment to improve our cyber security posture, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is now available for all RRC Polytech students. We are encouraging all students to get ahead of the curve and implement this additional security feature now, as this will become a requirement later this year.

Multi-Factor Authentication is a process where students will be required to provide a secondary authentication method when logging on to access College resources such as student email, HUB, Office 365 productivity and collaboration tools. Many of you will already have experience using MFA to access services such as online banking, personal email, and social media sites.

Increasingly, bad actors try to compromise accounts to steal personal and financial information, send spam (unsolicited email), malicious software and ransomware. Ransomware is often used to block access to your data until money has been paid. Enabling MFA is an effective way of preventing these types of attacks.

When using MFA, you will initially provide your password and then provide a secondary authentication using a smart phone application. It is a simple and secure process that pairs something you know with something you have and is a great way to protect your college account and your information.

Setting up MFA is an easy process that takes about 10 minutes to complete. The most convenient way to use MFA is with a smart phone and you will need to install the Microsoft Authenticator application.

To setup MFA for your RRC Polytech account, please follow the detailed installation instructions.

Note: RRC Polytech is implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all accounts. MFA will be required for student accounts after November 21. You must setup MFA for your account before November 21 in order to have uninterrupted access to RRC systems and services

If you should experience any issues during the installation, or after installation, please email the service desk at servicedesk@rrc.ca.

A number of new phishing and online scams have surfaced seeking to take advantage of the public’s concern surrounding COVID-19. Scammers often seek to benefit from health scares and this pandemic has spawned dozens of such campaigns, scaring recipients into clicking on harmful links or attachments in emails, text messages and social media posts.

Examples of COVID-19 Scams

• Fabricated notices from health organizations (e.g., Government Agencies, CDC, WHO or local health departments).
• Information about protecting yourself, your family or your community that contains malicious links or attachments.
• Charitable appeals, claiming to help victims of the virus, which are not legitimate.
• Misleading ads or spam about masks or other protective gear, or other helpful hints to combat the virus.
• Notices from financial institutions indicating online credential updates are required due to branch closures.

Tips to avoid getting tricked

• Always verify the sender by checking their email address.
• Beware of online requests for personal information. A coronavirus-themed email that seeks personal information like your Social Insurance Number or login information is a phishing scam. Legitimate government agencies will not ask for that information. Never respond to any email requesting your personal data.
• Check the link. You can inspect a link by hovering your mouse over the URL to see where it leads. Sometimes, it’s obvious the web address is not legitimate. However, keep in mind phishers can create links that closely resemble legitimate addresses. Delete the email.
• Watch for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Read the email slowly. If you see spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, it’s likely a sign you’ve received a phishing email, delete it.
• Look for generic greetings. Phishing emails are unlikely to use your name. Greetings like “Dear sir or madam” signal an email is not legitimate.
• Avoid emails that insist you act now. Phishing emails often try to create a sense of urgency or demand immediate action. The goal is to get you to click on a link and provide personal information — right now. Instead, delete the email.

Be vigilant for Coronavirus-COVID-19 phishing emails and text messages during the coming weeks. If you suspect a message may be a phishing scam, please report it by forwarding the email message as an attachment to phishbowl@rrc.ca

Have a cyber security related question?
Send it to CyberAware@rrc.ca