NSIT Support Line
Old News
On Snow Leopard
NSIT Support does not yet offer full support for OS X 10.6, the newly-released Snow Leopard operating system. Presently:
- We have updated our antivirus offerings with a new McAfee product that supports OS X 10.6. Please see this page.
- We have released an entirely new VPN service that is compatible with OS X 10.6. Please visit cvpn.uchicago.edu to check it out!
- We can answer basic questions regarding its use and features.
Changes to home.uchicago.edu pages and procedures
Recently, a hardware failure occurred on the server that hosts the home.uchicago.edu webpages. No data was lost due to this failure, though home.uchicago.edu directories became read only during the period of time NSIT technicians were working on a resolution. At this time, we have transitioned the home.uchicago.edu service to a new hosting environment and pages can once again be changed. This transition has required number of changes in how you use and access the home.uchicago.edu service. Please see our updated documentation.
USENET feeds ending June 9th
On June 9th, 2009, NSIT will stop distributing a newsfeed on campus. Those people still seeking access to USENET can turn to Google Groups; additionally, many ISPs make a USENET newsfeed available to their subscribers.
Are you an alum and wondering, "What's next?"
Are you an alum of the University who recently had their account transitioned or closed? NSIT Support can only assist with closure-related matters up to the time your account is closed. If you have questions after the fact, the Alumni Association can assist you. They have a dedicated support individual available to answer your questions. Just call 1-877-292-3945 or email alumni-support@uchicago.edu for assistance.
Alumni Services
Are you an alum of the University who recently had their account transitioned or closed? NSIT Support can only assist with closure-related matters up to the time your account is closed. If you have questions after the fact, the Alumni Association can assist you. They have a dedicated support individual available to answer your questions! Just call 1-877-292-3945 or email alumni-support@uchicago.edu for assistance.
Something phishy is going on...
Would you give your house key to a random man off the street who claimed to be a locksmith checking locks? Would you give someone your bank PIN if they phoned you and said your account needed verification? What if someone claiming to be a policeman stopped you and began to ask you personal questions, but they weren't wearing a badge?
Naturally, in any of the above cases, you would want to see some proof the individual is who they say they are: their actions are very suspicious. Your password is exactly like your house key, your bank PIN, or your personal information. You should never give it out to a suspicious source. NSIT Support will never email you, call you, or otherwise contact you and ask you for your CNet password or personal information. Even if the message appears to come from NSIT or a University individual, the request is not genuine. It is called phishing.
If you ever have any abouts about the legitimacy of a communication, please contact NSIT or the appropriate office before taking any action.
xMail documentation updated
With the improvement of our xMail infrastructure, we've released new documentation highlighting some changes to the xMail setup process for Outlook 2003, 2007, and Entourage 2008. The NSIT Support Line no longer recommends or supports the use of Entourage 2004.
You can check out the new documentation by visiting our xMail section, including a new setup guide for iPhones! If you're curious about how to make the most of your Outlook experience, the NSIT Learning group has also assembled a resources page with information about Microsoft Outlook.
Don't get caught by the phish!
Their emails come in a variety of shapes, types, and sizes, but they all have the same objective: they want your password and personal information. They say they are from NSIT, the UCHICAGO MESSAGE TEAM, or even the "Technical Informations Department."
These emails are malicious attempts to gain access to your account known as phishing! NSIT did not send them, and you should not respond to them! NSIT will never ask you for your password in this manner. Can you imagine a bank phoning and asking you for your PIN? The bank has many other ways of accessing your information. Just like your PIN, your CNet password exists to give you, and only you access to your account.
Some examples of this email will even ask you for your CNetID, or mention specific services that NSIT does provide. This does not mean that they are legitimate. A portion of one of the newer, fraudulent emails is posted below:
Attention E-Mail Account Holder, We are currently performing maintenance for our Digital mail Account Customers due to the rate of internet password and other informations thieves. and we discovered that our mail account owners have been receiving scam mails form imposters asking for their personal informations. We intend upgrading our Digital mail Security Server for better online services.
In order to ensure you do not experience service interruption, Please you must reply to this email immediately and enter your CNetID here: (______________)and password here:(____________) for security reasons and Check out your net features and enhancements with your new and improved mail account,To enable us upgrade your Account for better online services please reply to this mail.
Notice the bad grammar, the odd phrasing, and how they attempt to mimic "computery" terminology. Don't get caught by the phish!
Last updated: 11/12/09