It has been well over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to bring our offices and technology home with us, and with the introduction of Flexwork many of us have continued working remotely at least part time, perhaps even exclusively. Many of you know by now that some tools such as Gmail, Box, and Canvas work the same remotely as they do on-campus, while remote access to resources such as network file shares or enterprise-level systems require a connection to the university network using a virtual private network, or VPN.
Besides helping you to gain remote access to some IT resources, VPN is vital in two other very important ways.
Your CEHD computer needs VPN to remotely download and install software, security, and licensing updates. Your CEHD device is managed jointly by the university’s Office of Information Technology and by CEHD Academic and Information Technology. Without a VPN connection your computer is unable to communicate with on-site device management servers, which prevents it from identifying and downloading important software and security updates. Additionally, software such as Microsoft Windows, Office, and SPSS require VPN to communicate with servers that ensure licenses remain current. Over time, lack of VPN connectivity can lead to expired or out of date software that lack the latest features or are vulnerable to exploitation.
VPN keeps you safe in public spaces. Not only does VPN allow you access to campus resources, it encrypts your data while it is in transit. Using VPN while you are in hotels, coffee shops, and other public spaces ensures that others who are connected to the same network are not able to eavesdrop on your passwords or other sensitive information.
When should you use VPN? Use VPN if you are working remotely and:
- It has been 2 weeks since you last connected to the university network either physically or using VPN. Ideally, try to stay connected for a few consecutive hours to allow time for scan cycles and downloads to complete.
- You need to access sensitive resources such as research data, network file shares, or enterprise-level systems such as PeopleSoft.
- Anytime you are connected to a public network outside of campus or your home.
Connecting on a regular basis will help ensure the security not only of your device and data, but that of everyone who shares university network resources. We know that for many of you, it has been a long time since your computer has been on campus or connected via VPN. If that describes your situation, please take some time in the coming days to familiarize yourself with the Cisco Anyconnect VPN client on your computer and to make a connection.
For information about using VPN, including how to download and install a VPN client, please visit https://it.umn.edu/services-technologies/virtual-private-network-vpn. Please note that VPN requires use of DUO two-factor authentication for login.
For assistance installing or configuring VPN on your CEHD device, please visit us at https://z.umn.edu/cehdhelp.
For information about safe computing practices at the University of Minnesota, please visit https://it.umn.edu/services-technologies/practice-safe-computing.