Work Remotely - Employees

VPN - WHAT IS IT?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a way to securely tunnel through Northwest's firewall to access Northwest-specific servers and the applications exclusively used by staff to administer the behind-the-scene functions of daily operations such as Banner 9 or a shared, departmental folder on a Northwest server (not OneDrive storage through email).

VPN - WHO NEEDS IT?

Staff who need it to perform essential job functions like accessing Banner 9 or a shared office folder on the Catbert server.

VPN - WHO DOESN'T NEED IT?

Staff using internet applications for things like Northwest Email, myNorthwest, Northwest Online, CatPAWS or software like Microsoft Office.

VPN - WHO CAN REQUEST IT?

Northwest employees can request remote access (VPN) by completing the VPN Access Request form in myNorthwest. Once the form is submitted, it will be sent to the supervisor specified on the form for approval. Once approved, the form will then be routed to the Office of Information Technology for implementation.

To access and complete the VPN Access Request form, complete the following steps:

• Log into myNorthwest.
• Click on Employee Resources in the left panel.
• Look in the Forms section in the right panel.
• Scroll down to the Miscellaneous Forms category.
• Click on VPN Access Request.
• Log in using your Northwest Network Account credentials.
• Complete and submit the form as directed.

VPN – HAVE QUESTIONS?

Contact the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634 or email at helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu.

If you have already been issued a University-provided laptop, you can use it to access Northwest online resources and services for work purposes from your home network.

If you do not have a University-provided laptop and feel you need one for work purposes, consult with your supervisor. The supervisor will determine if the request has merit. Once approved, the supervisor will then consult with the Office of Information Technology.

Once you have a University-provided laptop, you can consult the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634 or email helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu if you have questions or need assistance with your laptop, login credentials or software.

SECURE YOUR LAPTOP

• Ensure that your University laptop is kept in a secure location when not in your possession.
• Use only your home network and secure Wi-Fi. Do not use free public Wi-Fi.
• Do not leave your laptop unattended in a public space or where it is visible in your vehicle.
• Create a strong Northwest Network Account password.
• Shut down your laptop when not using and make sure you have the latest operating system updates. At Northwest, these updates should install automatically when you simply shut down and restart your laptop.
• Make sure your home Wi-Fi is protected by a password and is set to use WPA2 or WPA3 security.
• Limit access to the Northwest laptop by other users in the household.
• Disconnect from the VPN connection when not used. VPN is not needed to access your Northwest email with Outlook.
• Lock the computer when you are not at the desk to keep others from accessing your laptop and open programs. Press and hold the Windows key and press L.
• Shut down and restart your laptop daily to apply updates. To do this, click the Windows icon in the lower left corner of your screen.  Then, click on the Power icon and choose Update and shut down or just Shut down if no updates are pending.

PROTECT YOUR WORK DATA

• Do not store sensitive, work-related data on your laptop
• All work-related content should be kept confidential, appropriately labeled and kept in folders stored separately from personal, non-work-related files.
• Be aware of what is on your screen if other household members are present in the work area. Protect sensitive personal data from other people’s eyes.
• Protect files and printed documents by locking them in a secure place.
• Do not share files with others who do not need access to the data.
• Set a strong PIN or password on personal mobile devices that have access to your Northwest email.

BACK UP YOUR WORK DATA

• Back up all important work-related files to your University OneDrive storage or to your University networked personal or shared department folder (if the latter is accessible to you).

SECURE YOUR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEETING

• Northwest's Office of Information Technology (OIT) would like employees to be aware of potential security and privacy issues when using video conferencing and the steps you can take to avoid problems. You may not feel work conversations between staff are something that needs to be secured, but staff may need to share screens with sensitive data or discuss sensitive/private matters, so it is a good idea to follow some basic security measures when setting up meetings.
• Some helpful security/privacy features of video conference software are:
  • Keep software up-to-date.
  • Prevent file downloads to an unmanaged device.
  • Require hosts to be present before meetings start.
  • Disable screen recording (if applicable).
  • Do not share your screen with others if sensitive information they should not see might be visible.
  • Set a password for all meetings.
  • Only allow individuals within a given email domain to join.
  • Please do not publicly post your work-related video conference meetings or the link to join a meeting.

SOCIAL ENGINEERING/PHISHING ATTACKS

• Be alert to social engineering attempts such as phishing emails related to working remotely. Social engineering (also known as phishing) is when someone attempts to trick users into clicking on a link in an email or providing personal information.
• If you get emails from unknown sources (sometimes they can look authentic) with links to reset passwords, update account information or with strange file attachments—don’t hesitate to ask the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634 or helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu for guidance or to verify information by phone or other means before proceeding.
• View our Phishing Video
• Other recommendations:
  • Do not click on links or attachments in emails without critically reviewing the email address of the sender.
  • Think about who sent the message.  Is the message and attachment something you normally receive from the sender?  If not, delete it.
  • When in doubt on a message, do not click any links or open any attachments. Instead, delete the message. Do not reply to the message to ask the person if they sent it.  Send a new message to the individual using an entry from your contacts list.
  • Validate web pages are correct before entering login credentials. Northwest will not ask you to verify your account in an email to continue accessing work resources nor ask you to provide your username and password in an email.

CLOUD STORAGE

• Many employees use cloud-based storage in their work and private lives. Software like Google Drive, Microsoft’s OneDrive and DropBox are very popular and convenient methods of storing files that you can get to from anywhere. Some employees may be doing that now for the first time. Please be aware of the security risks associated with using this type of option for work files as care needs to be taken to keep Northwest’s information safe.
• Northwest employees need to use OneDrive as it is part of our officially supported suite from Office 365 and is based on the employee’s Northwest Network Account credentials. Other 3rd party providers should not be used to store Northwest data and files.
• Please do not save any personally identifiable, health or financial information using cloud-based storage options.
• Think of yourself as an administrator for the data that is in your cloud storage folder and be careful when sharing files with other employees.

A FINAL WORD ABOUT REMOTE SECURITY

• These guidelines are not comprehensive and are subject to change or revocation.
  

• Zoom - provides video conferencing and real-time messaging and content sharing
• Zoom Sign-up
  • All faculty wanting a Zoom account should submit their request for an account through the Learning & Teaching Center:
    • To: mgrud@nwmissouri.edu
    • Cc: ltcite@nwmissouri.edu
  • All other Northwest employees wanting a Zoom account should submit their request for an account through the Northwest Technology Service Center:
    • To: merlin@nwmissouri.edu
    • Cc: helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu
  • While the free Zoom account sign-up is fine, if you decide you need a licensed account, the process will take longer if you already have an account associated with your Northwest email.
• Zoom - Download Center
• Zoom provided training videos
• Zoom Help Center
• Zoom handout (.pdf) - provided by Northwest's Learning & Teaching Center
• Zoom How-To Set-up Directions (.pdf) - provided by Northwest's Learning & Teaching Center

Backup & OneDrive - quick reference guide

• See Tech Help
  • OR
• Contact the Northwest Technology Service Center.
  • • 660.562.1634
    • helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu
      • Email is not recommended where timeliness is a factor.
    • Tech Help Hours