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IS&T Notification System - Keeping the Campus Informed of IT Related Events

March 1, 2018

Michael Jordan, Dan Swift, Frank Piscitello & Paul Gargiulo

IS&T Email

With the increasing number of updates and maintenance required for technology components along with the reality of increased email scams and phishing attacks, it is imperative that Information Services and Technology communicates to the campus community in a secure and uniform manner and for users to verify that the emails were authentic and legitimately sent from IS&T.

Over the summer of 2017 members of the IT Help Desk, Office of Information Security, and the Web Team worked to revamp our existing method of communication. In August IS&T unveiled a verification website for official IS&T campus notifications. The new format provides the campus community a method to validate the authenticity of IS&T campus notifications.

How the Notification Tool Works

Authorized members of IS&T use a web interface to create the notice, including the notification type, the affected user groups, and an area to edit the message template with detailed specifics or necessary attachments. The email notice is sent to the selected user groups in a consistent email format, and a copy of the notice is instantly posted to the IS&T website wcupa.edu/istnotices. What validates the authenticity of the email message, is a unique numeric code that is referenced in the email, and on the website.

It is important for the campus to understand what the numeric code represents. For instance, the verification code: 20180324-050 represents the 50th notification of the year, which was sent on March 24th, 2018. You can quickly confirm that the message you received was from IS&T, and not Phishing/Email Scam.

IS&T Notice

This system created efficiency and consistency in communications from the Information Services and Technology Division. We encourage users to verify any questionable email by referencing the notices site at wcupa.edu/istnotices. For additional questions or to report a phishing email, contact the IT Help Desk at 610-436-3350.

Official IS&T Notification Types Include

  • Best Practices
  • Information security alerts
  • Phishing and email scam alerts
  • Planned and emergency maintenance
  • System outages