How staff can use Trinity IT for Secure Remote and Mobile Working

When working remotely with Microsoft 365, you will be requested to verify your login with a 2nd step – this is called Two Step Sign-in.

During the two step sign-in process you can choose the option ‘Don’t ask again for 30 Days’ – this saves your login information for 30 days.

After 30 days you will need to complete Two Step Sign-In again to access Microsoft 365.

All Trinity staff are provided with an official Trinity email account with Microsoft 365 which you can access, using your web browser, at office.tcd.ie. Once logged in, click on Outlook to view your mail and calendar.

You can also schedule and join online meetings with Outlook.

As part of Microsoft 365, office.tcd.ie, all staff have access to Microsoft's cloud-based file storage, OneDrive. This allows you to sync (copy) your files from your computer and store them in the cloud for easy access to your files from anywhere where you have an internet connection.

You can also create Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, or Excel Forms within OneDrive. Working with OneDrive feels the same as working with the files stored locally on your computer, except the changes you make are instantly saved online, and can be viewed and edited in real time by anyone you share the document with, allowing for collaboration with colleagues.

You can find the basics of OneDrive on our website, which covers how to upload your files to OneDrive.

Teams is a collaboration app available through Microsoft 365 which has been designed for groups of people who work together regularly. Its greatest benefit is instant communication amongst the group and the ability to share information and files easily all in one centralised place.

Use our step by step Creating a Teams Guide to get started and then check out our Microsoft Teams information page to see all the different ways you can use Teams.

Alternatively, Schools, Administrative areas or Research groups may use Microsoft SharePoint to work remotely in collaboration with colleagues.

Teams can be used to facilitate remote video conferencing meetings with colleagues or collaborators who are working in different physical locations using any laptop or mobile device which is equipped with a camera and microphone. For instructions, view the Meetings and Calls with Microsoft Teams - Getting Started Guide.

You can also schedule and join online meetings with Outlook.

Blackboard (mymodule.tcd.ie) is Trinity's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Blackboard is used to host teaching materials, create online assessments, use social learning tools such as blogs and journals, and incorporate other technologies such as videos and webinars. It is accessible to students and staff from anywhere in the world provided they have a computer with internet access.

Visit the help tabs when you log in to Blackboard for guides and video tutorials on getting started with Blackboard.

Blackboard Collaborate is a web conferencing program that provides virtual classroom technology so lecturers and students can communicate via voice, video, lecture slides and text chat. Collaborate is available in every module in Blackboard under the Module Management -> Tools section. Students can also access Collaborate on their mobile device using the Blackboard App.

Guides to Blackboard Collaborate are available in the help tabs when you log in to Blackboard.

A recording of the information session on Collaborate from Friday 13 March is available to view here

The Panopto Lecture Capture Service (a content recording management service) allows the user to record, edit, share and stream video, audio, PowerPoint and screen capture content for audiences including staff, students, and other third parties or the public. It manages recordings using a cloud-based content management storage system. It can be accessed from within Blackboard (mymodule.tcd.ie) and posted directly to your module. Trinity staff can also install the Panopto software on their own device (PC, Mac, iOS, and Android) to make screen-capture recordings, or video recordings.

Further information: https://www.tcd.ie/itservices/lecture-capture/

There is a wide variety of software that Trinity students and staff have access to via the MyTrinityApps platform.

While MyTrinityApps is mainly used to supply popular academic software to the computer rooms on campus, it is also available for use on your own device. The platform works best on PCs, but offers Mac owners a web portal where they can download software directly.

Please refer to the Online Assessment Blackboard help page for staff for the latest guidance on online assessment options.

• Mobile devices and laptops can present a serious security risk if lost or stolen. Make sure to keep your devices with you and in sight at all times when travelling and never leave them unattended in public locations or visible in cars.
• Mobile devices such as phones and tablets should be protected by an autolocking pin at all times.
• You should ensure that you lock your laptop screen when taking a break or finishing work for the day.
• At home lock devices securely away when not in use and avoid accidental damage by keeping devices out of reach of children or pets.
• Staff should not share devices which are being used to store sensitive University data with other family members or friends.

Staff should ideally work on computers and devices provided by the University and securely managed by IT Services. Where a staff member is using a device not managed by IT Services, they should at a minimum ensure that any laptop or desktop computer that is used to work on University data is:

• Protected by MCAfee Anti-Virus software or equivalent software and that it is up-to-date and working correctly. This will protect your computer and data from viruses, malware and ransomware.
• Running an up-to-date operating system with all security updates applied to make sure it is not vulnerable to attacks.

IT Services do not recommend using public computers such as in cafes or hotel foyers to access Trinity services or data.

• Just as when working in the University take care not to reveal your passwords to anyone else. Your Trinity computer account and network login password act as your identity on the Trinity data network and restrict access to your email and other files to you. Guard your passwords and always change them if you suspect that they have become known to others.
• When accessing your email or documents in Microsoft 365 remotely you will be prompted to use Two-Step-Sign-In. This means that a code is sent to your mobile phone, which you then enter in addition to your password. This provides a second level of security to protect your account in the event that your password becomes known to a third party.

• Be vigilant to the possibility of phishing when reading emails. Treat any email that asks for your username and password details with extreme caution and be mindful of emails which contain hyper-links to external websites.
• The consequences of falling victim to a phishing attempt are not limited to your own account but could affect the University as a whole.
• Always trust your instincts and don’t be tempted to respond hastily to an email which threatens to disable your account.
• Additionally, be aware of financial scams. Always verify unusual requests sent by email (even if the email appears to have come from a colleague’s genuine Trinity email account) to spend or transfer sums of money with colleagues in person or via a known telephone number.
• IT Services will never ask for your username and password in any email we send. You can confirm the validity of any communications from us by contacting the IT Service Desk at itservicedesk@tcd.ie.

Learn More About Phishing

• Only print documents if necessary. Avoid retaining duplicate copies of data.
• Collect documents containing University data promptly from your printer and always use a shredder / confidential bin when disposing of University documents.
• Keep documents which contain University data secure when working at home – always lock paper files away when not in use. Exercise a ‘clean desk’ ethos when using shared spaces for work purposes.

• Avoid retaining duplicate copies of data. Check that downloaded files are deleted from your computer’s Download Folder / Hard Disk once saved to OneDrive / Teams or SharePoint / Network folders and not retained on devices where they may be visible to unauthorised individuals.
• Only use an up-to-date operating systems with all security updates applied to make sure it is not vulnerable to attack. Do not use computers running Windows 7 for work purposes, including accessing Microsoft 365.

Report ALL incidents involving loss or disclosure of personal data (e.g. emails sent to the wrong person or files lost / stolen) to the College DPO - dataprotection@tcd.ie - as soon as you become aware of the incident. Trinity has an obligation under GDPR to report data breaches to the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach.