Mar 22, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update

Networking has been the focus of the last few days, with the IT team placing emphasis on performance of the network. Thanks to the assistance of external partners at Cisco, significant hurdles were removed and network performance has returned to normal. Speeds have been increasing gradually, with most areas of campus now performing near expectations. 

The status of the T-Drive has seen progress over the last few days as we aim to enable this tool for staff and faculty. The IT team will take this opportunity to engage departments within the University in a review of T-Drive access requirements and data. The use of Tableau is also seeing progress; it is now in the testing phase and we anticipate that it will be available on Tuesday, March 26. Scantron technology used in academic exams has been re-established and now available. The IT ticketing system (JIRA) and related knowledge base (Confluence) are also available via my.laurentian.ca. 

The list of re-established academic applications has grown, and now includes:

• Whittle


• Surpac


• Matlab


• Abaqus


• National Instruments


• Factsage


• Revit 2020


• eQUEST 3-65


• eQRefrig


• Office


• Zotero


• VLC Media Player


• ArcGIS


• Aspen HYSYS


• Aspen Plus


• Google Earth Pro


• GIMP 2.10.34


• Inkscape


• Rocscience


• Solidworks

As a reminder, for faculty and staff who have not yet installed SentinelOne, you are required to do so; please contact the IT Services Desk as soon as possible at x 2200 or IT@laurentian.ca. Sessional instructors who exclusively deliver courses online, or remotely, are not required to have S1 installed.  

Mar 20, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update

Connectivity across campus, including wired access and Wi-Fi, continues to improve on both performance and access. The download and upload speed is still being increased as the IT team works with partners to enhance bandwidth. 

To connect to the wired network, the Avaya desktop telephone must be removed before connecting directly to the network wall jack using the existing network cable.

Old Avaya phones can be returned to the IT Service desk. If issues persist, or you are having issues with your Yealink (Zoom) phone, please contact the IT Service desk.

The functionality of laurentian.ca continues to improve as the careers section has been restored as well as multiple files stored on Laurentian’s intranet are now accessible. There are still other elements of laurentian.ca and my.laurentian.ca (such as search) that are being re-established gradually. 

A number of other tools and systems are being brought online:

• REDCap, the University’s secure web platform for building and managing online databases and surveys, is now online once again. 


• Technology in laboratories is a priority, being re-established as swiftly as possible. SPSS is now available in labs and on personal computers; it may require a reboot if unavailable.


• Scantron technology used in academic exams is being re-established and expected to become available by the end of the week. 


• The online pension planning tool is now available 

Other working academic applications include:

• Office


• Zotero


• VLC Media Player


• ArcGIS


• Aspen HYSYS


• Aspen Plus


• Google Earth Pro


• GIMP 2.10.34


• Inkscape


• Rocscience


• Rhino

As a reminder, for faculty and staff who have not yet installed SentinelOne, you are required to do so; please contact the IT Services Desk as soon as possible at x 2200 or IT@laurentian.ca. Sessional instructors who exclusively deliver courses online, or remotely, are not required to have S1 installed.  

Thank you to all those who continue to support the recovery of our systems.

Mar 18, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update

Connectivity across campus, including wired access and Wi-Fi, has been restored to where all employees can now return to their normal on-campus work schedule. Work to improve network and Wi-Fi performance continues as IT monitors increased activity with most employees returning to campus for work. 

Access to most electronic and physical resources is now available through the Library and Archives. You can also place requests for articles and books from other libraries. Please consult theLibrary & Archives FAQ for details.

The Laurentian University website has been restored, certain sections are not yet fully functional though work continues to restore them. IT status updates now available at https://status.laurentian.ca/
Moving forward, the IT Issues Updates will now be delivered on an as-needed basis when new and relevant information to the university population is available. 

A reminder, if you receive an email asking for sensitive information, payment, ransom or threatening action by a department of Laurentian University, please contact the department or the sender from whom the email claims to be from to verify authenticity before responding.


If you are having issues connecting (rather than speed) to the wired or wireless networks, please email it@laurentian.ca and provide the following details:

• Building you’re trying to connect from




• Room number




• Port (if possible)




• Issue(s) you’re experiencing

Providing these details helps IT to identify the issue and resolve the matter more efficiently.


Mar 13, 2024 - 21:30 EST

Status: Update

More progress has been made on restoring the network across campus with IT able to restore the network in all buildings. Huntington is the only remaining building without a stable connection, which is expected to be resolved by Thursday.
 
Work on resolving the ongoing performance issues with LUL Secure Wi-Fi related to its capacity continues as well.
 
If you’re experiencing issues with your wireless connection to LUL-Secure on your computer or mobile device, follow these steps:

• Find the Wi-Fi connection in your settings,


• Select LUL-Secure


• Click “Forget LUL-Secure”


• Reconnect to LUL-Secure using your new password.

If you’ve not yet changed your password, please visit https://passwordreset.laurentian.ca/

Access to AirLaurentianGuest will continue to be provided for students and staff in residence until these issues have been resolved.
IT is also aware of desktop login issues, as well as the issues some are having while attempting to log on to the classroom network. Work on rectifying these continues.
 
A reminder, If an email is asking for sensitive information, payment, ransom or threatens action by a department of Laurentian University, please contact the department or the sender from whom the email claims to be from to verify authenticity before responding.

Mar 12, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update

Most wired networks across campus have now been restored by IT. The remaining networks are expected to be restored by Wednesday. Users with computers connected to domains and the wired network will have full access to the internet as well as services such as business applications (Business Object, Synoptix, Fusion, etc). 

The first domain login attempt can take up to 10 minutes, so please be patient.

LUL Secure Wi-Fi is also being restored. Students in residence will then no longer need to use the “AirLaurentianGuest” network, which will be disabled later this week.

Those with access to wired networks are encouraged to access the internet through the wired network. While Wi-Fi access is being restored, usage overload has impacted its performance; IT continues its work on improving Wi-Fi capacity.

Tax slips are available on my.Laurentian using the Self Serve function.

ONECard is now working; however, it cannot be used for printing, vending, or at Tim Horton’s in the bowling alley, and C-Store in residence at this time. 

Issues with Fusion have also been resolved and it is now fully operational from wired networks only.

A reminder, If an email is asking for sensitive information, payment, ransom or threatens action by a department of Laurentian University, please contact the department or the sender from whom the email claims to be from to verify authenticity before responding.


Mar 11, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update

IT has restored more systems and services over the weekend which are now accessible across
campus. These include all wired networks (full internet access), and my.Laurentian. The my.Laurentian webpage is operational and fully accessible to students, faculty and staff,
including Self Service.

Wired networks are now up and running in the following areas:

• Residences


• Arts building


• Parker building


• Vale Living with Lakes Centre building


• Security


• Facilities

These networks add to those previously restored in classrooms and labs across campus.

UIWeb is also fully functional on these wired networks.

Those using domain computers on the wired networks in buildings not mentioned above will not
be able to login until those networks are re-established. These networks are expected to be fully
functional by the end of the week. 


Mar 10, 2024 - 11:24 EST

Status: Update







Mar 08, 2024 - 15:35 EST

Status: Update

As mentioned earlier this week, the Wi-Fi is now available throughout campus under the name of “AirLaurentianGuest” and the wired networking is expected to become available by Monday. We are aware that the Wi-Fi’s current performance is below expectations, and we are working on the solution. The wired network is available for classrooms, labs, and numerous other buildings. We continue to expand access to the wired network to additional buildings. IT continues to work on re-establishing access to Wi-Fi at The McEwen School of Architecture and aims to have it available under the “AirLaurentianGuest” network by early next week. 
 
For students with questions about the implications of the Senate’s decisions earlier in the week, we have developed more FAQs relevant to the term length, exam period, grading, and key dates. 
For faculty members who have SentinelOne installed and have experienced issues with the software quarantining files or folders, we are aware of the issue and the IT team has developed a solution. They are working towards implementation by Monday. 
IT is working on adding new services over the weekend, including Self Service which is expected to be up and running by Monday.


Mar 07, 2024 - 16:31 EST

Status: Update

As mentioned yesterday, the Wi-Fi is now available throughout campus under the name of “AirLaurentianGuest” and the wired networking is expected to become available over the next three days. We are aware that the Wi-Fi’s current performance is below expectations and we are working on the solution. The wired network is now available for classrooms, labs, and a number of other buildings. We continue to expand access to the wired network to additional buildings. The McEwen School of Architecture will be able to access Wi-Fi via the “AirLaurentianGuest” network later today. 

For students with questions about the implications of the Senate’s decisions earlier in the week, we have developed more FAQs relevant to the term length, exam period, grading, and key dates. 

For faculty members who have SentinelOne installed and have experienced issues with the software quarantining files or folders, we are aware of the issue and the IT team has developed a solution. They are working towards implementation by the end of the week.


Mar 06, 2024 - 23:51 EST

Status: Update

The campus network is now undergoing testing for the wired and wireless connections, a good sign as we progress towards expanding connectivity across the campus. Wi-Fi is now available throughout campus under the name of “AirLaurentianGuest” and the wired networking is expected to become available over the next four days. At the moment, the wired network is available for classrooms and labs. This is a critical step in re-establishing campus connectivity. 

The dedicated calendar for Password Reset Appointments now has more availability. Similarly, the SentinelOne Appointment Calendar has also been updated with more availability. If you are on campus, please visit IT staff at the Service Desk within the J.N. Desmarais Library, contact them at it@laurentian.ca  or via (705) 675-1151 extension 2200. 

Mar 06, 2024 - 10:00 EST

News Release: Laurentian University confirms limited data breach as part of cyber incident

(March 6, 2024) - Laurentian University confirms a limited data breach resulting from a broader cyber incident that came to the University’s attention on February 18, 2024. The theft of data stored in part of Laurentian’s network affects some individuals associated with the Living with Lakes Centre / Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine:

• Employees (including student employees) of the Living with Lakes Centre / Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit hired since 2022.


• Employees affiliated with the Living with Lakes Centre / Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit, who were approved to drive fleet vehicles from 2019 to present.


• Graduate students affiliated with the Living with Lakes Centre / Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit, who were paid stipends between 2019 to present.


• Undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine who entered the program from 2005 to 2019.

The data associated with these individuals that were exposed varies and we continue to investigate in order to determine the specifics of the data. This process will likely take a number of months.

In the interim, Laurentian University will provide, at no cost, two-year credit monitoring service to all those whose data were exposed. This service will allow the impacted individuals to check for signs of identity fraud so protective action can be taken. This protective service is of significant benefit, and we encourage recipients to take advantage of it.

We will distribute enrollment codes for the credit monitoring services as follows:

• All employees and graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with the Living with Lakes Centre / Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit who are identified as potentially impacted will receive a credit monitoring code for this credit monitoring service by email by 9am Thursday, March 7, 2024.


• We ask that any undergraduate medical student and postgraduate resident of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine who entered the program  from 2005 to 2019 email us at privacyinquiries@laurentian.ca to obtain their credit monitoring code.

We know that a small number of other individuals who are not employees or students of the University were also impacted by this incident. We will be reaching out to them directly by 9am on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Laurentian University places a high priority on privacy protection.  We have reported this incident to law enforcement and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. If you have any questions, please consult our FAQs and laurentian.ca, where we provide daily updates regarding this incident and on our restoration progress. 

Individuals who believe they are part of the affected groups listed above may also email us at privacyinquiries@laurentian.ca or call 705-675-1151 x 90100 as a dedicated phone line will be set-up by Monday, March 11, 2024. 

Laurentian thanks the community for its patience as the University has been working to restore services as quickly and safely as possible and to diligently investigate how this incident occurred and determine the extent of its impact.

Mar 05, 2024 - 21:21 EST

Status: Update

Campus connectivity remains a high priority for the dedicated team working on networking at Laurentian University. Good progress has been made through the past few days and there is optimism that the wired network may be restored in a few days. Once the wired network is restored, the Wi-Fi network will then become the focus. We will provide further updates as this progresses through the week. 

Approved Senate Motions

A special meeting of Laurentian University’s Senate took place today, Tuesday, March 5th to discuss and decide on the accommodations to be made for students with respect to multiple academic matters impacted by the cyber incident. We will develop FAQs related to the motions. 

1) Extension of teaching

That the teaching for online and remote course sections be extended by one week, from Tuesday April 9th to Tuesday April 16th, and that exams scheduled during that week be placed at the end of the examination session, which currently concludes April 26th.
For hybrid sections, instructors will need to send their Dean, no later than Friday March 8th 2024, their plans for their section.  The Dean shall not unreasonably refuse the plan. The plan for the section will be communicated as soon as possible to the affected students.
For programs or courses that do not follow the normal periodicity, that the duration of online and distance learning sections be extended by one week, regardless of the scheduled end date
For sections on campus where there is a heavy reliance on specialized instructional software on Laurentian’s network, instructors will need to send their Dean, no later than Friday March 8th 2024, their plans for their section.  The two options available are (a) treating their section as an in person section, and hence no changes to the calendar, or (b) treating their section as a remote section, and hence adjusting the end date and examination schedule. The Dean shall not unreasonably refuse the plan. The plan for the section will be communicated as soon as possible to the affected students.

2) Assignment due dates

For all sections, for assignments that were due between Saturday February 17th and March 4th, that an extension of no less than a week be granted, and for due dates after access is restored, a week extension also be granted without academic penalty to students.
That instructors be permitted to give tests on the last week of classes, as well as request that final assignments be allowed to be handed in the first week of examinations.

3) Compassionate grading

For all sections using letter or numeric grades for the Fall/Winter 2023 Term, and Winter 2024 Term, Senate offers students the following options : a) accept the assigned grade, b) withdraw from the course and accept “W” on your transcript (no course credit, no tuition refund), or c ) choose Pass (S) or Fail (F) grade. 
Students wishing to have a ‘W’ on their transcript under (b) above have until May 28, 2024, to email the Registrar’s Office to make this request. Students wishing to have a ‘Pass/Fail’ grade under (c) above have from the time course grades are received but before 11:59PM Friday, June 4, 2024, to indicate their intention via email to the Registrar’s office. Once this option has been selected, a student cannot return to the letter grade. Note: Students may elect for (a), (b) or (c) for any of their courses - ie, students do not need to elect to choose one of the above for ALL of their courses. A Pass (S) grade will be based on the student’s program regulations.

4) Withdrawal date for all students

That the date for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty be extended from March 1st, 2024 to Tuesday the 12th of March 2024.


Mar 04, 2024 - 17:48 EST

Status: Update

The team in IT continues to support our campus community and has extended their hours of operation at the Service Desk, now open from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 10pm. They are supporting general IT requests and have set up dedicated calendars to help with the password reset process and the installation of SentinelOne (staff and faculty).

• Password Reset Appointment Booking


• SentinelOne Appointment Booking


• Please visit them in-person at the Service Desk within the J.N. Desmarais Library, contact them at it@laurentian.ca, or via (705) 675-1151 extension 2200.

We would like to thank the over 800 staff and faculty who have completed the SentinelOne installation to date. 

Wi-Fi Hotspots

While the IT team progresses on re-establishing internet connectivity across campus, we continue to expand the available internet hotspots on campus, which are now offered at: 

• West Residence W132


• West Residence lobby


• East Residence, ground floor lounge


• Alphonse Raymond seating area


• Parker Building Atrium


• McEwen School of Architecture


• JND Library main floor study area


• Student Centre (open to all students)

Mar 03, 2024 - 16:49 EST

Status: Update

Work continues today for many of our IT professionals, the IT Service Desk in the J.N. Desmarais Library remains open from 9am-4pm today to help support anyone who may be having issues logging into their accounts. Please visit them in-person, contact them at it@laurentian.ca or via (705) 675-1151 extension 2200.

Installation of SentinelOne

IT is also continuing to support the installations of SentinelOne, both in-person at the Service Desk and remotely via the booking calendar. For staff and faculty who are able to visit the IT Service Desk in the J.N. Desmarais Library, please visit us as soon as possible as the desk is open today, March 3 until 8pm. For desktop installations, please contact the Service Desk. For staff and faculty who are working fully remotely, we have set up a limited-time remote installation process. This process remains available, with new openings; please schedule your 30 minute appointment when possible.

In addition to the extended hours, we have also introduced an alternate calendar slot specifically designed for general help. This includes assistance with the password reset process or any other IT-related questions you may have. Please visit this link to book your appointments.

As a reminder, the installation is required for all LU owned computers (via computer allocation or professional allowance) for all full-time and part-time faculty and staff (including Laurentian’s student employees) who are users of the University’s domain and systems.

Sessional instructors who exclusively deliver courses online, or remotely, are not required to have S1 installed at this time and access will be restricted to D2L, Zoom, Self Service, the Google suite of products, Wi-Fi, printers, ONEcard, my.laurentian.ca, and teaching/lab multimedia technology. 

Sessional instructors are, however, encouraged to have S1 installed for protection. If there is a need to access the Laurentian domain and systems such as VPN, T and/or U Drives or the wired Laurentian administrative network, then you must have S1. 

Wi-Fi Hotspots

These hotspots provide internet access to multiple users within a specific area via Wi-Fi, external from the Laurentian University network. These initial hotspots will be available at the following locations, with more being added tomorrow based on anticipated delivery of equipment (March 4*):

• West Residence W132




• West Residence lobby




• East Residence, ground floor lounge




• Alphonse Raymond seating area*




• Parker Building Atrium*




• McEwen School of Architecture* 

Mar 02, 2024 - 11:42 EST

Status: Update

The diligent work of IT continues today as staff are on-hand advancing multiple priorities. With authentication now re-established, we encourage you to login to your cloud-based services (Gmail, Zoom, D2L). To enhance your privacy, before logging in, you are required to reset your password. During this process, you will need to validate your identity by answering one of the questions you established during your password recovery setup. 

For students, once done, this will allow you access to your accounts.

For faculty and staff, you will require an installation of SentinelOne. For student employees (including work-study) the installation is required. We have developed FAQ questions specific to this based on questions received during the Town Hall meetings. 

Some people may experience delays with authentication. We encourage you to be patient. The system is working and being monitored. If you are not successful with the first attempt, try again later in the day.

Installation of SentinelOne

The installation of this critical software continues. For staff and faculty who are able to visit the IT Service Desk in the J.N. Desmarais Library, please visit us as soon as possible as the desk is open March 2 and 3 from 9am-4pm. For staff and faculty who are working fully remotely, we have set up a limited-time remote installation process. This process remains available for booking; please schedule your 30 minute appointment when possible. We will be extending the availability of appointments due to large demand. 

Use of Personal Emails

Staff who had chosen to use personal email addresses to continue communicating are now expected to discontinue all work use of personal accounts immediately upon regaining access to your Laurentian account. Further, please delete any work emails that remain in your personal account after saving copies of what you need onto Laurentian systems.

Mar 1, 2024 - 22:00 EST

Status: Update

The Laurentian University community is now able to login to cloud-based services such as Gmail, Zoom, and most importantly for students and faculty members, D2L. Enabling authentication is a major step in the recovery for our IT team and we would like to thank you all for your patience throughout this process.

The next milestone is campus internet connectivity, which has been the focus of a dedicated team since the beginning of the cyber incident and will continue to be a top priority. We are notin a position to provide an estimate on when this would become available, but we will be able to give a better idea of this when we are within one day of reaching the goal.

Authentication Process

To enhance your privacy, before logging in, you are required to reset your password. As of March 2 at 9:00am, the password reset process will be available. During this process, you will need to validate your identity by answering one of the questions you established during your password recovery setup. If you are unable to validate your identity, please contact IT (it@laurentian.ca x 2200, open March 2 & 3, 9am-4pm). After successfully resetting your password, if you have the S1 agent installed (applicable only to staff and faculty), you will then be able to authenticate to the cloud-based services (Gmail, Zoom, D2L).

Wi-Fi Hotspots in Residence

Laurentian’s Residence Office has procured large mobile hotspots for students in residence to be able to connect to the internet during this outage. These hotspots provide internet access to multiple users within a specific area via Wi-Fi, external from the Laurentian University network. These initial hotspots will be available at the following locations, with more being added early next week:

1. West Residence W132


2. West Residence lobby


3. East Residence, ground floor lounge

Academic Term for Online Learners

With the issues we have faced as a community over the past two weeks; specifically, the inability to access the online teaching and learning environment, considerations of the academic impacts have been discussed. A special meeting of Laurentian University’s Senate (the decision-making body for academic matters) has been set for Tuesday, March 5th to discuss and decide on the accommodations to be made for online learners with respect to extending the end-date of classes while maintaining the existing term end date (i.e., the end of the term does not change) as well as decisions on internal academic deadlines.

Working Remotely

For those who are able to do so, and who are not required to be on campus, please continue to work from home for the week of March 4, 2024. We will provide a further update when campus connectivity is restored.

Installation of SentinelOne

The installation of this critical software continues. For staff and faculty who are able to visit the IT Service Desk, please visit us as soon as possible. For staff and faculty who are working fully remotely, we have set up a limited-time remote installation process. This process remains available for booking; please schedule your 30 minute appointment when possible. We will be extending the availability of appointments due to large demand.




Feb 29, 2024 - 17:00 EST

Status: Update

The authentication system continued to be a major focus throughout the day today as we are now in the testing and verification phases. This is key to enabling access to cloud-based services such as Google Drive, Gmail, D2L, and Zoom.

The IT team will continue testing throughout the evening and if all goes as planned, the authentication system may be ready to open to the university community as early as the afternoon or evening of March 1. This is the goal, though testing must continue before we can definitively say when the system will be back online and fully functioning as intended.

As progress on authentication continues, a separate dedicated IT team is working towards the restoration of internet connectivity. This remains a high priority and an estimated timeline will be provided when possible.

Remote installation of SentinelOne

For those who are unable to visit the IT Service Desk, we have set up a limited-time remote installation process. This process is now available for booking, please schedule your 30 minute appointment when possible. Installations will take place from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3. The booking will set up a Google Meet session and the installation will be performed via Team Viewer by one of 3 IT members. Further communication will be provided if we need to extend the schedule to Monday of next week.

When booking, you will require:

1. Personal email address, or,


2. Laurentian email address. You will be provided a 72 hour window to authenticate using your Laurentian email and schedule your installation; you will have up to Sunday, March 3 at 5pm to install S1.

Community Updates

On March 1, we will be holding two zoom meetings to update our community members. For students, the meeting will be held at 2pm and for faculty and staff, the meeting will be held at 3pm.

Please note, the town hall is intended to be strictly for information purposes for the students, staff, and faculty of Laurentian University, and should not be recorded or reproduced for any purpose external to Laurentian University. Members of the media are directed to contact our Director of Communications and Digital Strategy, Jean-Paul Rains at communications@laurentian.ca.




Feb 28, 2024 - 19:00 EST

Status: Update

Progress continues on the major priority of enabling the authentication system. Fortunately, a significant hurdle was overcome late last night and we anticipate being able to begin testing the authentication system as early as tomorrow. This provides some optimism that the authentication system may be re-established by the end of the week, though there remains several unknowns at this time.

Campus Network

The dedicated team working on the campus network (internet) is prioritizing wired access for connectivity. This includes enabling access for classroom computers and critical tools used to support students. We are not able to provide an estimate on when this will become available and we understand how challenging the current circumstances have been for the teaching and learning environment.

FAQs Updated

With the many questions from yesterday’s Town Hall meeting we have been able to update the FAQ based on your questions and have added another 15 answers including on key questions such as tax forms, deadlines, and key contacts.

Software Installation (SentinelOne)

As a reminder, when you have the SentinelOne software installed and authentication services return, you will be asked to verify your identity and then you will be able to access your account and the connected cloud-based services (D2L, Google, Zoom).

For those who were unable to visit a kiosk, you can either visit the IT HelpDesk in the J.N. Desmarais Library (bring your laptop), or receive the installation remotely (process to be launched in the coming days). For those with desktop computers, please have your supervisor reach out to IT with a request to install the software (many have already been done).




Feb 27, 2024 - 18:00 EST

Status: Update
Thank you to the hundreds of you who were able to join us at one of the four IT Kiosks over the last two days. The response from the Laurentian community has been impressive as over 500 staff, faculty, and student staff completed the software installation. We would also like to thank the hundreds of you who joined us during today’s town hall meeting. We will be holding another town hall on Friday, March 1 at 2pm and will continue to update the FAQ based on your questions.

The focus continues to be concentrated on the key technologies that underpin the learning experience. We will soon run tests on the rebuilt authentication system, which is the last step before it can be enabled for the community as a whole. At the moment, we cannot reliably provide a timeline for the resumption of services.

Online Students

Re-establishing access to D2L is a top priority as we know many students and faculty members (both online and in person) require D2L to teach classes, progress through their courses and submit assignments. As this was a sudden, unexpected event, it is expected that instructors will be flexible to ensure that students are not penalized or adversely impacted by something completely outside of their control.

Software Installation (SentinelOne)

Again, a sincere thank you to so many who joined us at an IT Kiosk to have SentinelOne installed on your laptops. As a reminder, students only need to have SentinelOne installed if they are also employees of Laurentian University. When you have the software installed and authentication services return, you will be asked to verify your identity and then you will be able to access your account and the connected cloud-based services (D2L, Google, Zoom).

As a reminder, for those who were unable to visit a kiosk, you can either visit the IT HelpDesk in the J.N. Desmarais Library (bring your laptop), or receive the installation remotely (process to be launched in the coming days). For those with desktop computers, please have your supervisor reach out to IT with a request to install the software.

Faculty teaching remotely

For those teaching remotely and unable to physically visit campus to have the SentinelOne software installed, we will provide you with instructions on how we will complete this installationremotely. We understand the critical importance of enabling your access to D2L and other services. We will be prioritizing the remote installation of SentinelOne for you as you will not be able to access cloud-based services (D2L, Google, Zoom) until it is installed.

Applicants to Laurentian University

Please be aware that throughout this cyber incident, our communication tools with future students have been affected. We’d like to reassure you that once the system is re-established, we will review all questions that have been submitted.

To help keep you up to date, we have developed an FAQ specific to your questions.


Feb 26, 2024 - 17:00 EST

Status: Update

As classes resumed today we first would like to thank you all (students, faculty, staff) for your patience and understanding as learning activities resume without some of the systems and technologies we’ve grown accustomed to.

From a technical perspective, progress continues on the key systems, which each have dedicated teams working towards solutions: authentication to access cloud-based systems (D2L, Google, Zoom), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), software installation (SentinelOne), and networking (including Wi-Fi).

We would like to be able to tell you when to expect each service to be available, but at this stage we cannot reasonably provide a reliable timeline.

We will continue to update laurentian.ca and the related FAQs.

Town Hall Meetings

We are aiming to provide as much information as is available through these updates and the FAQs. In addition to this, we want to hear your questions so our FAQs can address your concerns. We will host two town hall meetings via zoom:

• Tuesday, February 27, 1pm-2pm


• Friday, March 1, 2pm-3pm

Software Installation (SentinelOne)

Thank you to the staff, faculty, and student staff who have already visited an IT Kiosk to have SentinelOne installed on their portable devices. Your support is greatly appreciated. Our Kiosks will remain available tomorrow. As a reminder, students only need to have SentinelOne installed if they are also employees of Laurentian University.

For those unable to visit a kiosk on February 27, you can either visit the IT HelpDesk in the J.N. Desmarais Library, or receive the installation remotely (process to be launched in the coming days). For those with desktop computers, please have your supervisor reach out to IT with a request to install the software.

When authentication services return and you have the software installed, you will be able to access your account and the connected cloud-based services (D2L, Google, Zoom).

Again, your patience and understanding are truly appreciated as this work continues.


Feb 25, 2024 - 17:00 EST

Status: Update

Excellent progress has been made throughout the evening on Saturday and thus far on Sunday as the work of the IT teams continues. Today’s update features three major sections: authentication, the campus network, and IT Service Kiosks.

This week will be an exercise in resilience, patience, and tolerance as we work our way forward. Teaching and learning without internet connectivity will be different from the norm. However, it is an opportunity to innovate and reconnect with students using the fundamentals of how we teach and promote learning.

Authentication

Re-establishing the authentication system has been challenging but the team has surmounted the obstacles and plans to enable authentication in the coming days. This means we will then be able to remotely access cloud-based services like D2L, Google, and Zoom. Please note, accessing these services through the campus network will not yet be possible as the network will remain offline while further investigative work continues.

Upon your first login, you will be prompted to validate your identity (personal information) and change your password. If you are unable to validate your identity, please contact IT. For staff and faculty, after changing your password and completing the critical security update (as described below) you will be able to access the cloud-based services.

Campus Network

The campus network has been significantly impacted and continues to be the focus of a dedicated team within IT. As previously confirmed, campus Wi-Fi will likely be unavailable for most of the week of February 26.

Critical Security Update for Staff and Faculty

We are enhancing our network security to safeguard our community and your personal information. This update involves installing the SentinelOne (S1) Agent on all staff and faculty computersconnected to the university network. This includes student employees of Laurentian University.

Staff and faculty will be required to physically visit an IT Services Kiosk on campus with their laptops before being able to access the campus network.
This is critical and mandatory in order to ensure protection against similar type incidents. For those who have a desktop, you will need to notify your supervisor so they can advise IT whenbest to install the update.

IT Service Kiosks for Staff and Faculty

Four locations will be available as of Monday, February 26, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM:

• IT HelpDesk in the J.N. Desmarais Library


• Parker Building Atrium (Liaison desk)


• McEwen School of Architecture - SA-113 (9:30 to 12:00 PM, February 26 only)


• School of Education - SE 104A

Please consult the schedule to view your assigned time to visit the kiosk.

Detailed installation instructions will be provided at the kiosks and online.

IT staff will be at these locations and will install S1 software. This will not only protect your devices moving forward, but will be critical in ensuring that your devices are far less vulnerable to cyber attacks before joining the campus network. The process takes less than ten minutes and will best protect your device and the information it stores and accesses. Moving forward, the new software (SentinelOne) will be required in order for staff and faculty access the campus network and cloud-based services like D2L, Google, and Zoom.

Submitting Timesheets

For managers with employees on timesheets (overseeing casual or bi-weekly staff), please visit the Parker Building Atrium on February 26 or 27 as Payroll will be handing out forms for you to complete and return on February 28. This is necessary in order to have your staff paid accurately and on time. An FAQ has also been prepared to help with this temporary process.

Onward

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to overcome the challenges ahead. Please know that all team members are working as hard as they possibly can to help regain access to the essential tools and systems we depend on.


Feb 24, 2024 - 17:00 EST

Status: Update

The team in IT continues progress on re-establishing services with the goal of bringing the authentication system online.

Substantial progress was made Friday evening and through Saturday related to the authentication service. The IT team continues to investigate the depth and breadth of the cyber incident to assess risk and determine what further actions might be required.

Regardless, the team presses on, undeterred, to re-establish the most essential services to the campus community ahead of classes resuming on Monday. Various campus services will have modified hours, which have been updated in the FAQ. The FAQ also houses a number of new questions and answers, added earlier today.

“We look forward to seeing people back on campus after reading week”, said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor. “Times of disruption provide an opportunity for connection and an opportunity for all of us to come together to support each other. I want to personally thank all the staff in IT and services across campus who continue to work tirelessly to restore systems. The teamwork I have seen has been amazing”.

Feb 23, 2024 - 15:00 EST

Status: Update

As reading week draws to a close, students will begin returning to campus ahead of the resumption of classes next week.

Throughout the cyber incident, we have maintained that a high priority is enabling classes to take place as scheduled. We are now able to confirm that classes will be held in-person and on-campus as planned as of February 26.

The technology available during the next week will be limited as teaching will be done without internet connectivity. All efforts are being put forward to enable as many teaching-related technology resources as possible. First, this means re-establishing the authentication system which allows users to login. Then, three key tools we are focused on are D2L, Google, and Zoom.

Special consideration will be required to address the impact for students enrolled in online, remote, or hybrid instruction who are not on-campus. The details of the accommodation will be communicated once we have a timeline as to when services are expected to resume.

“We appreciate that instructors may have to adapt their on-campus teaching methods in the absence of internet connectivity and access to digital systems, and that staff may adjust their activities – we do what’s needed to ensure our students learn and progress with their studies and that they have access to services” said Interim Provost and Vice-President Academic, Dr. Brenda Brouwer.

We expect that most buildings will be without internet connectivity (Wi-Fi or wired) for most of the week, this includes classrooms and offices.

Staff who support the delivery of programs and courses as well as those providing to student services will be on campus next week. Supervisors are encouraged to meet with their staff on Monday to set work plans for the rest of the week to ensure on-campus services are provided.

We will continue to provide updates via laurentian.ca, including an FAQ which includes the latest information on all campus services. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we do everything possible to ensure in-person education continues.



Feb 22, 2024 - 16:00 EST

Status: Update
Progress continues as our IT team is beginning to bring systems online and re-establishing the technological infrastructure. A high priority is to ensure classes can begin with the appropriate technology on Monday, February 26 as students return from reading week.

The Frequently Asked Questions and status of multiple systems/services is available on laurentian.ca and continues to be updated.

Internet Access
As stated yesterday, residence now has internet connectivity and we are now working towards expanding this access to other Wi-Fi routers and buildings. This will be a gradual process as internet access is restored to other locations.

Colleague (ERP) Access
We have enabled on-site access to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system which has allowed payroll staff to safely and successfully execute the payroll for February. Students, staff, and faculty will not receive their pay statement by email, but their pay will be deposited on time as per the normal schedule.

Authentication System
The cloud-based systems (D2L, Google, etc.) accessible through the authentication system (Laurentian login) have not been impacted. However, before access to those systems can be restored, work continues to rebuild the login environment. We will be in a better position at the end of the day February 23 to determine if this goal can be reached. The goal is to enable this system before February 26.

We continue to do everything possible to re-establish these systems and appreciate the patience of our campus community. We would like to thank the many people who have offered to support the University’s recovery from the cyber incident, including local IT teams who have shared resources and joined in the efforts.


Feb 21, 2024 - 16:30 EST

Status: Update
The Laurentian IT team, in collaboration with its experts on cyber issues, continue to work diligently to re-establish systems to bring them online and restore availability to the Laurentian community.

The Frequently Asked Questions and status of multiple systems/services is available on laurentian.ca and continues to be updated.

Students
We are aware that students and faculty members rely heavily on these systems to advance their course work and research. We are doing all we can to bring these back online safely as soon as possible. Faculty members have been asked to consider these exceptional circumstances and provide flexibility to students in completing their academic requirements. The J.N. Desmarais Library will be open February 22 and 23, though it does not yet have Wi-Fi.

Residence
Enabling wired internet access in residence has been a top priority and is now available to residents.

Staff & Faculty
For those who are able, and who are not required to be on campus, please continue to work from home for February 22 and 23. We will update laurentian.ca and social media feeds. Significant progress has been made on the University’s technical ability to be able to execute the payroll system; this is a critical item and we do not expect payroll to be affected.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of these issues. Please know that we are doing all we can to bring systems back online in a timely manner


Feb 20, 2024 - 16:31 EST

Status: Investigating

Laurentian University is currently recovering from a cyber incident that first came to our attention on Sunday morning, February 18. Upon our discovery, we immediately took steps to secure our network and mobilize our expert partners to assist. We are in the process of re-establishing the services, investigating, and understanding the incident’s impact.

Our response to the incident has caused the disruption of various IT services. We do not expect payroll to be disrupted by the incident; we will be able to confirm in a further update.

As of tomorrow, we will be communicating with all employees and students through a static website at laurentian.ca and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X). Please note, we may lose the ability to communicate via the communications@laurentian.ca email address. We are preparing an FAQ document which will be shared on laurentian.ca when available.

Our IT team has been working diligently and will continue to do so until we are able to restore services. We appreciate that this incident raises a significant privacy concern, and we will be providing updates and sharing more information when we have it. We have reported the incident to law enforcement.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


Feb 19, 2024 - 16:07 EST

Status: Investigating

Dear community members,

The IT systems at Laurentian University have been impacted by technical issues, leading to many of them being unavailable. Our IT team has been working diligently and will continue until we are able to restore services. At the moment, many services remain unavailable and there is no estimated timeline on when these services will be available.

For staff and faculty, please plan to work remotely, if you are able, on February 20 and February 21.

Another update will be provided tomorrow, February 20, as more information becomes available.


Feb 18, 2024 - 21:24 EST

Status: Investigating

Information Technology services at Laurentian University are currently experiencing technical issues that have affected multiple systems.

The staff within IT are actively working to resolve the issues as soon as possible. Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.