IT Connect News

IMPORTANT: Major changes coming to UW Google Shared Drives

This message was sent to everyone who has access to the University of Washington’s Google services (UW Google). UW Information Technology wants you to know about significant, upcoming changes to UW Google.

What is happening and when

UW Google Shared Drives (Shared Drives) that do not have a current UW employee with a UW email address in the Manager role will be restricted beginning in March 2023. (The Manager role is the highest level of permissions in a Shared Drive.) You will still be able to view and download existing files in restricted Shared Drives, but you will be unable to add new files to restricted Shared Drives.

Any Shared Drives that are still restricted in August 2023, including all files within, will be permanently deleted beginning in August 2023.

Please note: These changes affect only Shared Drives that do not have a current UW employee in the Manager role. These changes do not affect your personal UW Google Drive.

Next steps

If you have an account that will be affected by this change, you will receive instructions in the next two or three weeks for next steps you can take.

Why these changes are happening

The UW requires that all Shared Drives have at least one UW employee as the responsible party (Manager), for risk management, records management, data privacy and budget approval reasons. Additionally, UW employees must use their UW email address (@uw.edu) in the Manager role.

For more information regarding these policies, please see the following resources:

The future of Shared Drives

Due to changes implemented by Google, Shared Drives will become a fee-based service beginning in July 2024.

Storage tiers, quotas, and rates for Shared Drives will be announced later in 2023. We hope to provide this information in advance for departments to budget the costs for the upcoming year.

Help

UW Google Changes project has more information on the status, milestone and details of the project.

We recommend that you consult first with your local IT support group, as they are the experts on your data and technology needs. If this is not an option for you, reach out to UW-IT at help@uw.edu or 206-221-5000.

Thank you for your understanding and support as the University of Washington adjusts to these significant changes.

UW-IT

Protect your UW NetID and W-2 information from phishing attacks

This message was sent to all UW student employees, faculty and staff with approval from the Associate Vice President for Information Security and Chief Information Security Officer.

This email provides important information to help you protect your UW NetID and password from phishing attacks, which increase during tax season.

Links have been left out of this email. To find this message on the web, search the UW website for “CISO Annual Communications,” where you will find hyperlinks to all the related resources mentioned.

How does phishing work?

Cybercriminals try to steal employee login credentials so that they can download Wage and Tax Statements (Form W-2). They then use the W-2 information to electronically file a fraudulent federal income tax return in the employee’s name. By changing the bank account number, the cybercriminals receive the refund.

Your vigilance, along with additional security measures such as the UW’s two-factor authentication, plays an important role in protecting your personal and UW data.

How can you protect yourself?

  • Be skeptical about emails that seem urgent or threaten negative consequences if you do not act.
    Do not reply, click links, or divulge personal information or sign-in credentials.

    Cybercriminals may use manipulative messages to heighten urgency or use logos from well-known companies to trick users into clicking on links. In some cases, they may send a simple meeting reminder that leads to a fake UW web page. If you receive an email you suspect may be phishing, you can report it to help @ uw.edu (no spaces).
  • The secure way to access your University of Washington W-2 is by using the “Sign in to Workday” link found on the Integrated Service Center’s (ISC) website.
    If you suspect you’ve received a phishing email disguised as an email from Workday, you can confirm the legitimacy of the message by signing into Workday via the ISC website and double-checking you received the same message in your Workday Inbox or your Workday Notifications.
  • Do not approve unsolicited requests for two-factor authentication.
    Duo is the UW’s two-factor authentication (2FA) system, which adds a second layer of security when you sign into Workday and other University systems. Using 2FA prevents others from signing in as you, even if they know your password.

    If you receive an unexpected sign-in request from Duo, and you have not signed into a system that requires it, do not approve the request. If the request is a phone call, hang up without pressing any buttons. If it is a Duo Push request, press the “deny” button and you will be given a choice to report it as fraudulent so that UW Information Technology is notified. Additionally, you should immediately change your UW NetID password to ensure your account is secure.
  • Use anti-virus software on your computers and devices and keep anti-virus software updated.
    Sophos Anti-Virus Software is available free of charge to all UW students, faculty and staff.
  • Learn more about phishing from recent examples, infographics and other training materials, and stay informed with the CISO News & Alerts blog.
    (Search for “CISO” from the UW home page to find the CISO website, where you will find links to all the information and resources mentioned above.)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact help @ uw.edu (no spaces).

Thank you for helping secure UW data.

Rebekah Skiver Thompson
Associate Vice President for Information Security and Chief Information Security Officer