IT for Working Remotely
This is an overview of University digital resources useful for working in off-campus locations. Your department should provide and support the basic hardware for your job. See below for University-wide services and technology tips
See also IT for Faculty/Staff
Connecting and Communicating
The UA Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides a secure connection to the campus network when you are working elsewhere.
- Not Required: When working from a secure network, such as your home internet connection with password protected wireless. Most campus services (email, D2L, Box, etc.) are available without VPN.
- Highly Recommended: When you are on an unsecured wireless network (e.g., coffee shops, airports). Never work with private, sensitive, or financial information while on unsecured wifi.
- Required: May be required for some sensitive campus services, such as UAccess Research and UAccess Financials.
You will need to download Cisco AnyConnect and log in. Be sure to have your computer/device password as well as NetID and NetID+. See instructions on the Support, How-To’s and Info tab at UA Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Your department may also have VPN service.
Talk with your supervisor and team about their preferred means to communicate and collaborate.
Video & Voice Conferencing
- Zoom: Share screens and real-time voice and/or video conversations. People outside the university may also attend a UA Zoom meeting.
- Log into arizona.zoom.us to set up your University Zoom account (if you haven’t already).
- When you log into the Zoom app, use the SSO option, arizona.zoom.us. This will take you to WebAuth for your NetID login.
- If performance is lagging, turn off video and use voice only.
- Protect your meetings from unwanted intruders and "Zoombombing"—Zoom security options.
- Microsoft Teams: Secure collaboration application in Office 365. Includes audio and video conferencing among many other collaboration tools.
Online Chat
- Microsoft Teams: Includes a chat-based workspace for real-time collaboration.
- Slack: Not a University service, but many units use it for chat and collaboration. If your unit has adopted it, ensure that all employees have accounts and know how to access Slack remotely.
Collaboration / Storage
Be sure files you need to work with are backed up to somewhere you can access them. Work your team needs should be shared in a team space.
- Microsoft Office 365: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online, and storage in One Drive. Access and share from anywhere. Log in at office.com with <netid>@email.arizona.edu, your password, and NetID+.
- Box: Online file storage with secure, managed access. From Box storage, open and work on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents collaboratively with online Office 365. Check with your local IT department for other specific requirements they might have about file storage on Box.
- Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals: Docs, Sheets, and Slides online, and storage files in Drive. Access and share from anywhere. Log in at catmail.arizona.edu with <netid>@email.arizona.edu, your password, and NetID+. Faculty and staff must request a campus Google account to get access.
Telephone Services
- Voicemail: If you have voicemail service in the existing phone service, you can phone in to check messages, or have messages sent to your email. See the Support, How-To’s and Info tab.
- Zoom Phone: All faculty, staff, DCCs, and student workers with a University Zoom account also get an internal phone extension. Use the Phone tab in the Zoom app to call anyone else with an extension. The Zoom Phone Project (2021–22) will include moving University phone numbers to Zoom Phone also.
Contact the Disability Resource Center regarding any disability-related accommodations you may need
Security
You are required to use current security while performing University work. See the Device and Media Protection Policy. Your IT staff can install Sophos Central on your University computer. Sophos Home is an option if you are working on a personally owned machine
Report any information security incidents (laptop stolen, unauthorized access, etc.) at Report an Incident.
Always practice safe computing.
- Use safe email practices. Be mindful of phishing attempts, and follow the best practices to avoid phishing scams.
- Don't approve NetID+ authentication requests when you are not logging in.
- Use appropriate technologies for the classification of data, as defined in the Information Resource Classification Standard and Information Handling Standard (on Confluence; require University VPN and login), and communicated by the service owner of the technology.
- If you need information on which technologies can be used with Regulated Information, please check with the appropriate Compliance Partner.
- Please see the guidance on communicating protected health information online.
- Don’t accept untrusted certifications if warned by the browser’s security.
- If any technology you are working on contains University data and goes missing, report it to the police, then fill out the Lost or Stolen Device Form.