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Don’t let W-2 fraud catch you, too!

Higher education institutions, including UC Davis, have increasingly become a target of fraudulent W-2 phishing emails in recent weeks. This increase is typical during tax season, from January to April, but the problem has gotten worse over time.

In 2023, the IRS identified 1.1 million potentially fraudulent tax returns and 12,617 of them were confirmed to be fraudulent — a 31 percent increase from the 9,626 fraudulent tax returns in 2022.

Eduroam is getting a new certificate on February 12, and you may get a prompt

If you want to keep using eduroam, the UC Davis wireless network, there’s an important update you may need to accept. 

The campus will install a new electronic security certificate on eduroam Monday, February 12, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. This means you may see a prompt on your phone or other device, asking you to accept the new certificate.  

Service Spotlight: Affordable Access to Amazon Web Services (AWS) via UC-Wide Enterprise Agreement

UC Davis faculty and staff can access Amazon Web Services (AWS) at significantly reduced rates, thanks to the latest UC-wide enterprise agreement. This initiative, brought to our campus by Information and Educational Technology (IET), opens a world of cloud computing resources to our campus community. AWS, a renowned cloud platform, provides numerous on-demand services from Amazon.com’s data centers, including computing resources, data storage, and much more. 

Save the Date: UC Tech 2024 Annual Conference is October 27-29!

Information and Educational Technology (IET) is excited to announce that UC Davis and UC Davis Health will be co-hosting UC Tech Annual Conference in 2024! Mark your calendars – the three-day event will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2024, in Sacramento, and on Monday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 29 in Davis.  

Click here to check out the UC Tech 2024 website and sign up for the latest news on the conference. 

From Data Privacy Day to Data Privacy Week – Take Charge of Your Data in January 2024

Data Privacy Day is marked each year on January 28. An international effort to raise awareness about respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling digital trust, Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January of 2008 as an extension of its European counterpart. In Europe, Data Protection Day commemorates the January 28, 1981, signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty on privacy and data protection.

IT Service Desk Pilot Forges New Paths, One Skill at a Time


Update: Since publishing this story, three IT Service Desk Pilot participants have been hired at UC Davis.

Lifelong learning? New professional opportunities? A stronger community? Tech talent pipeline?  The IT Service Desk pilot checks all the boxes and more, with positive outcomes for everyone involved, from pilot participants to UC Davis, and the greater Sacramento community.  

Holiday Scams: How to Recognize the Signs & Remain Vigilant

The holiday season is about giving, not taking. Be aware of unsolicited emails, phone calls, text messages, or social media messages with holiday themes that ‘phish’ for your personal and financial information.

Holiday scams often indicate urgency, offer jobs but ask you to pay first, ask you to send money in return for more money later, provide gift cards or gift card information, bail family members out of jail, transfer funds, and reset your passwords.

2023 Summer Institute on Teaching and Technology (SITT) is one for the books!

An increase in attendees, participation, and engagement were hallmarks of this year’s Summer Institute on Teaching and Technology (SITT), held virtually over the course of two days on September 14 and 15, 2023. The annual event showcased how instructors are using technology in creative ways to help students succeed. This year, presenters honed in on key issues facing instructors—improving classroom communication and collaboration.

Innovative and Collaborative: 3D-Printed Solution Enhances Classroom Accessibility

In many classrooms, instructors use touchscreen tablets to operate overhead projectors. It's part of a host of technology offered to instructors to enhance lessons at UC Davis. But while setting up for a history class this summer, UC Davis alum and guest instructor, Seth Clark quickly realized he was going to have difficulty using the touchscreens due to his sight impairment.

“When I touched it, there was nothing on the tablet to indicate where the buttons were,” Clark said. “It made it impossible for me to turn on the projector.”

Demystifying the Vendor Risk Assessment Process

In order to contract with a third-party Vendor (service provider), all University of California units are required under the IS-3 Policy to complete Risk Assessments for institutional information and IT resources. At UC Davis, the Information Security Office (ISO) manages the Vendor Risk Assessment (VRA) program to guide and assist with this process, which can feel daunting, confusing, and frustrating. But what goes into a VRA and why is it so important?  

Don't Let Hackers Hook You with Phishing Scams

UC Davis has increasingly become a target of fraudulent emails, also known as phishing, in recent weeks. Here is everything you need to know about phishing scams and actions you can take to keep yourself safe.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a form of fraud that tries to trick you into providing your sensitive information, often by sending a message under the guise of a legitimate sender, such as a professor or campus staff member.