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Acing the Lab … the Computing Kind

Pitt IT’s Student Computing Labs are equipped with high-performance computers loaded with access to dozens of academic, productivity, creativity, and scientific apps. The labs provide students with a quiet, comfortable place to work while on campus. Whether you’re just killing a little time between classes or settling in for a long study session, here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of the labs.

Safe in Any Place: Remote Cybersecurity

For many of us, working from home seems here to stay. In September 2021, 45% of full-time employees in the U.S. worked remotely, even though most workplaces had re-opened. At Pitt, many faculty and staff have transitioned to part-time or full-time remote work arrangements, and many students are prioritizing jobs that will allow them to work from home in some capacity.

Printing to Perfection

People are printing far less than they used to. That’s a good thing—it saves money, trees, and waste. Plus, the convenience of going digital just can’t be beat. That said, printers aren’t going anywhere. There are still times when you will want or need to print something out.

4 Tech New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year, Panthers! Well, happy belated new year. Even though we’re about three weeks into 2022, it’s not too late to set goals for the rest of the year. Here are our top four tech-related resolutions.

1. Prioritize Your Passwords

Secure passwords are probably the easiest and most effective way to stay cybersafe in the new year (and beyond). Make sure your passwords include a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Also, no repeats—use a different password for every site or service you use.

Super Safe Winter Vacation

It’s that time of year again, Panthers. The fall semester is coming to a close, and winter break is on the horizon! Students will be off from Dec. 19–Jan. 9, and the Winter break for faculty and staff has been expanded to encompass Dec. 20 – Jan. 3. While you’re off relaxing and celebrating, make sure you’re your tech, and your data stays secure. Here are some tips to help you have a cyber-safe winter break.

Do Duo Better

While most of us appreciate the added protection offered by multifactor authentication, having to verify multiple times a day is not exactly something most of us look forward to. The good news is that with a little know-how, it doesn’t have to be annoying. Here are Pitt IT’s top 5 tips for making two-factor authentication a breeze.

Digital Accessibility for Superior Performance

To create a truly vibrant learning, research, and teaching environment, the University needs the full participation, contribution, and engagement of every person in our community. That means everyone must be able to access all our resources and programs, including those that are online.

People often think of physical services when they hear the term accessibility—e.g., wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, ASL interpreters, or braille textbooks. But when it comes to the Internet, accessibility looks a little different.

Securing Data Privacy

From the moment a person submits an employment or admissions application until the day they leave the University, Pitt collects a wide array of data about the people in our community. This information is necessary to track academic progress, run payroll and benefits, apply financial aid, enable smart IDs, grant system access, and nearly every other facet of daily operations.