Online Services Outage | SFA
We are writing to provide an update on the cyber incident SFA has been investigating and addressing.
As you know, our Information Technology Services professionals have been working diligently since Monday, June 12, to restore operations and strengthen security. We're pleased to report that as of June 22, all primary systems were restored, and we returned to normal operations. The ITS team continues to restore ancillary systems and is closely monitoring our systems.
Although our investigation of this incident remains ongoing, we have determined that the unauthorized actor(s) behind this incident acquired certain files from our systems. Our initial evaluation shows the files that were taken primarily consist of non-sensitive data; however, we have identified certain files with personal information, including approximately 100 individuals’ government-issued identification numbers and approximately 8,600 counseling records. At this time, we have no indication that central information, such as payroll, bank account or student financial data, has been impacted.
We are continuing to review the affected files to identify individuals whose information is included and will contact those individuals directly. In the meantime, and as a general best practice, we encourage students and employees to take steps such as the following to help protect their personal information,:
Be Wary of Suspicious Emails or Communications: Stay vigilant against phishing attempts and suspicious emails or messages. Do not click on any links or provide information unless you are certain of the source’s authenticity.
Monitor Your Accounts: Regularly review your bank statements, credit reports, and insurance statements for any unusual activity. If you notice anything suspicious, promptly report it to your financial institutions.
Fraud Alerts and Credit Freezes: Consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with major credit bureaus. This will add an extra layer of security and make it harder for anyone to open new accounts using your information.
We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we continue to address this incident.
What happened?
How is SFA responding?
What information was impacted?
Was my information impacted?
How many people are impacted?
What is the current status of SFA’s systems?
When will I know if my information was impacted?
What is SFA doing to protect my information?
When will you know more? / Where can I get more information?
How can I protect myself/my information?
Ways to monitor your credit
Campus update from Interim President Gina Oglesbee, 5:45 p.m. June 23
If you experience issues accessing a server or system that was previously available, complete the ITS System Request. The ITS team will receive your ticket and work to get the service reinstated.
Access to mySFA is available, though not all functions are working.
ITS KnowledgeBase articles
Duo Mobile support information
Email access via mySFA and Outlook Web Access
VPN for MacOS/Windows
VPN for Android/iOS smartphones
The Help Desk is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Call 936.468.4357 (HELP) or visit them in person on the first floor of the Steen Library. The Help Desk is experiencing a large volume of calls during the day and long wait times should be expected. Call volume is lower after 5 p.m. and users are usually reaching a technician right away.
Be on the lookout for phishing attempts
As SFA works to restore email, we want to remind faculty, staff and students to avoid clicking on any link in any email you might receive about resetting your password, etc. SFA will not send any emails making requests like this, so these are phishing attempts. For more information, view this Help Desk document.
All faculty, staff and students must reset mySFA password
Accessing internet via wired port and wireless
Services available on campus only
Faculty and staff email access
Faculty and staff email has been restored for both inbound and outbound email, with services currently available on campus or off campus when connected to the VPN. Email is accessible via your phone's native email app but not yet available through the Outlook app.
The Duo token does not work with VPN, and a smartphone running the Duo app is required for email access off campus. If an employee does not have a compatible phone to run the app, and their department head deems it necessary, they can contact ITS and request a phone for them.
Via mySFA and Outlook Web Access
VPN for MacOS/Windows
VPN for Android/iOS smartphones
Accessing SFA email on smartphones
If you continue to experience issues or have trouble changing your mySFA password, contact SFA's Help Desk at 936.468.4357 (HELP) for assistance from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. The Help Desk is experiencing a large volume of calls during the day and long wait times should be expected. Call volume is lower after 5 p.m. and users are usually reaching a technician right away.
Student resources and services
Residence Life systems
Student email access
Billing and payroll
Brightspace by D2L
Known issues accessing Brightspace by D2L
Contacting on-campus offices
Email communication is not fully restored for faculty and staff. If you're trying to reach an office on campus, refer to the contact list below. This list includes phone numbers for academic units, the Office of Admissions, Orientation and Transition Programs, the Office of the Registrar, Student Business Services and more.
As you know, our Information Technology Services professionals have been working diligently since Monday, June 12, to restore operations and strengthen security. We're pleased to report that as of June 22, all primary systems were restored, and we returned to normal operations. The ITS team continues to restore ancillary systems and is closely monitoring our systems.
Although our investigation of this incident remains ongoing, we have determined that the unauthorized actor(s) behind this incident acquired certain files from our systems. Our initial evaluation shows the files that were taken primarily consist of non-sensitive data; however, we have identified certain files with personal information, including approximately 100 individuals’ government-issued identification numbers and approximately 8,600 counseling records. At this time, we have no indication that central information, such as payroll, bank account or student financial data, has been impacted.
We are continuing to review the affected files to identify individuals whose information is included and will contact those individuals directly. In the meantime, and as a general best practice, we encourage students and employees to take steps such as the following to help protect their personal information,:
Be Wary of Suspicious Emails or Communications: Stay vigilant against phishing attempts and suspicious emails or messages. Do not click on any links or provide information unless you are certain of the source’s authenticity.
Monitor Your Accounts: Regularly review your bank statements, credit reports, and insurance statements for any unusual activity. If you notice anything suspicious, promptly report it to your financial institutions.
Fraud Alerts and Credit Freezes: Consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with major credit bureaus. This will add an extra layer of security and make it harder for anyone to open new accounts using your information.
We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we continue to address this incident.
What happened?
How is SFA responding?
What information was impacted?
Was my information impacted?
How many people are impacted?
What is the current status of SFA’s systems?
When will I know if my information was impacted?
What is SFA doing to protect my information?
When will you know more? / Where can I get more information?
How can I protect myself/my information?
Ways to monitor your credit
Campus update from Interim President Gina Oglesbee, 5:45 p.m. June 23
If you experience issues accessing a server or system that was previously available, complete the ITS System Request. The ITS team will receive your ticket and work to get the service reinstated.
Access to mySFA is available, though not all functions are working.
ITS KnowledgeBase articles
Duo Mobile support information
Email access via mySFA and Outlook Web Access
VPN for MacOS/Windows
VPN for Android/iOS smartphones
The Help Desk is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Call 936.468.4357 (HELP) or visit them in person on the first floor of the Steen Library. The Help Desk is experiencing a large volume of calls during the day and long wait times should be expected. Call volume is lower after 5 p.m. and users are usually reaching a technician right away.
Be on the lookout for phishing attempts
As SFA works to restore email, we want to remind faculty, staff and students to avoid clicking on any link in any email you might receive about resetting your password, etc. SFA will not send any emails making requests like this, so these are phishing attempts. For more information, view this Help Desk document.
All faculty, staff and students must reset mySFA password
Accessing internet via wired port and wireless
Services available on campus only
Faculty and staff email access
Faculty and staff email has been restored for both inbound and outbound email, with services currently available on campus or off campus when connected to the VPN. Email is accessible via your phone's native email app but not yet available through the Outlook app.
The Duo token does not work with VPN, and a smartphone running the Duo app is required for email access off campus. If an employee does not have a compatible phone to run the app, and their department head deems it necessary, they can contact ITS and request a phone for them.
Via mySFA and Outlook Web Access
VPN for MacOS/Windows
VPN for Android/iOS smartphones
Accessing SFA email on smartphones
If you continue to experience issues or have trouble changing your mySFA password, contact SFA's Help Desk at 936.468.4357 (HELP) for assistance from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. The Help Desk is experiencing a large volume of calls during the day and long wait times should be expected. Call volume is lower after 5 p.m. and users are usually reaching a technician right away.
Student resources and services
Residence Life systems
Student email access
Billing and payroll
Brightspace by D2L
Known issues accessing Brightspace by D2L
Contacting on-campus offices
Email communication is not fully restored for faculty and staff. If you're trying to reach an office on campus, refer to the contact list below. This list includes phone numbers for academic units, the Office of Admissions, Orientation and Transition Programs, the Office of the Registrar, Student Business Services and more.
