UPDATE 04/05/2024 at 10:00 PM: WVOT has completed the physical UPS installation. Network connectivity has been restored and additional agency services are continuing to come back online.
*** Update Reminder from the WV Office of Technology 04/05/2024 at 07:00 AM:Just reminding everyone of the UPS Cutover this evening. As noted below, please shut down your equipment at 5:00PM today. OT will begin shutting down its equipment at 5:30PM. Power will be completely shut off in building 6 and the vault at 7 PM. We will send a communication when power is restored. Once this happens we urge everyone to bring any resources that need to be brought up and test applications etc.***
WVNET has received the following notification from the WV Office of Technology regarding power to Building 6 of the Capitol Complex in Charleston WV. The proposed scheduled maintenance will cause a complete loss of power and will affect all equipment located at this facility. This location provides internet access for customers in the southern part of the state. We will have staff on hand during this procedure to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum. Please continue to check our site and social media for additonal updates as they become available.
The West Virginia Office of Technology advises its IT Contacts and Data Center Cardholders that on Friday, April 5th, 2024 there will be a scheduled power outage of the WVOT data centers beginning at 7:00 PM. We anticipate the downtime to last approximately 2-3 hours. During this period, all services hosted in our data centers will be temporarily unavailable.
The scheduled downtime is required to install a temporary Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system. To carry out this installation safely and efficiently, we must power down the data center.
We need your help to ensure servers and IT resources are shut down gracefully. Agency Service Owners and Application Administrators should shut down agency-managed servers located in Building #6 on Friday, April 5th, 2024 beginning at 5:00PM. WVOT Staff will begin shutting down WVOT-controlled and Enterprise-wide applications beginning at 5:30PM.
Power will be completely shut off in the Building 6 Data Center and Vault at 7:00PM.
Once the UPS installation is complete and power is restored, the WVOT advises all agencies to thoroughly test their applications to ensure they are functioning as expected. If applications are not functioning as expected, please contact the WVOT Service Desk at 304-558-9966 to have the issue assigned to a technician.
We understand the impact of this data center power outage and assure you that we are working diligently to minimize the impact on IT operations. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Security Hints + Tips
April 2, 2024
Don’t Be Fooled by Workspace Tools
Many organizations use platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, or Zoom to stay connected. Unfortunately, these trusted communication tools can lead to a false sense of security. Just like with traditional email, bad guys can use these platforms to launch a cyber attack.
Below are three examples of how cybercriminals use these platforms for phishing—and what you can do to keep your organization safe
Lurking
Recently, a cybercriminal gained access to an organization’s Microsoft Teams channel, which is similar to a group message or a chat room. The scammer lurked in the channel for nearly a year, reading messages, collecting data, and waiting for the perfect time to strike. Finally, someone asked that a file be shared to the channel and the bad guy used this opportunity to send a malicious ZIP file. When opened, the file installed malware that gave the scammer full access to the victim’s computer.
Remember: If someone sends you a link or an attachment, verify that you know and trust the sender before you click.
Playing Tag
On Google Drive, anyone can be tagged in a file, so long as their Gmail address is valid. This means that if a bad guy tags you in a Google document, you will receive a legitimate notification from Google that includes a link to the bad guy’s file. If you view the bad guy’s file, you’ll likely find that it tells you to click another link. This second link is actually a malicious attempt to steal your sensitive information.
Remember: If you receive a suspicious notification, contact your IT department or follow the specific security procedure for your organization.
Phony Notifications
Attending meetings on Zoom is as simple as clicking a button within an email. Unfortunately, getting phished is just as easy. Cybercriminals send out fake Zoom notifications that claim you missed an important meeting. They use a sense of urgency to get you to click on a link to view the meeting schedule. But don’t be fooled! The link actually sends you to a phony login page designed to steal your username and password.
Remember: If an email asks you to log in to an account or online service, log in to your account through your browser—not by clicking the link in the email.
The KnowBe4 Security Team KnowBe4.com
RESOLVED: Circuit Provider Outage impacting network in parts of WV
April 2, 2024
UPDATE 3/9 7:47 AM: AEP successfully completed repairs and all circuits were active by approximately 11:00 PM 03/08/2024. A 2000-foot section of cable needed to be replaced in a rural area of WV that required technicians to physically climb poles and use tents for splicing instead of typically utilized machinery. The repair efforts impacted multiple circuit providers beyond those we utilize but all current operations have returned to normal. If you continue to experience issues, please contact the WVNET Help Desk for assistance.
UPDATE 3/8 2:45 PM: AEP has accessed the situation and due to the inability to get trucks to the affected area, the current estimated time to complete all repairs is 12:00 AM ET. We will provide additional updates as they become available.
UPDATE 3/8 10:51 AM: Zayo and AEP are actively working on circuit repairs that are impacting customers in the southern part of the state. Repairs have been impeded as the site is not vehicle accessible. Current estimates are that technicians will be on site at approximately noon, but no time frame on when repairs will be completed.
At approximately 3:40 PM on March 7, 2024, WVNET lost four of its 10Gbps circuits in the Columbus, Ohio area. We immediately opened tickets with the circuit providers, OARnet and Zayo. It appears that there has been a major fiber cut that has taken out these 4 circuits. While the WV State Network has remained up due to the design of our high-speed Transit Ring, customers in the South may notice higher latency and slower throughput. No ETA at this time.
WV Office of Technology Maintenance
April 2, 2024
The State of WV Office of Technology will be performing emergency maintenance on the UPS that powers the Data Center at the Capitol Campus Building 6 Room B110. This maintenance will be performed on 07 March 2023 after 1:00 PM. While loss of power is not expected to happen, there is a potential for this to occur that may affect connectivity for some customers. Please contact the WVNET Help Desk if you experience any issues.
For over 45 years, WVNET has strived to connect the people of West Virginia. For decades we’ve worked hard to stay at the forefront of bringing fast, reliable internet across the state. We take pride in managing the networks that link West Virginia’s schools, universities, agencies and non-profits.
In this winter newsletter, we’re excited to update you on new strides we’re making to expand connectivity in the Mountain State. We’ve outlined major infrastructure upgrades that will increase available bandwidth and accelerate speeds – critical advances to meet our state’s growing digital needs. As our Executive Director Steven White explained, “Our continuous network evolution showcases our enduring commitment to the students, educators, agencies and residents who rely on us.”
However, greater connectivity also brings greater vulnerability. We’re working hand-in-hand with state and national cybersecurity leaders to anticipate emerging threats and harden defenses. As threats like phishing and ransomware attacks grow in scale and sophistication globally, we urge our customers to join us in remaining vigilant. Please consider implementing protocols like DKIM and DMARC to secure email domains, conduct phishing awareness training, and require multifactor authentication. Together we can keep West Virginia safe.
We’re also excited to share the work our development team is doing to make our online systems more accessible across generations. As more services and learning shift digital, we aim to ensure all Mountaineers can stay connected.
The past four decades have seen immense technological change. But our mission remains the same – serving the people of West Virginia through technology. We at WVNET take pride in the pivotal role we play in empowering education, powering government, and connecting communities across the Mountain State.
UPdate From the Executive Director!
A major focus area constantly under review is continuing to be cybersecurity diligent. WVNET continues to work with multiple agencies to ensure that information is shared. This is being achieved by working with Chief Information Officers (CIO’s) across the state and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) representatives to collaborate and provide cybersecurity reports, especially for those threats that have been actively seen across the state. This sharing among peers helps to ensure we all learn from each other and grow stronger.
This year is also looking promising for continued upgrades. In January, thanks to congressional funding, we were able to install a new uninterruptable power supply for the WVNET datacenter which ensures that systems remain operational in the event of power loss. We are also in the process of finalizing upgrades to our network connectivity that will provide an exponential increase over the current configuration. As we start the new year, it is important that we continue to embrace new goals and strive to ensure that WVNET is providing the best possible services for our customers.
And on a final note, communication is a vital key to daily operations. This includes conversations occurring at every level within our organizations. We all rely heavily on email for communication. This year, several entities (Google, Yahoo) are working to ensure emails are not being hijacked by implementing DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Domain-based Message Authentication (DMARC) as requirements for email domains. WVNET has been deploying these requirements for multiple domains and we recommend our customers consider implementing them as well for applicable systems.
JOIN OUR TEAM!
WVNET is seeking to hire a new TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK SPECIALIST 3(on-site work required, hybrid eligible) to analyze, design, configure, install, deploy and troubleshoot LAN, WAN, Campus networks (mainly Cisco routers, switches, firewalls), associated wireless infrastructure (Extreme, Meraki), VOIP solutions (CUCM, SIP trunks, UCaaS), System Monitoring (SolarWinds NPM) and remote access (VPN ASA, AAA, TACACS, RADIUS), cloud (OCI, Azure, AWS) and associated ongoing maintenance and updating of related hardware and software. Salary range is $70,000 – $80,000 and commensurate with experience. For full job details, qualifications, etc. and to apply, visit: https://wvnet.edu/news/careers/telecommunications-network-specialist-3/
The Client Services department at WVNET is here to help you with Banner, DegreeWorks, Brightspace, Web and Development services. Our dedicated staff is here to answer questions, as well as to solve problems. We strive to provide a high level of service. To ensure we are doing our best, we have a survey available to enable you to share your experience with us and let us know what we are doing well and what we could be doing better.
Your satisfaction is very important to us. WVNET has implemented a customer satisfaction survey link in our OZ ticketing system. When a help ticket is closed, the reporter will receive an email update with a link to allow customers to fill out the survey, and, if desired, request a call from a manager. To access the form in the OZ email, click on the link.
If you’re not using OZ and you wish to take the survey, please feel free to complete the survey at https://wvnet.edu/satisfaction-survey/. We look forward to hearing from you. Have questions? Contact Harmony Garletts at hgarletts@staff.wvnet.edu.
As the new year gets under way, the Distance Learning team is launching a new tool in Brightspace called Creator +. This tool is a seamless add-in to the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). As many of our Brightspace schools prepare for this implementation, we are excited for the opportunity to work with our customers to transform course content into dynamic content that will boost student engagement. Between now and June 30th, we will be holding working sessions for faculty to learn to use the new tools included in Creator +. For additional information, please contact Harmony Garletts at hgarletts@staff.wvnet.edu.
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Serving Older Users: Why Web Accessibility Matters for Education and Government
When providing online services and web-based learning, education and government institutions must ensure they don’t exclude older adults. Age-related declines in vision, hearing, dexterity, and cognition can pose barriers to accessing digital content, and the 65+ demographic continues to grow rapidly as people live longer.
Following web accessibility standards proactively makes websites, applications, and authoring tools usable for more people.
It is vital for public services like healthcare, taxes, and social welfare, to consider these segments of the population in digital systems design. All taxpayers should be able to utilize government resources online regardless of ability or age.
Similarly, education strives for inclusion. Distance learning continues to expand and offer greater opportunities throughout the state; however, ensuring learning management systems and online content follow accessibility principles enables older students to participate fully. Designing accessible websites and authoring tools allows older guest lecturers, teachers, and professors to contribute their expertise and remain professionally active.
Age diversity strengthens industries and communities. Following web accessibility guidelines helps education and government sectors live up to commitments to serve all citizens, making communities richer. Prioritizing accessibility for older users isn’t just considerate – it’s sound policy and practice.
Here are some helpful tips tailored for assisting age-related disabilities:
Support Aging Vision
Allow font size customization up to 200% without loss of content or function
Use high contrast colors and avoid purely visual cues
Provide adequate color contrast (WCAG conformant)
Design simple, clean page layouts that reduce visual clutter
Accommodate Declining Dexterity
Make clickable elements large and spaced apart
Ensure forms and other functionality work with keyboard access
Provide adequate time limits and ways to request more time
Compensate for Reduced Hearing
Allow audio and multimedia content volume control up to 200%
Provide transcripts for prerecorded audio content
Don’t rely solely on audio cues; use captioning and other redundancies
Address Cognitive Changes
Avoid long paragraphs and blocks of text
Break up complex processes into clear, logical steps
Use plain language and provide guidance within text
Minimize distractions and avoid crowding pages
Remind users of previous steps to aid memory
The Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) guidelines address functional limitations associated with both disabilities and aging. Implementing criteria from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG), and Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) improves access for older cohorts.
WCAG compliance tackles many barriers introduced by age-related disability. But consciously addressing common vision, motor, hearing and memory issues older adults face takes websites a step further in accessibility, ensuring education and government sites don’t leave them behind.
Since 1975, WVNET has played a pivotal role in providing centralized computing services to all public higher education campuses throughout West Virginia. Later expanding to support K12, state and local government bodies as well as non-profits; the evolution of WVNET Telecommunications continues to mirror the broader advancements in networking technologies.
In the 1970s, the landscape of networking underwent a significant transformation with the proliferation of Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) technologies utilizing packet-switched methodologies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_switching
LANs were initially designed to interconnect computers and peripherals within confined areas like schools, offices, or campuses. The subsequent connection of LANs through WAN technologies paved the way for the integration of these networks into the burgeoning Internet.
During this period, various LAN technologies vied for standardization, but Ethernet, developed around the same time as the Internet in 1973-74 at Xerox PARC, emerged as the dominant and ubiquitous LAN standard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet
For nearly 50 years, as technology advanced, WVNET Telecommunications adapted to the changing landscape and escalating data transmission speeds. In the early days, bandwidth and throughput was measured in bits per second (bps), and typical home and small office modems operated at speeds ranging from 300 to 56,000 bps. To serve WV’s rural communities, WVNET established a distributed statewide dialup modem pool, accessible to anyone with a telephone land line. At its height this modem service had over 18,000 customers. K12, College and University staff and students were, for the first time in history, able to access the Internet and school/work-related resources. This was truly the beginning of The Information Age for most West Virginians.
Technologies such as T1 through T5 (1.544 to 400Mbit/s) were created to push more and faster data across telephone lines, with DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) allowing up to 140 Megabit per second to home users. Channeling and multiplexing were introduced as methods to send multiple signals or streams of information over a single, shared medium. Eventually, phone lines were abandoned for dedicated point-to-point circuits using coaxial cables and fiber optics.
Today, the average WVNET customer typically connects via a 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) connection (1,000,000,000 bps), with some utilizing multiple 10 Gbps (10,000,000,000 bps) connections.
To meet the ever-growing demand for bandwidth and improved throughput, WVNET is on the verge of completing its Transit Ring upgrade. This upgrade signifies a shift from multiple bundles of 10 Gbps circuits to multiple 100 Gbps circuits. This enhancement will ensure more bandwidth availability and faster throughput for data transmission. Having these larger data ‘pipes’ available will also mean increasing bandwidth to and from our dual upstream ISPs will take just hours instead of weeks.
The continuous evolution of WVNET’s infrastructure showcases its commitment to meeting the ever-expanding connectivity needs of its customers in West Virginia.
Systems Update
Cybersecurity Awareness
Phishing continues to be the top choice for cyber attackers.
Phishing involves deceiving people online to gain access to information. It tricks them into giving sensitive details using fake messages, often pretending to be important people or falsifying urgent situations. There are many different types of phishing but here are some top threats to look out for:
Spear Phishing: Spear phishing targets a specific group or type of individual such as a company’s Human Resources department.
Whaling: Whaling is like spear phishing but is an even more targeted type of phishing that goes after the “whales” of an organization such as the CEO, CFO, or any other CXX employee.
Smishing: Smishing is an attack that uses text messaging to execute the attack.
Search Engine Optimization Poisoning: With this method, hackers work to become the top result on a search engine. Clicking the link within the search engine then directs you to the hacker’s website where they can then steal your information as you interact with the site and/or enter sensitive information.
Some ways you can protect yourself:
Don’t rush to click on links or files. Review all links and files carefully.
Double-check messages with another means of verification such as contacting the supposed sender via another means of communication.
Don’t post too much information online.
Be very careful with emails you believe are suspicious.
Visit websites directly instead of clicking links received by email.
Use multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
Use a password manager for generating and storing unique passwords.
At WVNET we utilize a few additional methods for helping to keep ourselves protected from phishing attacks such as a robust email filtering system as well as doing regular simulated phishing attacks and training for all staff.
Chris Freeman
April 2, 2024
Telecommunications Specialist
“Who is Chris Freeman? you might jest. Chris embodies the skills and expertise reminiscent of a small breed of modern-day renaissance technicians.”
Above, in quotations, is a joke. Maybe before your time.
Since December 1998, Chris has been an integral part of the WVNET Telecommunications Department. Initially stepping in as the primary field technician, Chris has journeyed to every county courthouse and college campus that WVNET has ever supported. His hands-on experience is vast: from installing modem chassis, routers, and switches to maintaining an array of communication equipment.
In his current capacity as the Telecommunications Specialist, Chris wears many hats. Not only does he install, remove, and maintain essential hardware and systems, but he also plays a pivotal role as the Data Center lead. Here, he extends his expertise to mentoring newer technicians, ensuring top-notch customer service, troubleshooting both in-house and on-site, managing phone systems, and addressing the diverse needs of the Data Center.
It’s worth noting that Chris took the lead in installing WVNET’s internal communication cabling—a testament to his hands-on involvement and dedication.
On the personal front, Chris has shared his life’s journey with Laura Freeman since their union in August 1996. Together, they have built a blended family, boasting five children and five grandchildren.
