Technology Interruptions Information for Employees

Information Technology Services has brought the employee general desktop on the Central Piedmont Cloud back online.

Starting today, you can log in to the Cloud on your personal device to access some of the college’s tools/services, including Microsoft Office and network drives (such as U: and H: drives).

If you have not used the Central Piedmont Cloud before and are not sure if your device can access the Cloud, how to properly connect to the service, and more, please follow the instructions outlined on the Getting Started with the Central Piedmont Cloud page. Some other helpful Cloud resources include:

• Using the Cloud
• Getting Started with the Central Piedmont Cloud (video)
• Central Piedmont Cloud users Webex group

If you have trouble accessing the Cloud and its applications, contact the Information Technology Services Help Desk at 704.330.5000 or via online chat. Visit the main technology interruptions page for the most up-to-date details on the Help Desk's availability.

This week, you have received instructions to access your email and calendar via Google. Many of you are already familiar with Google software. If you are not familiar with Google products, or you prefer a refresher on using Google software for work, visit Getting Started with Google Workspace.

This Getting Started with Google Workspace site was created by Human Resources' Talent Development to assist with the transition to Gmail and Google Calendar.

On the site, you’ll find& information on how to use Gmail and Google calendar, including links to video tutorials for topics such as scheduling events and responding to email.

For those with a basic understanding of Gmail and Google calendar, we have also included intermediate tutorials to customize your use of your inbox and outbox. The site will also teach you how to create a new email signature and share your calendar. Please use this resource as you see fit.

In addition, we are pleased to offer the open labs to support employees.

The college is ready for you to reactivate your Central Piedmont username. To do so, you need to follow these steps to create a new password:

1. Visit the Activator Application.
2. Select “Continue.”
3. Enter your college ID, choose your account type, and select “Claim.”
4. Enter your personal information, which will prove to the app that you are who you say you are.
5. If you successfully enter your personal information, a congratulatory message will appear confirming your user account has been reactivated. You can now log in to Google Gmail, Google Workspace, Google Calendar, Brightspace, and Panopto.
6. If you don’t enter your information correctly, you’ll get a message requesting you come to Central Campus to complete the account reactivation process in person.

Once you're in your new email, be sure to create your email signature using the approved employee email signature.

Last week’s cyberattack impacted many of the college’s main communication channels and learning platforms. The Information Technology Services (ITS) team has been working to bring those tools back online, where possible, in a secure and deliberate process to ensure the future safety and reliability of the college’s technology systems.

ITS is helping you reactivate your Central Piedmont username so you can access to Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), which will now include Gmail as your email platform, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and other collaborative tools. This will also allow you to get access back to cloud-based tools like Webex, Brightspace, and Panopto.

Please be on the lookout for a message with instructions on how to reactivate your Central Piedmont username, as this is a good step forward in our ability to reconnect as a college.

One of the biggest changes that have resulted from the cyberattack is we are moving from using Microsoft Exchange to Google’s Gmail as our email platform. When you’re able to access your Gmail email account, you will have up to 30 days worth of previous email in your inbox. As always, it’s imperative that you do not open any unknown or suspicious emails.

Sadly, due to the cyberattack, we cannot retrieve your email archives, calendar information, or contacts. We know this is very tough news to process, and it will be difficult to deal with this loss of data. It's an unfortunate situation, but the cyberattack has left us no other option. We understand this is a big change from the Outlook tool we’re used to using each day, but it is the most efficient way for the college to reopen its main channel of communication, which is email. We appreciate your patience as we move forward with Gmail.

Please share this update with your teammates and direct reports to ensure everyone is in the loop.

• This week, the vast majority of college employees will not come to campus, and will work remotely as best they can. Systems that you have to log into with your Central Piedmont credentials are offline. If you were logged into Google Drive or Webex Teams when the cyberintrustion happened, you might have access to those tools. If so, be sure not to log out — you won't be able to log back in until we get systems back online.
• Some select classes will meet on campus. The faculty members teaching those classes are communicating class information to their students.
• As ITS works to restore our network systems, it's possible more employees will be able to return to campus the week of February 22. Keep checking this page for updates.
• Our campuses remain secure thanks to the good work of the College Security Services Team and our Allied Universal colleagues.

• Brightspace resources
• Conquer Brightspace document

• It's possible media representatives might try to contact college employees through social media and other channels to comment on the ransomware attack and our recovery efforts.
• If you are contacted by a media person, please direct them to Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations (CMPR). Many media representatives already have the mobile phone numbers of CMPR team members. CMPR is also monitoring the college’s social media channels and will respond to any questions from news media.

As always, be careful in opening any suspicious emails or emails from anyone you don’t know — these could be phishing attempts. Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know. Remember, Central Piedmont will never ask for your password or any personal information through email or text.

IT security tips

Remember, McLaughlin Young, our employee assistance program provider, can be contacted at 800.633.3353 or 704.529.1428.

Request a McLaughlin Young EAP appointment online.