Tech Alerts

Between Thursday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Friday, July 17 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, FDU will perform a firmware upgrade on its network access control systems.

We do not expect this maintenance to affect users. However, on-campus users may experience intermittent wireless network outages during the maintenance window. Off-campus users may also experience intermittent VPN outages.

If you have trouble connecting to the wireless network or VPN after the update is complete, restart your device.

On Tuesday June 30th, between 7AM and 9AM ET, USAN will be performing an unscheduled network hardware replacement. While our expectation is that this work will not be user impacting, please be aware that network interruptions, while highly unlikely, are possible during this window.

On June 16, OIRT announced a series of upgrades to the virtual agent used for SAMI Service Desk phone support. That update introduced changes to make the agent more conversational, with additional improvements planned. Today, we are announcing the second upgrade.

Starting June 24, the virtual agent will ask whether your inquiry relates to one of the three most common support requests:

• Resetting your FDU NetID password
• Receiving a bypass code or other assistance with Duo multifactor authentication
• Getting back into a locked or disabled account

After the virtual agent completes standard identity verification, you will hear the following prompt:

Before we get started, let me see if I can quickly point you in the right direction. What are you calling about today? Say ‘Password reset’ if you need help resetting your FDU NetID password. Say ‘Multifactor Authentication’ if you are calling about a bypass code or Duo multifactor authentication. Say ‘Locked account’ if your account has been locked or disabled. Or say ‘Different question’ if your reason for calling is not listed here.

This feature is expected to improve the virtual agent experience for these common support needs and help callers reach a live agent more quickly when needed.

Another upgrade is already in progress. We will share an update as soon as it is ready to implement.

Ordering surveys were circulated to department heads prior to the submission of desktop refresh orders. Users who have been approved to receive new desktops will be contacted by Computing Services to schedule their deployment appointments.

User attendance is required during the refresh appointment to ensure the following configurations are completed within the allotted timeframe:

• Login credentials
• Duo
• Printer requirements
• Data transfer validation
• Zoom
• Other necessary configurations

Desktops scheduled for replacement will have their data backed up and recovered by Computing Services once the appointment has concluded.

Beginning this week, Computing Services staff will begin scheduling refresh appointments and equipment pickups with department members.

The scheduling and coordination process will take several weeks. We appreciate the cooperation and patience of all community members as this project is rolled out.

Questions regarding the desktop refresh may be directed to Lisa Stadler-Kay at stadler@fdu.edu or Peter Mannarino at p.mannarino@fdu.edu.

Since launching the SAMI Service Desk in August, OIRT has been diligently monitoring performance with a focus on continuous improvement. With that goal in mind, several major upgrades to the SAMI Virtual Agent system are on the way, and we are excited to announce the first enhancement today.

Starting June 17, interactions with the SAMI Virtual Agent will feel significantly more natural and conversational. Instead of using your dial pad to respond, you can simply speak your answers based on the options provided. The SAMI Virtual Agent can understand spoken responses and performs even better when you respond using complete sentences.

Going forward, the dial pad will only be needed when entering your FDU ID number or, if applicable, an existing ticket number.

During testing, this update proved to be a major step toward a more seamless virtual agent experience. Thank you to everyone who has shared feedback about their SAMI Service Desk experience. We look forward to introducing additional enhancements in the near future.

On Tuesday evening, May 26, starting at approximately 6 p.m. Eastern Time, FredGPT will be offline briefly while server updates and new features are implemented.

What’s New

Enhanced Features and Interface

The most noticeable change is to the Large Language Model (LLM). Llama 4 will be replaced with Gemma 4, developed by Google. GPT-OSS will still be available.

This upgrade will also allow FredGPT to connect to more potential data sources as needed.

The upgrade to Self-Service has been completed and the system is now available.

Colleague Self-Service will be upgraded to the latest version beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

The system will be unavailable for approximately 90 minutes during the upgrade.

A follow-up email will be sent once access has been restored.

Starting Friday, May 22, at 5 AM Eastern and continuing throughout the weekend, FDU will be performing a firmware upgrade on our network access control systems.

This maintenance is not expected to impact users. However, during the maintenance window, on-campus users may experience intermittent wireless network outages. Off-campus users may also experience intermittent VPN outages.

The Data Security & Incident Response Team (DSIRT) is announcing a new mandatory, self-paced Cyber Security Training that takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Successful completion provides a certificate for your records.


Similar to our existing WISP course, this training is required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), our cyber insurance carrier, and external auditors. The course is critical for safeguarding data within our environment and ensuring compliance with government regulations.


This training is provided by a recognized leader in cybersecurity awareness and covers the most recent types of cyber-attacks. It will be updated annually to reflect current challenges in protecting our institution from evolving threats.


Q: When will this training become available?
In the coming days or weeks, you will receive an email titled “FDU 2026 Annual Cyber Security Training Program (Enrollment)” from noreply@training.fdu.edu. After receiving the email, visit training.fdu.edu and complete the course within three weeks.


Q: Will everyone receive it at the same time?
No. The training will be distributed to different groups over a two-month period starting this week.


Q: Is there a quiz at the end and a required passing score?
Yes. A score of 80% is required for successful completion, and you may retake the quiz as many times as needed.


Q: Is my participation being tracked?
Compliance must be reported to various entities. Your participation and successful completion of this training will be tracked by USAN.


Q: What happens if I do not complete the training on time?
Your NetID will be disabled one week after missing the final reminder. With a three-week completion window and additional weekly reminders for two weeks, this outcome is expected to be avoidable.


Q: Do I still need to complete WISP training every two years?
Yes. This program does not replace the existing WISP training, which covers Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI). Cyber Security Training focuses on identifying threats and suspicious activity that could compromise our environment.