Tech Alerts

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.

Effective Monday 3/9/26, OIRT requires a login once every 30 days when accessing Microsoft applications on FDU-issued computers and mobile devices. Upon receiving the prompt shown below, enter your FDU NetID password and complete a Cisco Duo authentication.

Entering your password for any desktop productivity application, such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel resets the 30-day period for all other productivity applications. However, Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft 365 mobile device applications require a separate login once every 30 days.

This change helps protect university data and ensures the environment aligns with current security standards. It does not affect the existing NetID password expiration policy.

On March 31, 2026, Cisco will increase the minimum requirements for using the Duo Mobile application. Most users will already meet these standards; however, confirm that both your operating system and Duo Mobile application meet the updated requirements.

First, visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and update the Cisco Duo Mobile application. After updating, verify that you are running version 4.85.0 or higher.

To check the app version:

• On iOS: Open the Duo Mobile app and tap the ☰ (menu) icon to view the version information.
• On Android: Go to Settings → Apps → Duo Mobile and review the version number listed at the bottom of the screen.

Next, confirm that your device meets the new minimum operating system requirement:

• iOS 17 or later
• Android 12 or later

You can verify your operating system version in your device’s Settings under General → About (iOS) or Settings → About Phone (Android).

As of this morning, OIRT has officially retired a legacy Unified Communications tool called the NWN Self-Service Portal. Before the implementation of Webex Calling, this portal was the primary method for adding and removing call forwarding on individual phone lines.

Going forward, call forwarding will be enabled and disabled exclusively through the Webex Application. To set up call forwarding, open Webex and follow these steps:

• Click Call Settings
• Open Call Preferences
• Select the line you want to forward
• Select Add Number, then enter the destination phone number:
  • For on-campus numbers, enter the 4-digit extension
  • For off-campus numbers, enter 31 followed by the 10-digit number

• Click Save

This Wednesday evening, starting at approximately 6:00 PM ET, FredGPT will be offline for a brief period to implement server updates and new features.

After the update, you’ll notice the following enhancements:

Streamlined User Interface

The design has been simplified for easier navigation and a more intuitive experience.

Sessions

Current and prior chats are now called “Sessions.”

Explore Agents

All published Agents (previously called Assistants) will now be listed in the “Explore Agents” section for more organized discovery.

Projects

Organize your files and sessions in one place with the new “Projects” feature. This allows you to:

• Keep all related files and sessions in a single location
• Access previously uploaded documents
• Create custom instructions for each project to tailor responses to your specific needs, such as tone, focus, or format

Memories

In your settings, you can configure Memories to guide future conversations. For example, you can instruct FredGPT to use a specific tone or format and avoid using certain features, such as dashes in responses.

These updates, along with upcoming enhancements, are designed to improve your overall experience with FredGPT.

The launch of our new SAMI Service Desk introduced significant changes to how the University community interacts with IT support, including a greater emphasis on the web-based SAMI Service Desk portal. The portal offers the best accuracy and fastest response times; however, we recognize that it may not be ideal for every situation. Support is also available by email at samisupport@fdu.edu or by phone at (973) 443-8822.

When contacting the Service Desk by phone, you will initially connect with our virtual agent. The following tips will help you navigate the interaction:

• Have your FDU ID number ready. This 7-digit number is located on your FDU ID card and is the only way we can identify you when opening a ticket.
• If you cannot locate your FDU ID number, the virtual agent can still create a support ticket on your behalf, but you will be listed as an “unidentified caller.” You may be asked to provide your name, phone number, and FDU email address so we can respond promptly.
• In most cases, contacting the Service Desk results in a ticket number being automatically sent to your FDU email address. This does not occur when using phone support without your FDU ID number, although a ticket is still created. In these cases, wait for our Service Desk team to return your call. Additional contact before receiving your ticket number may result in duplicate tickets.
• Be prepared to provide a brief description of your issue. Think of it as an email subject line. Use a few clear words such as “Unable to connect to Wi-Fi” or “Cannot access email.” Providing a long explanation may result in an unclear or incomplete ticket subject.
• You may need to respond more than once. The virtual agent will attempt to resolve your issue multiple times before transferring you to a live agent. Listen carefully to the prompts as the virtual agent works to assist you.
• If the virtual agent cannot resolve your issue and you are calling between 8 AM and 8 PM Eastern Time on a business day, you will be transferred to a live agent. Calls made outside of business hours will be placed in a queue for follow-up the next business morning.
• There is no bypass option for the virtual agent. If the virtual agent cannot resolve your issue, you will be transferred to a member of the Service Desk team.
• In all cases, a SAMI support ticket is created for your inquiry. If the virtual agent resolves the issue, the ticket serves as documentation of the resolution. If additional assistance is required, the ticket is routed to our team.