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Orange Online: October 2025 Student Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on October 2, 2025.

Orange Online at a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Claude Enterprise Now Available to All

All students, faculty and staff now have access to Claude Enterprise, an advanced AI assistant from Anthropic. Claude supports research, streamlines tasks, sparks creativity and enhances teaching and learning—advancing our goal of being the most digitally connected campus in America.

Key features include:

  • Higher usage limits for academic work
  • Shareable Projects for collaboration
  • Ability to process 500-plus page documents
  • Learning Mode to support academic integrity
  • Privacy-first design to keep your data secure

With Claude in everyone’s hands, our community is better equipped to explore new ideas, collaborate in fresh ways and build the skills to navigate and shape an AI-driven future. Get Claude now.

AI Panel Discussion

Join us for AI at Work on Oct. 9 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium (and via Microsoft Teams). This session will explore the safe, ethical, and effective use of generative AI. Register.

Generative AI Tools

Ready to put AI to work? This video shows you how to access Claude, Copilot, and Gemini with your NetID, explore key features, and use them safely to boost productivity and research.  Video.

Change to Proxy Account Process

As of Oct. 3, students must re-establish proxy accounts using the proxy’s personal email—proxies cannot do this themselves. Once set up, proxies will log in with their email and multi-factor authentication (MFA) (no more separate usernames/passwords). Each student requires a unique email for their proxy. Special instructions apply if the proxy is also a Syracuse University employee. Step-by-step instructions are on the Proxy Access Answers Page, and questions can be sent to help@syr.edu.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Notes From the CISO’s Desk

Chief Information Security Officer, Chris Croad, highlights how AI is becoming part of everyday life at Syracuse University. He emphasizes using approved tools, protecting sensitive data and staying alert for AI-powered scams and embracing AI’s potential—safely and securely. Read Letter.

Cyberattacks and Higher Education

A June 2025 breach at Columbia University exposed Social Security numbers and other sensitive data, showing how vulnerable even major institutions can be. ITS protects our community with strong defenses, but your role matters too. Use unique passwords, enable MFA and stay alert for phishing. Learn More. 

Empathy Is the Superpower in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and passwords—it’s about people. Mistakes happen, but responding with empathy instead of blame builds a stronger, safer campus culture. By supporting one another, asking questions and reporting issues quickly, we protect both our data and our community. Stay Protected. 

Password Security: Why Strong Credentials Still Matter

The massive RockYou2024 leak exposed over 10 billion passwords—many weak, reused, or unchanged for years—reminding us how easily attackers can break into accounts. Protections like MFA and monitoring help, but using long, unique passphrases and update old passwords is the best defense. Secure Passwords.

Tech Tips Weekly

Stay connected and ahead with Tech Tips Weekly—for quick, practical advice to make the most of campus technology. Each week, our new newsletter delivers easy-to-follow how-tos, timely service updates and insider looks at the newest features, tools and resources. Subscribe. 

Digital Accessibility Tip

Alt text helps convey the purpose of a chart or graph, and pairing it with a text or tabular alternative makes your data far more accessible. Using patterns or labels instead of relying on color alone is also key. Visit Accessible Charts and Graphs for more tips. Office Hours.

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Tech Tips: September 2025 Faculty/Staff Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on September 11, 2025.

At a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Continue Reading

Orange Online: September 2025 Student Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on September 11, 2025.

Orange Online at a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Upcoming Change to Proxy Account Process

Beginning Oct. 3, the process for proxy account holders to access student information via MySlice will change. Current account holders must update their access after this date and new account requests will follow the updated process. Details on the new process are available on Answers. If you have any questions, please reach out to help@syr.edu.

You’re Invited: AI Panel Discussion

Join us for AI at Work on Oct. 9 from 1–2:30 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium (and via Microsoft Teams). This session will explore the safe, ethical, and effective use of generative AI. Register.

Tech Tips Weekly Newsletter

Tech Tips Weekly is a brand-new weekly newsletter from ITS that brings you helpful how-tos, the latest service updates and inside looks at new features and resources. Subscribe.  

Digital Scholarship Space

Graduate student Dylan Caskie G’25 leads an engaging tour of the Digital Scholarship Space located on the fourth floor of Bird Library. This video is a firsthand look at the innovative tools and collaborative spaces available to support digital research and learning. Video. 

Adobe Express Student Access

Adobe Express for Higher Education is free for all students, faculty and staff. Easily create professional-quality graphics, videos and documents with built-in templates and tools including Photoshop Express, Premiere Rush and Spark Video. Perfect for projects, social media and presentations. Learn More. 

Digital Accessibility Tip: Accessibility from the Start

The Fall term brings fresh opportunities to create content that’s accessible to all. Visit the ITS Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) website for tips and tools to help you build with accessibility in mind, and drop into virtual office hours for focused support. 

Information Security Tip: Password Awareness

Avoid errors like writing down or sharing passwords, and strengthen your defense with a password manager, multi-factor authentication, and strong, unique logins. With smart habits, you’ll stay ahead of cybercriminals and keep your digital playbook safe. Learn More. 

Interactive Campus Map

Explore our comprehensive campus map at maps.syracuse.edu, where you can sort locations by type (buidings, parking, etc.). Click “Wayfinding” and select “Show Only Wheelchair Accessible Routes” to find wheelchair-friendly paths. Maps. 

ITS Service Center

Have a tech issue or campus account question? The ITS Service Center is your go-to for support. Call 315.443.2677, email help@syr.edu, visit us in person in the Women’s Building, chat online or submit a request. Learn More. 

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Notes From the CISO’s Desk

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming part of everyday life at Syracuse University. Faculty are using it to accelerate research. Staff are exploring ways it can improve processes and efficiency. Students are experimenting with it to learn, create, and problem-solve in new ways. AI has the potential to open doors we’ve only just begun to imagine. 

With that opportunity comes responsibility. Just like email, cloud computing, and mobile devices transformed how we work and learn, AI brings both benefits and risks. The good news is that with a few mindful practices, we can make the most of this technology while staying secure. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind as we embrace AI on campus: 

  • Use the right tools. The University is investing in licensed AI platforms that are safer and more reliable than consumer-grade, free alternatives. Using approved tools helps protect both your information and the University’s data. 
  • Protect your inputs. AI is only as safe as the data you give it. Avoid entering personal information, student records, or confidential research into any AI system unless it has been cleared for that use as shown in the University’s Artificial Intelligence Guidelines. 
  • Stay alert for “AI-powered” scams. Just as we use AI for good, attackers can use it to make their phishing emails, phone calls, and fake websites more convincing. The basics still apply: slow down, double-check, and verify before acting. 

AI is an exciting part of Syracuse University’s future, and your awareness helps us use it responsibly. By combining innovation with security, we can lead with confidence—showing not just what’s possible, but what’s possible safely. 

Thank you for being part of this journey. 

— Christopher Croad
 Chief Information Security Officer
 Syracuse University 

Password Security: Lessons Learned from 10 Billion Passwords

In the summer of 2024, news spread quickly across the security world: a leak called RockYou2024 had spilled more than 10 billion passwords onto the internet. Imagine that number for a moment, 10,000,000,000. Billions of keys to people’s digital lives, some fresh, some stolen long ago, sitting in a massive pile for anyone to sift through. Many were laughably simple, like 123456 or qwerty. Others were reused again and again across accounts, unlocking not just one account but entire chains of them. Some had been left unchanged for years, quietly waiting for someone to take advantage. 

The danger wasn’t theoretical. Attackers armed with even a fraction of those passwords could break into email, bank accounts, or university systems. From there, they might steal data, send convincing phishing messages, or move deeper into sensitive networks. RockYou2024 wasn’t just another breach, it was a reminder of how much damage weak habits can cause. 

At Syracuse University, the InfoSec team works hard to make sure that one careless password doesn’t open the door to bigger problems. Multi-factor authentication acts like a second lock, so even if a password leaks, it can’t easily be used. Security monitoring spots strange patterns, like impossible travel or repeated login attempts, and the team moves fast to contain threats. Password rules are in place to make guessing harder, and ongoing awareness campaigns remind the community not to fall into the trap of reusing the same old credentials. 

But the truth is, technology alone can’t carry the load. Each of us has a part to play. Choosing a long, unique passphrase, something quirky and personal like Otto!Has2Dance, adds serious strength to an account. Updating old or weak passwords cuts off opportunities for attackers and enabling MFA wherever possible slams the door on many account takeover attempts. 

The RockYou2024 breach showed just how vulnerable predictable human behavior can make us. Yet it also showed how preventable much of this is. Stronger habits don’t just protect one person; they protect the entire Orange network. Security is only as strong as its weakest password. By locking down yours, you’re helping to safeguard the whole community. 

 

Contact the ITS Service Center if you need help. 

Visit securecuse.syr.edu for more information on security practices at Syracuse. For assistance, call the ITS Service Center at 315.443.2677 or email help@syr.edu.