As part of its incident remediation plan and ongoing efforts to prevent future cyberattacks, Georgia Tech’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) will soon allow for access to TechWorks and TimeOut through only the Georgia Tech campus networks and the Institute’s virtual private network (VPN). This move to reduce the risk of exposure for web-based services goes into effect Thursday, Aug. 8.

“In light of the recent security incident involving our student information system, it is important that we take steps to secure this system and others that connect to our business critical systems,” said Jimmy Lummis, Georgia Tech’s chief information security officer.

Students, faculty, and staff can currently access TechWorks and TimeOut from any computer network. This change would require individuals who are not connected to a Georgia Tech campus network to first connect to the campus VPN before attempting to open web applications. The remote, secure VPN connection ensures that users maintain the privacy and confidentiality of their data regardless of their location by adding an extra layer of security for off-campus users as they leverage web-based services to send and receive data.

Georgia Tech offers VPN service through the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, which is available for Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems. It is also available for mobile Apple iOS and Android devices. To get started with the campus VPN, visit faq.oit.gatech.edu/content/how-do-i-get-started-campus-vpn.

A video demo and additional information regarding the transition can be found at b.gatech.edu/vpninfo.