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Protect your information

Recent announcements by WhatsApp regarding their data sharing policy led to a wave of panic from WhatsApp users and a mass migration to alternative chat apps such as Signal and Telegram. But are the alternatives really safer? In today's edition we provide you with a few opinions, including an interview with South African tech guru Arthur Goldstuck.

The WhatsApp debate also highlights the importance of data privacy and sharing personal data online. 28 January was Data Privacy Day – an annual reminder that we should be careful of our online actions and continuously keep up to date with developments to protect ourselves.

May your 2021 be a bit brighter than 2020. Keep safe.

 
Maintenance 19-22 February
Information Technology will be conducting scheduled maintenance on various components of the IT infrastructure over the weekend of 19 February and some downtime can be expected.
   
Fixed internet fee now included
in network registration
At the end of 2019 the SU Council approved a new internet model. From this year the annual internet fee will be included in the network registration fee which includes the renewal of usernames.
Fortinet replaced by Citrix Gateway
Many of you have been using FortiClient VPN for quite some time to access internal University services. However, FortiClient is built on outdated technology which will no longer be the default VPN from March.
   
Every day is Data Privacy Day
 Data Privacy is just one day in the year to make data owners (that's anyone using a digital platform) aware of the importance of protecting data. However, we should be aware of the risks every day. How can you protect your data?
WhatsApp privacy policy changes:
Should you stay or go?
WhatsApp recently updated their privacy policy, which will allow Facebook to have access to its data. Eyewitness News spoke to tech expert Arthur Goldstuck to find out if it’s really necessary for users to make the move to alternatives (video).
 
 
  Government releases
its own browser
  Warning: Sextortion
scam email
Reactivate you network
access (username)
before 1 April
  Why researchers should
learn to love the
command line
  Internet unavailable on
20 February
  WhatsApp vs Telegram
vs Signal
  Beware Telegram
location-based chat
groups
  What is Signal?
  Have you opted
out of WhatsApp data-
sharing with Facebook
   
  MatiesWiFi replaced
by Eduroam
  Report junk mail or
phishing in Outlook
  Do you want to report
an error?
  IT HUB: only by appointment
  Hardware support hours
  Outlook public folders
no longer available
  Teams meeting recordings
now saved to OneDrive
and SharePoint
  What are Safe Links?
  Useful info for Teams
  Change your password
at home
   
 
  For technology news and the latest updates from us, follow us on Twitter.
 
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of the page author(s) and content contributor(s). The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Stellenbosch University. Information Technology does not endorse any of the services or products discussed in this newsletter.
 
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