Campus Community,

This is an important reminder regarding the upcoming end of life for Microsoft Windows 10. As of October 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for Windows 10.

For the security of our entire campus network, the University does not permit computers that are not supported to connect. Running Windows 10 past this deadline poses significant security risks to your data and the University’s systems.

The UofM Information Technology Services (ITS) team has proactively identified approximately 1,000 remaining University-owned computers that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 and must be replaced or decommissioned by October 2025. We have been working with your departments for replacements.

If your department has been notified that you have affected computers, please prioritize working with your Local Support Provider (LSP) immediately to assess these machines and determine if they need replacement, decommissioning, or to schedule an operating system upgrade.

Please contact your LSP to address any questions or if you believe you have an affected computer. Your prompt attention to this matter is essential for maintaining a secure and functional campus environment.

We appreciate your proactive cooperation in this critical security initiative.

Dear campus community,

On June 23 at 6:00 a.m., ITS will update the security certificates for the UofM wireless network. After the update, everyone will need to accept the new certificate to continue using the wireless network. When connecting to the network, you will receive a notification with a prompt to trust the certificate. This process must be repeated for each device. Example screenshots are included below.

macOS (Click Continue. You may be prompted to enter an administrator password.)

Windows (Click Connect)

iOS (Tap Trust)

Suppose you experience any issues accepting the new certificate. In that case, you can try the following steps: forget or delete the connection settings on your device for the campus wireless network, restart your device, and then create a new connection. For more information on connecting to campus wireless networks, please visit the Wireless Network Information page in the ITS Service Catalog.

This information is being provided ahead of the change so that the certificate prompt will not be perceived as unexpected or malicious. 

For assistance with this or other technical issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or call 901.678.8888.

Due to changes in Microsoft’s Office 365 service, course email groups will no longer be available starting with the Summer 2025 semester. These were groups named for the course number/section/term and used for sending emails to an entire class (e.g., PSYC1030001.2023F[at]memphis.edu). Microsoft is limiting the availability of these groups, so they can no longer be used for course emails. Faculty using these groups for class communications should identify alternatives, such as Teams and Canvas messaging, to communicate with their classes as a whole. If you have questions about email groups or need assistance, please contact the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or submit a service request.

Dear Campus Community,

For many of us, the fall semester’s end means holiday travel and time away from work and studies. As you enjoy the winter break, please keep in mind the following tips to help protect your personal information and University data:

• Lock away documents and devices — especially any with sensitive information — before leaving your campus or home workspace.
• Vehicle break-ins are more frequent this time of year. Don’t leave phones, computers, or other valuables in your car.
• Be wary of “too good to be true” offers: gift cards, lottery winnings, job opportunities, etc.
• Don’t click unexpected links or attachments. Scammers use fear and anxiety to trigger impulsive reactions. Stop and think before responding to any email, call or text.
• Beware of requests for personal or account information, especially from unknown sources. ITS will never ask for your password.

Forward suspicious emails to abuse@memphis.edu, and immediately report any lost devices or unusual account activity — such as unexpected Duo prompts — to the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or 901.678.8888.

Best wishes for the holiday season and a safe and productive 2025.

Jeff Delaney
Chief Information Officer

Dear campus community,

In recent weeks, a service called Read AI—aka Read Assistant or simply Read—has come into use among Microsoft Teams users at the UofM. The service joins Teams meetings, records all content and emails summaries to the participants. In order to access the full notes, users must create their own Read AI account. Read AI then attempts to join all Teams meetings of the new user. Through this method, Read AI is able to quickly propagate throughout an organization.

Read AI’s terms of service violate IT6005 – Data Security Policy and IT6010 – Data Privacy Policy. As such, Read AI will not be allowed on University accounts, devices or services. On Nov. 1, ITS will implement measures to prevent the expansion of Read AI among UofM users.

If Read AI requests to join your Teams meeting or to interact with another service, please deny the request. Delete any Read Assistant meeting summary emails or other messages prompting you to create a Read AI account.

ITS is currently evaluating services that could provide similar tools as Read AI while complying with University requirements. The availability of any such approved service will be communicated to UofM users through normal channels.

If you have further concerns about Read AI or other technology needs, please contact the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or 901.678.8888.

Jeff Delaney
Chief Information Officer

Campus Community,

As you may be aware, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of October 2025, affecting many computers across campus. Due to significant security concerns, the University does not allow any unsupported computers on the campus network.

To prepare for this change, the UofM Information Technology Services (ITS) team has conducted an inventory of University computers that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 and must be replaced prior to the Windows 10 support expiration date. This includes an estimated 2,500 computers. The affected departments have been notified, and we encourage everyone to work with their Local Support Providers (LSP) to determine if these items need to be replaced or decommissioned.

While ITS is prepared for these changes, it is also essential that departments across campus take the appropriate action over the next 15 months to update the necessary equipment ahead of the deadline to avoid disruption for employees.

Please contact your LSP with any questions. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

To ensure prompt installation of software updates in compliance with University policy, all University-owned devices must be restarted/rebooted at least monthly. System updates often include critical security patches. ITS staff will follow up with individuals to assist with securing their devices when necessary.

ITS recommends weekly manual restarts to ensure the best security. Browsers and Microsoft Office/365 updates should be applied when available. Please visit our Updating Your Devices webpage for information on how to apply updates to University software and systems.

ITS is monitoring compliance in the application of updates and patches and may administratively force system restarts if necessary.

Thank you for understanding and for your support in our efforts to protect the University infrastructure.

For more information about rebooting your device and other best practices, visit the IT Security Policies and Guidelines webpage. If you need assistance with this or any other technology needs, contact the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or 901.678.8888.

Dear Campus Community,

Information Technology Services (ITS) is excited to announce that the University of Memphis will be transitioning to a new myMemphis portal on May 10, 2024. The new portal will provide a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for accessing campus resources, services, and information while ensuring a consistent experience across devices and platforms. Users will have access to identical information whether they are using the University mobile app or accessing the portal through a web browser.

The new myMemphis portal will offer a modern design, improved navigation, and enhanced functionality, including the ability to customize layouts and easily search for and find resources. To help familiarize users with the new portal, a user guide has been created that outlines features and provides instructions on how to navigate the new system. You can access the user guide at the following link: Portal User Guide.

Please note that the current myMemphis portal will be decommissioned on May 10, 2024, and all users will be automatically redirected to the new portal. We encourage you to review the user guide in advance to prepare for the switch.

Note: The new portal is available today and can be accessed at portal.memphis.edu.

By Aug. 12, the UofM will have completed the transition to Microsoft Teams as our primary conferencing service. You can read more about that change, including answers to common questions, on our Zoom to Teams Transition webpage.

As part of this transition, you will be assigned a conference phone number and secure PIN. This number will enable any meeting participant to attend a Teams meeting via phone call.

On Wednesday, April 10, you will receive an email from Microsoft Audio Conferencing <maccount@microsoft.com> with the subject, “You now have Audio Conferencing for Microsoft Teams – Here is your dial-in information and PIN”. No action will be required from this email; its purpose is informational only.

The email will also contain detailed information about joining meetings via phone. This is an additional service that is only necessary if any meeting participants choose to attend via phone call. Your unique and confidential PIN is only needed if you are the first to join the meeting and are doing so via phone call. All other aspects of Teams meetings (e.g., connecting via computer or mobile device) will remain unchanged.

If you would like to attend training for Teams, visit the UM3D Teams Training page. For all other questions about Teams, please contact your Local Service Provider or the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or 901.678.8888.

Over the weekend, AT&T reported a major data breach of both former and existing AT&T customers. Millions of AT&T’s customer records — including personal information such as name, address, phone number, DOB, SSN, etc. — have been published on the Dark Web.

You may have already been alerted by AT&T, a credit bureau, your bank, or a credit card company. If you are a current or former customer of AT&T, ITS recommends the following action if you have not done so already:

• Change your AT&T password immediately | It is not recommended that you use the same password for multiple sites, but if you did, you should change the password on those sites as well.
• Setup alerts on your bank account, credit cards, and the three major credit bureaus | Banks and credit card companies all have different ways in which to set up alerts. Please consult with your financial institutions on the best way to accomplish this.
• Freeze your credit | Freezing your credit greatly reduces the chances that someone will open a new account or credit card in your name if they have stolen your personal information.

To freeze accounts and set up fraud alerts with the major credit reporting companies, please contact each one of the credit reporting companies below.

• Experian: experian.com/freeze/center.html
• Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
• TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze