CTS Blocks Virtual Network Computing Traffic from Off Campus

In order to continue to improve Duquesne’s security posture and to meet increasing compliance obligations, Computing and Technology Services (CTS) has blocked any incoming network traffic using Virtual Network Computing (VNC) to campus as of Oct. 23.

The University’s Payment Card Industry (PCI) and HIPAA compliance obligations require tight controls for remote access to the campus network, which are regularly assessed by Duquesne’s auditors. VNC is one of the most heavily targeted systems by hackers, largely due to common misconfiguration and open passwords in the systems. Due to this serious VNC risk, CTS is disabling the protocol from incoming traffic to protect Duquesne’s network environment. However, VNC still will be accessible to anyone on campus.

For remote access to campus, employees can request Virtual Private Network (VPN) access by emailing help@duq.edu. All requests will require dean/vice president and chief information officer approval.

Contact the CTS Help Desk at 412.396.4357 and reference change management ticket No. 24168.