Working From Home With Technology
Welcome to our 鈥榃orking from Home鈥 page for 成人大片 staff. Keep an eye on this page for news and updates on working from home.
滨罢顿厂听飞补苍迟蝉听to make it easier for our 成人大片 people to work,听别诲耻肠补迟别听and collaborate from home, using technology. This means that some processes听尘补测听change, as we听颈尘辫濒别尘别苍迟听颈尘辫谤辞惫别尘别苍迟蝉听and additional solutions.
Remember that the University鈥檚 policies and procedures continue to apply to all staff when working from home. This includes:
- our obligations as 鈥榩ublic officers鈥 under the Independent Commissioner for Corruption Act
- our obligation to identify, disclose and manage conflicts of interest
- our obligation to use University IT equipment and systems in accordance with the IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- our obligation to maintain a safe place of work under the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- a commitment to the Code of Conduct and policies establishing standards of appropriate behaviour and conduct for University personnel.
Tips for Working from HomE听PERSONAL IT PURCHASES听听Personal听Furniture Purchases
If there is an听IT tool or software听you need, or you find that something isn鈥檛 working quite like it used to, check on this page, as there may be an update that answers your query!
Are you using Zoom for teaching or meetings?
Zoom is a video communication tool that enables you to participate in meetings or conferences and host online learning environments. If you're using Zoom, please visit the Using Zoom at the 成人大片 page to learn how to use it safely. Key points include:
- practice using it with a friend before running a class or meeting
- check that your version is current and your settings are appropriate
- create meetings with passwords
- keep control of screen sharing
- if you want to record the session, and apply appropriate information protection guidelines to the recording
- don't use a Personal Meeting ID (PMI)
, online training and detailed information are available if you want to know more.
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Getting started
There are a few little things that you can do in preparation for working from home or off campus.
You will need to have Internet access on your digital devices to be able to work collaboratively from home.
We have created the听
If you're ready to get started, make sure you've logged in to your computer听and gone through the following steps before you leave the office.
Software
If you are planning on working from home, you may want to prepare by downloading software on your work computer.
To be able to download software from the Software Center (windows users) or Mac Self Service (Mac users) you need to be connected to the University network. Here are some collaborative software options听that we recommend:
- Zoom Client听& Zoom Outlook听Plug-in
- Box
- Cisco Jabber
- Global Protect VPN (replacing Cisco AnyConnect)
If you did not get the chance to download your collaborative software tools prior to leaving the campus, you can still access them online:
Zoom
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- For more information, check out the 听and use Zoom more effectively, including maintaining security during meetings and classes.
Box
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- For more information, visit the .
Cisco Jabber
- For more information, visit the .
Laptop or desktop?
University owned laptops are the preferred device to use when working from home. Please听ensure you have logged into the laptop from within the University at least once prior to taking it home.
If no other options are available, you can either take your University desktop machine home to work on, or have your desktop configured to allow you to remote connect to it from home.
If you chose to remotely connect to your desktop, please be advised that it may become unavailable if it does not reboot correctly or the University reduces power to your office. If you do not have a laptop, we recommend following the steps to allow you to take your desktop home, rather than configuring it for remote connection.听
There are steps you need to take before you leave in order for your desktop computer to work off-site:
- Call the Service Desk (ext 33000) and provide:
- the Host Name of the computer (find it within 鈥淪ervice Desk Info鈥漮n the bottom right of your taskbar听or check the sticker placed on the machine)
- your staff ID (your "a" number)
- Service Desk will enable the computer for use at home
- When instructed, reboot the computer
- Service Desk will check that your settings are correct for working off-site
- When instructed, reboot the computer a second time
- Service Desk will confirm the process has worked correctly and you can then take the desktop machine to work from home.
You may also need to take you network cable home with you, as most desktop computers听do not have wi-fi. Make sure this cable is long enough to reach from your computer to your modem.
These are the steps to take to configure your desktop to allow you to remotely connect to your computer:
- Ensure that you wish to remotely connect to a computer that you have logged into previously while on campus. You will not be able to remote access a computer on campus that you have not logged into previously.
- Contact the ITDS Service Desk on 08 8313 3000 or log a request via the .
If you will be using a personal computer to work from home, ensure you have updated anti-virus software and all the previously mentioned tools installed. We recommend you log in through ADAPT (see below) if using a personal computer.
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Preparing to work from home
Take home any physical items you need, including:
- Laptop*
- Laptop charger
- Keyboard (if wireless including the USB)
- Mouse (if wireless including the USB)
- Docking station
- Paperwork you may require
*It is preferable to use a University-owned laptop to work from home, but if no other options are available, you can take your University desktop machine home to work on. If you do so, you may also need to take your network cable home with you, as most desktop computers do not have wi-fi. If looking at this option, refer to the section above ('Getting Started')听for important information you will need.
Tasks to complete before you leave campus may include:
- Determine if VPN is required, and register
- Think about your ergonomic set up at home - do you need special equipment?
- Install software on your computer
- Remove any perishables
- If you have plants or other living things, think about the impact of your absence on them
While working from home:
- Be patient with yourself and colleagues
- Understand that the Internet and virtual meeting tools may be really slow if multiple people are working from home
- Be clear who is responsible for each task
- Arrange regular catch ups with your team
- Discuss with your team how you will primarily communicate 鈥 Jabber, Zoom, email, Box
- Discuss who will take over responsibilities if someone in your team gets sick
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Do you need ADAPT or VPN?
Many people won't need to use ADAPT and VPN, but both听can support us in accessing some of our software systems and network data.听We recommend using ADAPT if you need to access specific software or files on University network drives.
ADAPT
ADAPT allows staff to work safely and securely as you would if on campus. It allows you to mimic your desktop to access software and files.
If you are using a personal computer, we recommend you log in through ADAPT to do your work.
Find out more about听ADAPT听and access the setup guides.
Virtual private network (VPN)
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows us to create a secure connection from home to our University network over the Internet. It is a way for us to protect sensitive data and provide us with privacy in the work that we do because it encrypts what we send and receive.听
The University has moved to a new VPN service called GlobalProtect which is replacing Cisco Anyconnect.
GlobalProtect VPN utilises our new Okta login and multi-factor authentication methods for a more streamlined and secure login experience. You have likely already enrolled a device in Okta MFA so once you download the GlobalProtect VPN, you are ready to go!
For download and usage guides, please find more information on accessing the Virtual Private Network.
You can determine if you need to use either ADAPT or VPN based on the software systems' required access.
There is a limit on how many staff can use VPN at the same time. If you are not actively using VPN, please ensure you have logged out. This will ensure that essential systems like student administration, finance and payroll can continue to operate effectively.
Some of our more common systems and the recommended way to access them if there is a large group of staff working from home are listed below. If the application you are听听looking for is not on the list below, have a look at this听more detailed .
Online - Cloud Based Either VPN or ADAPT Box PeopleSoft Zoom FreezerPro Jabber (once downloaded) ePro MyUni Cognos Access Adelaide HPECM (records management) Echo360 Cherwell Aurora 听 Figshare 听 LabArchives 听 Researcher Profile 听 CAPS 听 HR approvals 听 Research Master 听 Genomic Data Repository 听 Phoenix 听 CRM (Web browser) CRM (Client) Jira 听 -
Setting up your space
Human Resources has helpful information on working from home on the听working from home procedure page.
Most important to note is that:
- Your work environment/work station is fit-for-purpose and is in accordance with the workstation ergonomic guidelines
- You abide by University polices and the Code of Conduct
- You abide by health, safety and wellbeing responsibilities
- You report any injury from an accident while working from home听
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Keeping data and devices safe and secure
When we are working from home or off-site, we need to be more vigilant with the security of our University information. The Secure IT page contains a lot of useful information but here is a quick summary:
Using email
See the email at home tab below.
Working online
The being safe online page gives us some tips about working online including information about using our personal computers.
The four main tips for browsing practices are:
- Turn off browsing features you aren鈥檛 using
- Make sure you鈥檙e at your intended destination
- Download content only from websites you trust
- Stop and think before you enter your password into a website
If we are working from home, these tips become particularly important, especially if we are doing our University work using our personal computers.
Online tools we can use
There are a few little things that we can change to make it easier for us to听work collaboratively from home. For example, the University has provided all staff and students with access to some online collaboration tools.听
Two that you may want to get started with (if you aren't using them already) are:
- Box: to create, edit and save your files.听For more information on Box - see 'accessing documents'听
- For further information, visit the .
- Zoom: an online video tool that can be used for meetings, classes and talking with colleagues.听For more on Zoom, see 'communicating with colleagues'听
- For further information, visit the .
These tools offer a more secure option than emailing documents to each other.
Protecting your data
At the University we work with a large quantity of data. We have mentioned a few of the alternate data access options above, should you be working off-site. They are ADAPT, VPN, Box and Zoom. These should be enough to get you started in secure environments.
The IT Security team has provided us with a range of valuable information about protecting our data. For now, you can听review the information in managing data.
Note that sensitive University data shouldn't be stored in personal cloud storage or portable storage such as USB drives.
Securing your account
To summarise the securing your account information, be sure not to share your password with anyone. And if you need to share files in an online environment, use University-endorsed tools such as Box. In Box, you can create, edit, manage and monitor who has access to your files.
Working near others
Working in public places may expose sensitive information through documents being visible to others and phone or Zoom calls being overheard. In terms of both social distancing and information security, you should only work from home, avoid taking work to public places such as cafes and libraries, and avoid using public WiFi hotspots. Use only your work computer for handling sensitive data, as it has appropriate security measures in place.
Using your own computer
Your work laptop is set up with appropriate security against viruses. Use only your work computer for handling sensitive data, and avoid accessing risky websites and sensitive data on your personal computer. If using your own computer, you can find out about installing and updating security software on the being safe online page, under the Personal Computers tab.
Protecting your devices
As we rely more on mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones, there's a greater risk of loss, theft or damage. Please be aware of the physical security of your devices as well as the data security.
University Property
If you have taken home any University property (e.g. lap top, computer, monitor, mouse) please ensure you bring items back to work when campus re-opens.听Generally speaking, University equipment should not be used by other members of your household.
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Email at home
Most of us are used to using the Outlook desktop app to access our email. Opening our email is probably the first thing we do when we arrive at work in the morning.
Did you know that 91% of all emails received by the University are spam? If you want the IT security team to be able to continue to protect and support you and your email security, you should continue to use your University email account when you are working from home.
If you're not using your usual University computer you can access your emails through ADAPT or VPN, but we recommend using the to keep ADAPT and VPN licences free for those who need them.
Using the web-based version of Outlook means that you can access your University email from anywhere at anytime, if you have a browser and an Internet connection.
Accessing the web-based version of Emails
- The easiest way to log-in is by visiting the听ITDS email page, or
- From the quick links (top right of听the UoA听webpage)听select 'University Email'. Scroll down听and click on 鈥Login to Staff Email and 颁补濒别苍诲补谤鈥
- Otherwise,听from the menu across the top of the UofA webpage, click on听Staff and then click on 鈥Mail and 颁补濒别苍诲补谤鈥 in the left side menu
The web-based version looks听a bit different to the desktop version, so you may want to keep the handy.
You can also refer to the .
Our top tips
- If your emails look out of order, check your 'sort by' options in the filter. Changing the filter ensures that you see emails in the order you want.
- If you work听from multiple inboxes, you can open a shared inbox using this guide on opening another mailbox.
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Communicating with colleagues
Talking to and communicating with your colleagues is slightly听more difficult when you鈥檙e working from home. Thankfully, we have several tools that will help you keep in contact with you colleagues.
ITDS has developed a webpage with details of the collaboration tools available at the University.
You can make phone calls from one device to another from home using Cisco Jabber. Zoom and the Cisco Jabber chat function are also available and will be a useful way to communicate with your colleagues.
- Email 鈥 if the question/conversation isn鈥檛 too urgent, send an email.
- Cisco Jabber for phone conversations 鈥 if you are using a University laptop you will already have Jabber installed. If you are using a personal device, visit the 听for steps on how you can download and install Jabber. Further information about how to use Jabber to make calls, including a video demonstrating how it works, is available in the Cisco Jabber self-help guides.
- Cisco Jabber for chat conversations 鈥 you can also use Cisco Jabber as an instant messaging service. So, if the person you want to contact is online, they鈥檒l get your message immediately. The chat function is good for asking quick questions and having informal chats.
Meetings and classes
If you want to have a conversation with someone, Zoom is going to be your best tool. It works much like a Skype or Messenger video call.听Zoom uses the camera and microphone in your laptop or mobile device and allows multiple participants to communicate. You can also听share your screen and give presentations, just like you would in a real meeting. You can turn video off, but seeing each other while you talk is a great way to stay connected when you're off-site.
Zoom can be accessed on your mobile phone, your tablet or your laptop. If you have already downloaded Zoom on your work laptop, you can click to open the app; otherwise you can听log into the 听using your University email and password. You can听join a Zoom meeting听with just audio, or audio and video.
ITDS has created some 听and use Zoom more effectively, including maintaining security during meetings and classes.
Learn more about听Zoom web conferencing.
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Accessing documents
Accessing your files saved in the network drives (such as s:/ and u:/)
Here are some different听ways to access your files and work from home:
ADAPT
ADAPT mimics your work desktop, so that you can open all of the software and files on your work computer as you usually would. However, accessing files may seem slow.
VPN
You can access the network drives through the Virtual Private Network (VPN).
If you need to access your information through VPN, we ask that you are mindful that there are limited licenses for staff use at one time.听Please ensure you log out whenever you are not actively using it.
Box
Box is the approved online cloud storage platform for our University documentation. You can easily save, access and edit Microsoft Office documents through Box. Work teams may decide to transfer their working documents from a network drive (eg S: or R:) to Box to support cloud based working.
- You can learn more about Box in the Storage Options page
- Log into with your University user name and password
- Learn more about safely sharing your data with others in Box
If you are new to Box, open the 鈥楪etting Started with Box鈥 folder after you log in,听and work through the guides and videos.
While using the online version of Box we recommend you also 鈥業nstall Box Tools鈥. The easiest way to find Box Tools is to start to open a Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint document, then when clicking on 鈥榦pen鈥 (in the top right corner) click to 鈥Install Box Tools鈥.
For files that are not part of the Microsoft Office suite: Box will store them, but you will need to have the relevant software on the computer you are trying to access them from.
In Box, there is a file size limit听of 32GB, but an unlimited storage amount.
Watch this with some top tips to getting started with Box.
Remember - our University storage options are only provided for University-related study and work.
Microsoft Office
If you are using a University computer, the chances are that you already have the Office products. If you need to use your personal computer but don鈥檛 have the software installed yourself, you can access Office 365.
This is where you鈥檒l find about how to download Microsoft Office 365 on your personal computer.
Other software
If you need to work on your own personal computer, there is some software provided for staff. You can find out about the available software on the software for staff 鈥 personally owned page. Some of the software is free, some is available at a reduced cost under our University agreement.
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Work phonecalls and call forwarding
If you鈥檙e working offsite, you don鈥檛 have to miss calls to your work number: you can have them forwarded to an external number. If you are at work (or have a colleague able to assist), you can use your desktop phone handset to forward calls to an external number, or you can do this using the Self Care Portal. You can find self help guides for both options听.
You can also use the Self Care Portal remotely to set call forwarding for your work phone number, but you will need to be connected to the University VPN to do this. Some university staff are on PABX phone systems and will not be able to do this remotely, so if you are able to do it on your handset onsite (or have an onsite colleague do it for you), this is recommended. If you need to have calls forwarded, and have not been able to do this onsite or remotely, contact the Service Desk; however, this may take a while due to the current number of calls and requests we are receiving.
In addition, you may be able to make and receive phone calls using Jabber. All University staff should be able to access Jabber Chat for messaging (as opposed to phonecalls). If your Jabber account is also enabled for phonecalls (some are), you can use Jabber to make and receive calls on your computer, iPhone, iPad or android phone, if you have installed Jabber on the device. You can also chat and connect with colleagues via Zoom (see 鈥楥ommunicating with Colleagues鈥 above).
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Internet at home
Internet access is quite important to much of our work, and this includes working at home. There are a few different options for internet use when you are working at home. Read on for the听technology options for staff working from home - in preferred order!听
Use your home broadband internet
If your data allowance is not high enough to accommodate your work at home, check with your home internet provider as many now offer additional data听or unlimited data for free.听If, however, you still do not have enough data allowance, Increase your data plan听with your provider.听
For staff who听do not have home broadband
If you听have a work-supplied mobile phone you can use your phone's internet connection for your work at home, via activating the 'personal hotspot' function on your phone, and connecting your computer to it, as you would听with wi-fi.
For staff who do not have home broadband or a work-supplied mobile
If you do not have home broadband or a work-supplied mobile phone, you can hotspot to your听personal mobile phone.听If you do not have a sufficient data allowance on your personal phone for this, check with your mobile phone provider as many now offer additional听data听or unlimited data for free.听If your data allowance is still not sufficient, increase your听data plans with your provider.
Do be careful to ensure that you听do not exceed your personal mobile plan's data limits to avoid excessive charges.
Another option (if the above options are not viable)
You can also order a wi-fi hotspot from Optus via the听web form听and it can be delivered to your supplied address.听The hotspot device is $300 and can be charged to a University cost centre, with听an ongoing data plan for $18.18 per month with 2GB data capacity. If using this option, for any assistance regarding setup of the device please contact the听ITDS Service Desk:听there are no home visits for setup. Another option is to purchase a prepaid hotspot from a retail provider. If you are considering this option, please check with your manager before purchasing.
If you may incur additional personal costs for your internet access while undertaking work remotely, refer to the University's Guide on Reimbursement of mobile/internet charges,听which provides step-by-step instructions for reimbursement of mobile and internet charges.听听
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Specialist remote access exception request
If you require specialist remote access to connect to the University network, you will need to submit an via the (ServiceNow). This applies to applications including AnyDesk, Chrome Remote Desktop, ScreenConnect and Team Viewer. Exceptions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the ITDS Cyber Security team and approved by a senior member of your department.
If an exception is granted and no longer required, please contact Service Desk on 08 8313 3000 or log a request via the .
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Confidentiality and Privacy
We all have an obligation to protect the confidentiality of University information and records when working from home, and to ensure that we do not inadvertently breach the University鈥檚 privacy obligations in relation to any data or documents we handle.
Here are some tips to help you ensure you are the only one who accesses University information:
- keep any hard copy materials in a safe place and ensure that they are not accessed by other members of your household
- ensure you are the only one who is able to access University IT systems by keeping your password confidential and locking your computer or other device when it is not in use
- if you are using a University device to work from home, it generally should not be used by other members of your household.听 You may, however, use a University device for reasonable personal use under the IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- if you are using a personal device to work from home, ensure that it has adequate virus protection software, that all software is up-to-date, and that it is protected with a strong password
- if you are using a shared personal device, ensure that any University information is stored on official University systems only, not on the local device.听 Documents stored on the local device may be accessible to members of your household who use the device, which could result in a breach of privacy or confidentiality
- hard copy documents should be disposed of in a shredder or confidential waste paper bin, not with ordinary household rubbish.听 If necessary, retain documents until you can access campus facilities again to securely dispose of them.
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Records Management
Your work-related communications and documents are University records and should be filed and stored in a manner which complies with the State Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.听 This means you should:
- store University records on a University-controlled system or device, not a personal device or record storage system
- in most cases, continue to store electronic records using the University鈥檚 recordkeeping system, HPE Content Manager
- retain printed matter until it is no longer needed or can be provided to Records Services for archiving
- not delete emails or discard printed matter that comprise University records
- lodge contracts with Records Services for inclusion on the Legal Documents Register as per normal practice
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An important note on system demand
It鈥檚 a busy time! With more people working from home, or working differently, the ITDS Service Desk are fielding a high volume of calls.
Also, as more people from the University (and elsewhere) start working from home, there will be increased demand on IT infrastructure that is beyond our control (eg NBN, home internet connections etc) and some听 congestion issues, or slowness at times.
You can help with this, by being proactive in making things available offline, using Box (and Box drive) for file sharing, and only using the VPN for things that require it. That will help ensure easier access for all when needed!