Dear Patriots,
Every year I get a physical at the doctor's. I get my car inspected. Every week, I do the laundry. Every day, I wash the dishes, have a healthy breakfast, and brush my teeth. Every time I take a turn or cross the street, I look both ways to make sure the coast is clear.
I have these habits to keep healthy - To stay safe.
It is no different with our technology, though the habits may look dissimilar. Every day I back up my systems. Every week I look for updates and install them. When I get an email, I check to see if it is a phish before reacting. Every year I review access settings for my colleagues.
Different habits, but the same goals – to keep my systems healthy and to keep the data and systems safe. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, what are your habits? Are they keeping you healthy? Are they keeping the things you care about safe?
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Matthew Dalton
Chief Information Security Officer
Information Technology Services
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The Digital Key Ring: Are You Still Carrying the Right Keys?
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At some point, most of us look at our crowded key rings and ask: Which keys do I still need? The same thing can happen in our digital lives. As people join George Mason, change roles, move between departments, or support special projects, they may receive access to new systems and information. Over time, some of those “keys” may no longer be needed.
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| George Mason and Microsoft Partner to Build Student AI Security Operations Center
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George Mason has partnered with Microsoft through Project Bayfield, an innovative initiative that gives students hands-on cybersecurity experience while supporting the university’s security operations. Launching later this fall, the program will create a student-powered, AI-enabled Security Operations Center (SOC).
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| Making Informed Decisions: University Data & AI
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Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot and PatriotAI can significantly improve productivity, research, analysis, and content creation. However, using AI effectively requires thoughtful consideration of the type of data being shared and the specific AI service being used.
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Cybersecurity Awareness Month: October is the annual observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CAM), sponsored by the National Cybersecurity Alliance. In observance of CAM 2026, ITS will host several events for the George Mason University community: Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026.
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Enterprise Resource Planning Assessment: George Mason University has completed the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Modernization Assessment, a major milestone in planning the future of the university’s student, financial, and human capital management systems. Completed after months of stakeholder engagement, business process analysis, and future-state planning, the assessment gives university leadership a strong foundation for making informed decisions about modernizing core administrative functions and the technology that supports them. Learn more ERP Modernization Assessment Positions George Mason for the Future.
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- (New!) Adobe Products: Over the summer, George Mason entered into a new enterprise agreement with Adobe that brought new products for employees and students. For more information on these tools and their eligibility requirements, see the Adobe Service Page.
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Employees: Acrobat Studio is the new standard Adobe product for employees and includes Acrobat Pro for all your PDF editing needs, AI Assistant to garner insights and summaries from PDFs, PDF Spaces to enhance collaboration, and the Adobe Express Premium and Firefly platforms for accelerated content creation. In addition, All Apps Pro is available by request to creative professionals who require Adobe’s professional-grade tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Premiere to perform their work duties.
- Students: Acrobat Express for Students includes access to the Adobe Express Premium and Firefly content creation platforms, AI Assistant for PDF summaries, and PDF Spaces for simplified collaboration. Students can also access professional Adobe tools, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Premiere, in campus computer labs via Shared Device Access to All Apps.
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Enterprise Data Integration Services Relaunched: ITS has relaunched enterprise integration services through a new service model effective Monday, September 21. This updated model provides a more scalable, sustainable, and transparent approach to supporting the university’s growing demand for data integration work. Under this model, approved vendor partners will perform integration design, development, and testing work. ITS will continue to provide enterprise architecture oversight, governance, quality assurance, validation, and stakeholder coordination. This approach gives the university access to specialized integration expertise while maintaining alignment with university standards, security requirements, data governance policies, strategic priorities, and project objectives. Requesting departments, projects, or sponsoring organizations will be responsible for funding integration work. Stakeholders with current or future integration needs are encouraged to review the Enterprise Data Integration Services request page before submitting a request or planning related project work: Enterprise Data Integration Services.
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Alumni Email Changes: Email service for George Mason alumni is transitioning to an email forwarding service. After multiple email solutions were offered over the years, a forwarding service was chosen to provide a sustainable and affordable solution for alumni to stay connected to the university. The new forwarding service offers an @gmualumni.org email address that forwards messages to a non-George Mason email address. This change does not affect current students or employees. Learn more about the alumni email changes.
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- Upcoming Microsoft 365 Changes for October 2026: See the ITS website for details about upcoming changes Microsoft will be making this October, including:
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SharePoint OTP Retirement: Changes to Guest Access: To create a more secure file sharing process, Microsoft is changing SharePoint sharing permissions and deprecating legacy one-time passcodes. As a result, MS Teams owners, SharePoint site owners, or OneDrive account holders may receive reports of external members having lost access to their shared data. To resolve this, the owner should re-share any file, folder, or site with the affected guest, after which guests should regain access to existing shared resources as well.
- Legacy Outlook for Mac Retirement: Starting October 2026, the legacy Outlook for Mac desktop client will cease working with Exchange Online. Users will need to switch to the New Outlook for Mac desktop client or Outlook on the Web (OWA) to check their email with the Mac OS.
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Exchange Web Services (EWS) Retirement: Microsoft will begin retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS) in October 2026, with full retirement completed by April 2027. Applications that rely on EWS to connect to Exchange Online may experience service disruptions through the final retirement in April 2027. Mac Mail (Apple Mail for Mac) is one of the most widely used applications that relies on EWS. Microsoft is working with Apple to support the transition; however, functionality remains dependent on Apple providing the necessary updates. If you are a Mac Mail user and experience issues using the application, it is recommended to switch to the Outlook for Mac desktop client or Outlook on the Web (OWA).
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| Fall 2026 AI Training Schedule
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See the AI ToolKit for training available this fall and sign up early! Additional training options will be added throughout the semester, so be sure to check back regularly.
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| Cybersecurity Includes You
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Online safety and security are shared responsibility at George Mason. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are some tips to stay safe online.
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Invest in yourself, connect with colleagues, and recharge with the George Mason community at this year's Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day on Wednesday, October 21. This year's theme, "People First, Future Ready," celebrates the people who make George Mason thrive while exploring the skills, ideas, and strategies that will shape the university's future. Join colleagues for engaging workshops, networking, and interactive sessions designed to inspire new ideas and connections. All George Mason employees are invited to participate, and supervisors are encouraged to provide flexibility during work hours so faculty and staff can attend. Register on MasonLEAPS. Visit the Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day webpage. Contact hrlearn@gmu.edu with questions.
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The October Staff Senate meeting will feature guest speaker Rose Pascarell, executive vice president and chief of staff, on Wednesday, October 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. The guest speaker will begin at 10 a.m., with the general meeting to follow at 11 a.m. This meeting will be hosted at Mason Square in Hazel Hall, Room 120, and via Zoom. Learn more.
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Flu vaccine clinics will be available across George Mason’s campuses this October. Events are open to students, faculty, and staff. If insured with Anthem or Aetna, there is no out-of-pocket cost for your flu vaccine. Most other major insurance providers cover this vaccine. Confirm your coverage with your provider in advance. If insured with Kaiser, visit kp.org/flu to locate an in-network provider. Flu vaccine clinics are coordinated by Risk, Safety, and Resilience in partnership with Student Health Services. Register for an appointment.
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Join the annual George Mason 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, October 17, on the Fairfax Campus. This year, all proceeds from the event will benefit the George Mason University Student Emergency Assistance Fund, which helps provide support for students facing a variety of unexpected financial challenges. The Kids’ Fun Run starts at 7:30 a.m., and the 5K Run/Walk starts at 8 a.m. Register.
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