The following was sent out to campus via ITS. If you have any questions about the materials please use the links in the article.

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Sent on behalf of Information Technology Services. Please do not reply. 

Desktop Administrator Access Limitations Coming October 18th 

As part of a long-term UM System initiative to secure the digital assets and information of the University, UMSL ITS is working to limit the use of administrator-level accounts on computer workstations. This is a key step in reducing the risk of malware and ransomware on our computers and in our sensitive data stores.

Beginning on Oct. 18, all administrator-level accounts on Windows-based University-issued computers will be reduced to standard users. Standard users have limited access to install software, which reduces the risk of malware or anything else potentially harmful and creates a much safer computing environment.

ITS provides the Software Center platform for installing commonly used software applications at your convenience, without requiring administrator permissions. If you are having issues installing or configuring software, please contact the Technology Support Center for assistance at help.umsl.edu.

As always, it is the goal of ITS to enable our users to be as productive as possible while keeping a secure/stable computing environment. As times change and the world changes, we must change and adapt as well to keep our systems up to date. We appreciate your support as we continue our mission to protect your personal and professional information and strengthen IT security.

We have designed Desktop Limitations FAQ Page and the Software Center Webpage as resources to help guide you through this process.

For additional questions or assistance, please contact the Technology Support Center at help.umsl.edu.