Healthy Devices

Over the course of 2021, Stanford is rolling out many new technologies to Macs, PCs, and mobile devices to make computing more secure, called "Healthy Devices @ Stanford".  We'll be working with UIT to help the H&S community get new software installed and configurations in place on every computer used for Stanford work.  More information about the components of the program are below, and at: https://uit.stanford.edu/news/healthy-devices-stanford

Operating System Upgrades

Computers must meet a minimum device operating system version to remain compliant.  Devices that are below this level will not be able to get an address on the Stanford network and users will not be able to authenticate using Cardinal Keys from that device.

As of March 1, 2021 the minimum operating system versions are:

  • MacOS version 10.14 (“Mojave”)
  • iPhone / iPad version 12
  • Android version 9 (“Pie”)
  • Windows version 10

More information about upgrading Macs to 10.14 or higher

Cardinal Key

Cardinal Keys reduce or eliminate the need to use your SUNet ID and password for web-based logins and VPN connections. They will simplify your login experience while also providing stronger protection for your account.   For many members of the Stanford community, Cardinal Keys will be required to log into axess.stanford.edu, webmail.stanford.edu, and Stanford's Google Drive starting Summer, 2021.

Read our news article about the Cardinal Key Rollout in H&S

Modern Device Management

Jamf has been selected to replace BigFix for Macs and iOS devices, and the search for a replacement for Windows is ongoing.  Mac and iOS users can expect to have Jamf pushed to them on the devices they use for Stanford work in 2021.

Learn more about Jamf for Macs

Modern Email Authentication

Two-Step authentication for e-mail will be enabled for users of desktop mail clients like Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird. To ensure your email client can utilize modern authentication check the system requirements on UIT's Modern Email Authentication page.

CrowdStrike - Endpoint Protection

Crowdstrike is a new type of anti-virus software that is can prevent more varied kinds of attacks.  This has become necessary as viruses have gotten more sophisticated and can't always be prevented by traditional anti-virus software.  All devices used for Stanford work can use Crowdstrike, and we have deployed to all Windows systems that have BigFIx installed.  We will be deploying to Macs later in 2021 or you can install yourself by following the instructions at:  https://uit.stanford.edu/service/edr/mac

Read more about CrowdStrike.

CrashPlan (Code42) Automated Backups

Complete and reliable backups are an important part of keeping your work safe.  Stanford uses Crashplan (Code42) for computer backups.  There is an issue where, if a Mac has had its operating system upgraded from 10.13 or earlier, Crashplan may not be able to see or back up your home directory, though it will report 100% successful backups.  To fix this, you will need to grant Crashplan  "full disk access" in System Preferences.  Instructions are at the link below.

Read more about granting CrashPlan access to backup your files on MacOS