Important Security Update: New End-Point Protection, Cortex XDR

From: Office of Information Technology 
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023 6:59 PM
To: Faculty and Staff
Subject: Important Security Update: New End-Point Protection, Cortex XDR

Dear Faculty and Staff,

In recent months, cyber-attacks disabled thousands of computers at other CUNY colleges, disrupting their business operations. We are anticipating an annual surge of cyber threats that typically occurs during the holiday season. In response to these hazards, in collaboration with CUNY, we are fortifying our information security measures.

Over the next few weeks, we are transitioning to a more advanced malware endpoint protection solution called Cortex XDR from our existing Trellix (formerly McAfee) solution. To provide effective coverage, this will require deploying the Cortex XDR software on all campus workstations and laptops, including Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers.

Cortex XDR offers two advantages over our previous solution:

• Enhanced Threat Detection: cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning integrate with the college’s network firewall to provide a higher level of protection against evolving threats.
• Improved Visibility and Response: enhanced visibility enables our OIT support staff to easily identify and coordinate responses to security incidents more rapidly and effectively.

For college-issued desktop computers and servers, your local CCNY IT support staff will remotely perform the installation of Cortex XDR and removal of Trellix remotely; in some cases, a site visit from an IT technician may be required. The new agent icon, represented by a green shield with a green check mark, may appear on your computer as shown below:

This transition should require one action on your part: once the installation has completed, when prompted, restart your computer.

For college-issued laptops, we are making arrangements to provide on-site and possibly remote installation services after the Thanksgiving break.

This change is an integral part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen our cybersecurity infrastructure and ensure the safety and privacy of all campus resources. For more information on these security initiatives, please visit the IT Security website: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/iso.

If you encounter any issues during the transition, please reach out to our Service Desk at servicedesk@ccny.cuny.edu or (212) 650-7878. Thank you for your continued support.

The Office of Information Technology