Accessing Work Resources from Off Campus

Have you ever found the need to access your work e-mail, documents, or applications from home or when traveling? If so, this page points out some of the easiest ways to access your work resources when you're off campus.

Remote Desktop - Windows XP Pro and Vista

If your work computer has the Windows XP Professional or the Vista operating system, the Windows Remote Desktop function lets you log on to your work computer from most other computers that have a high-speed Internet connection. This allows you to use your work computer as though it were right in front of you to access all of your e-mail, documents, and applications. For those with Windows XP Pro or Vista on their work computers, Remote Desktop is the most comprehensive solution to accessing work resources from another computer (both on and off campus).

Remote Desktop requires some setup on your work computer ahead of time, and you must leave your work computer turned on and connected to the network in order to access it remotely. See the Remote Desktop Support Center for more information and setup instructions.

Other options for accessing work resources from off campus are listed below.

How can I access my work e-mail from off campus?

There are several ways to access your University e-mail from off campus, including Outlook Web Access (OWA), various e-mail clients such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, and others. For more information about accessing your work e-mail (Hawkmail) from off campus, click here.

How can I access my personal files and files on shared network drives from off campus?

MyFiles Basic - MyFiles Basic offers a simple web interface to your personal network drive (your H: drive) from any web browser. At this time, MyFiles is only available to students, faculty, and staff in the IOWA domain.

MyFiles Premium - MyFiles Premium provides enhanced functionality beyond the simple web interface of MyFiles Basic. This additional functionality provides a Windows Explorer or Mac folder-like view of your network space, including access to shared drives, beyond your personal drive.

Secure FTP - WS_FTP is a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program for the Windows platform that can be configured for secure FTP access to shared University network drives. It is site licensed and available to University staff on the ITS Software Download site.

How can I access software applications from off campus?

Virtual Desktop is a web-based system which allows users to access several software applications from virtually any computer with an Internet connection, on campus or off. The applications available through Virtual Desktop vary according to where you are accessing Virtual Desktop. Due to licensing agreements, some applications are only available when accessing Virtual Desktop through the University's on-campus network. See the Virtual Desktop Support Center for more information and instructions for Windows and Mac OS X access.

Security Concerns When Working from off campus

When accessing resources from off-campus, it is important to take security considerations to protect yourself and the University. Some common measures that you should take include:

Install and run updates for your computer

Install and run antivirus software.

Install and run anti-spyware software. A significant risk that people can face on their home computer is to have a "key logger" installed. This software can record keystrokes including usernames and passwords.

Setup a firewall on your home computer to protect yourself from threats on the Internet.

Backup your data regularly in the event of a hardware crash.

Setup a strong password (containing letters, numbers and punctuation) on your home computer.

Do not store sensitive data on your home computer (i.e. social security numbers, etc.) If you do have sensitive information on your computer, you should use encryption technology to secure the data.

Last Updated: 04/24/2008