A serious vulnerabilityhas been detected in Microsoft's Remote Desktop. Thevulnerabilitycan be exploited to run malicious code on your computer. If such an intrusion was to occur it could quickly spread throughout the university network.

The vulnerability affects computers with Windows 7 and older operating systems (on the server side, Windows Server 2008 R2 and older versions are affected).

While waiting for a security patch to be installed, IT Services has chosen to immediately block access to Microsoft's remote desktop in the university's firewalls. This means that it will not be possible to connect via Remote Desktop at all for anyone.

As soon as IT Services makes the assessment that it is safe to use Remote Desktop again, the firewalls will be re-opened.

Departments that are not affiliated with SU Workstation or have their own servers must ensure that the relevant security patches are installed. Departments with their own firewalls are recommended to take appropriate measures to block the vulnerability.

It is always a good idea to run a current version of your operating system to avoid security issues. If you are connected to SU Workstation and are using Windows 7 you can contact Helpdesk to order an upgrade to Windows 10.