Due to global trends and other emerging threats to information security, UNM IT is making a focused effort on accelerating improvements to its security controls in 2021-2022.

The first update, based on industry best practices, enhances the safeguards protecting LoboMail accounts by using Sender Policy Framework (SPF)* to help prevent email address spoofing. These changes apply only to UNM LoboMail (unm.edu) users and will not be made to the security controls for HSC accounts or other email accounts that are not managed by UNM IT.

What does this mean for you?

Beginning Nov. 29, 2021, in an effort to further protect LoboMail users, emails that fail Sender Policy Framework (SPF) will automatically be quarantined instead of going to the user’s Inbox or Junk Mail Folder. Users will receive a message that an email is quarantined. While this approach has been proven to be very effective at protecting against malicious emails, it can result in false positives.

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an Internet standard protocol (RFC 7208) recommended by the Internet Engineering Task Force to help prevent spoofing by using “From” addresses to determine if an email came from a source approved by the sender's domain. The receiving email system then processes the email based on the SPF information returned by that domain.

See FastInfo 7900 for detailed information on addressing email quarantine notices. If you believe the email was sent to you by a legitimate sender, contact UNM IT Customer Support Services at 277-5757 to the request the release of the email for delivery to your Inbox. Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The second update is the implementation of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) on University workstations and servers. EDR detects and responds to identified threats which enables better visibility into emerging information security events. UNM IT is in the process of deploying EDR on University-owned computing devices. See FastInfo 7902 for additional information.

Due to the healthcare nature of the Health Sciences Center, there are variations to services and support for HSC students, faculty, and staff. If you have questions regarding HSC technology services, contact the HSC Service Desk at 272-1694 or HSC-CIO-notices@salud.unm.edu.