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Are you still using the Cisco or Shrew Soft Virtual Private Network?

05 Jun 2019

In November 2017, IT Services implemented a new VPN service called GlobalProtect (or OpenVPN for some versions of Linux) and they now intend to decommission the old Cisco and Shrew Soft VPN service

In preparation for this, there will be a series of trial switch-offs during which the service will be unavailable.

These will take place between 2.10pm and 3.10pm on:

  • Monday 10 June
  • Tuesday 11 June
  • Wednesday 12 June
  • Thursday 13 June
  • Friday 14 June

Two trial switch-offs will also take place from 9am to 5pm on Thursday 20 June, and from 9am on Thursday 27 June to 9am Friday 28 June. Staff and students who have used the service during the past few months have recently been emailed twice to make them aware of this change.

The current plan is to switch off the Cisco and Shrew Soft VPN service for good, later this year.

If you need to use a VPN to access services on campus, you must use GlobalProtect. GlobalProtect is installed by default on University managed computers, but you can find instructions on how to install GlobalProtect (or OpenVPN) on your own computers, on the IT Services website: