Information Solutions

Following recent changes, we can now use MS Teams for video conferences without logging off the Justice network. MS Teams can now also be used for Protected A communications and documents.

The Justice and Government of Canada networks are experiencing heavy traffic due to the increase in employees working from home during the COVID-19 situation. In response, the Information Solutions Branch and Shared Services Canada are taking measures to maximize internet bandwidth in order to support remote work and prioritize network access tied to critical operations, accounting for the high demand on the network. Please consult the information below for tools, resources and best practices.

New: Did you know that you can connect multiple calls using the most common mobile devices at Justice, without a dedicated teleconferencing number? Here’s how.

On this page

Network capacity and best practices

As the number of Government of Canada employees working remotely is significantly higher than usual, you may have difficulties connecting with these services, or experience performance issues while connected.

To reduce the strain on the network and help all Government of Canada employees work more effectively from home, you are encouraged to:

Working Offline

For information on working on a document while offline, see the DW Team FAQ.

Connecting to Justice

Ways to connect

Connection quality

A few factors can impact your ability to connect and the quality of connection. Keep these in mind if you are having difficulty connecting to the network:

Communication with colleagues

ISB appreciates your patience and understanding as we have all attempted to adapt to working remotely over the past several weeks. Department-issued mobile devices such as iPhones, Samsungs and BlackBerries can provide you with access to email from home, as well as secure instant messaging up to Protected B for those with access to the BlackBerry Messenger Enterprise (BBME) application. BBME also allows for one-on-one video and audio conversations up to Protected B.

Government of Canada teleconferencing and videoconferencing services are also available, along with Webex, some of which can be used from your personal computer to avoid the corporate network. Please consider the following information when deciding on the best collaboration options available to you.

GC Teleconferencing

GC teleconferencing or multi-way calling from your Justice smartphone (iPhone / Samsung) or Webex should be used when videoconferencing is not essential.

Note that audio conferencing when using mobile phones (personal or Justice-issued) should be restricted to unclassified / unprotected conversations.

Conference calling on Samsung Galaxy 8

  1. From the home screen, tap Phone.
  2. Enter the number you would like to call and then tap the green Phone icon. Person A will pick up.
    • To call a number from your contacts, in the contacts app, enter the first few letters of their name and then tap the contact in the displayed list. Tap the green phone icon.
  3. Tap +Add Call. This will put Person A on hold.
  4. Enter the phone number of the second person and then tap the green Call icon.
  5. Tap Merge.
  6. To end one of the calls, tap the arrow beside Conference Call.
  7. Tap Drop beside the call you would like to end.
  8. Tap the End Call icon to finish the conference call.

Conference calling on Apple iPhone 8

  1. From the home screen, tap the Phone icon
  2. Tap Keypad
  3. Enter the number you wish to call and then tap the Phone icon
  4. To call a number saved to your phone, tap Contacts
    • Tap the contact you wish to call and it will begin the call immediately
  5. To Add a Call
    • Tap the contact you wish to add or enter the number you wish to call the same way as above
  6. Tap Merge Calls
  7. To end one of the calls, tap the info icon
  8. Tap End below the call you wish to finish
  9. Tap the End Call icon to finish the conference call

Videoconferencing

Initiated externally

Courts, Tribunals and other external organizations may insist on using cloud-based applications. If you must attend the meeting, please note:

  1. 3rd-party applications like Zoom, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, and non-Enterprise Skype are not recommended. If used, any communication should be at the unclassified level.
  2. Do not install the application on your Justice device. Join using your Internet browser instead using the in-browser option.
  3. Request a password-protected meeting if possible to avoid unwanted participants.
  4. Note that some applications allow the host to record and share the meeting without participants being aware.
  5. Protected documents for meetings should still be sent via encrypted email.
  6. Avoid sharing restricted documents on the screen.

Initiated by Justice

For videoconferencing with other Justice employees or external parties, ISB is rolling out Microsoft (MS) Teams as the approved corporate solution. MS Teams will allow you to conduct teleconferences and videoconferences, chat with your team members, and share information without needing to connect to the Justice network. Information should be at or below the Protected A level while ISB makes security improvements to the system. An announcement will follow once these security improvements are complete.

If you have not yet received an email for your MS Teams account, please contact the Justice Teams onboarding team via email at O365@justice.gc.ca.

Email

Webmail

When connected through GCSRA on your work laptop or tablet, you can reach Microsoft Exchange Webmail in a web browser at the following URL:

https://webmail.justice.gc.ca/owa/

Webmail service requires less bandwidth, and can provide alternative access to your email if Microsoft Outlook is unresponsive or slow because the network is overloaded with traffic.

Note that Webmail does not support encrypted emails.

Outlook

If you are not connected to the Justice network through GCSRA or JUSaccess, you will not be able to access Webmail. Here are some tips to help lessen the risk of Outlook issues during high-traffic periods:

  1. Manage your inbox
    • Delete emails that you have already actioned and are not of business value. You can go a step further and delete similar items from your Sent folder.
    • For emails of business value, move attachments over to the DW to reduce the size of the email on Outlook.
    • Regularly empty your Deleted Items folder.
    • Use DW links instead of attachments when sending emails, especially to large groups.
  2. Disconnect PST files
    • PST files are personal folder files used to store archived emails related to your Outlook profile, and they are most likely stored on the network server, To save bandwidth, disconnect all PST files. Only connect to PST files when needed.
    • For instructions, see How to close/open a PST.

Help Centre / New Justice Service Desk

The Information Solutions Branch is phasing in a new Justice Service Desk.

You will be notified by email when you are being phased into the new service.

Until then, please continue to use the National IT Help Centre at 1-877-365-3375 or by email.

Unsure? Consult the Digital Workspace (DW) for more details.

IT Security

Phishing is the act of sending mass emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, but contain malicious links or attachments. Recently, phishing scams have been used in attempts to impersonate various health agencies. For more information on how to recognize and avoid these scams, visit Cyber Hygiene for COVID-19 by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

Records Operations and Library Services

Library staff are working off-site. Employees can continue to contact the Justice Library by email or the AskUs request form to receive research support as well as for help accessing digital resources.

Records technicians will be providing services remotely. Physical retrieval of files and on-site assistance will be limited, but we will address urgent requests. Please continue to contact records services in your region for support.

Access Quicklaw, Westlaw and more – anywhere, any time

You can access major online research databases from any device with Internet access. You do not need to be connected to the Justice network.

The easiest place to start is iFolio, the Justice library’s catalogue on the web. Many of the links in the Online Access menu will work for you anywhere.

For Justice’s paid subscriptions, you may be prompted to log in with your library card. If you don’t have it handy, just send a message to AskUs@justice.gc.ca.

Library Services can also help you to register for new personal accounts to specific research databases. With your own account, you can log in directly to the following websites:

The sites listed above are just some of the e-resources that the library can help you to access from home. Library Services is in the process of improving your access to even more online sources. Stay tuned!

Mail Operations in the NCR

The mailroom will remain open and continue to ship and receive materials. Internal mail delivery, however, will not be provided and mail will need to be picked up. All those who receive parcels requiring signature will be contacted by email for pick-up at the mailroom.

Stay productive while working remotely

The Information Solutions Branch (ISB) recognizes that you and your team depend on IT tools to stay connected and accomplish your work. They take their responsibility for facilitating your work seriously, and they are always looking for better solutions to meet your needs and those of the Department.

To ensure that we can all collaborate effectively during the COVID-19 situation, the Department is now implementing Microsoft (MS) Teams for all Justice employees.

What is MS Teams?

If you are familiar with Skype for Business, available on the Justice network, MS Teams is an improved off-the-network alternative.

Like Skype for Business, you will be able to see someone’s availability, group chat, private chat and share your screen. MS Teams will also allow you to audio and videoconference. Videoconference through the platform is also available to outside clients and is accessible through a web browser without any installation.

MS Teams can be accessed from a web browser, desktop application or mobile app. You will be able to connect on your work smartphone, your own personal devices (phone, tablet, laptop and PC) and work laptops connected to the Internet (without being connected to the Justice network via GCSRA or JUSaccess). If you need help getting started with MS Teams, please take a look at our FAQ or QuickStart guide.

Getting Started with MS Teams

What is MS Teams and why are we being asked to use it?

The Information Solutions Branch (ISB) recognizes that you and your team depend on IT tools to collaborate effectively during the COVID-19 situation. MS Teams allows you to see someone’s availability, group chat, private chat and share your screen (similar to Skype for Business). MS Teams also allows you to audio and videoconference.

You will be able to access MS Teams on Justice-issued devices (laptop, tablet, smartphone) and your own personal devices (phone, tablet, laptop and PC) when connected to the internet.

MS Teams is the approved corporate solution for videoconferencing, and it has certain built-in security protocols. Wherever possible, MS Teams should be used instead of other similar tools. Discussions and information stored and exchanged using the various features of MS Teams should remain at or below the Protected A level. Justice is working with Shared Services Canada to make additional security enhancements and certify this tool for information up to Protected B.

I haven’t received an invitation. Help!

By now you should have received an email from O365@justice.gc.ca with your MS Teams account information, including a Microsoft email and password, as well as training resources and information about who to contact for assistance. If you have not received this email, please contact the Justice Teams onboarding team at O365@justice.gc.ca.

Can I use it for Secret documents? Is it subject to ATIP?

Before you get started, please review the Terms of Use for MS Teams (link available on the Justice network). MS Teams can only be used for Protected A or lower information and communications. If you need to share sensitive documents, have a meeting or chat with a colleague about sensitive information, you must use the secure Justice network. All information created and stored in MS Teams is subject to the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

If you are unclear about which types of information are classified, please review the Classified Information definitions.

I have my invitation and login. What’s next?
  1. Click on this link: https://teams.microsoft.com
  2. Type the account address provided above under account information.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Type in the password, provided above under account information.
  5. Click Sign In.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Select the authentication method Authentication by Phone.
    1. Select your country or region.
    2. Enter the phone number at which you wish to be contacted each time you log in.
    3. Click Next. The system will call you at that number. When you answer you will hear the following message: “Thank you for using the Microsoft’s sign-in verification system. Please press the pound key (#) to finish your verification.”
    4. Press # on your telephone.
    5. Click Done.
  8. Update your password. Make sure it is secure.
  9. Click Sign In.
  10. Select Yes to stay signed in – this will save you from signing in again later. The main page for Office 365 appears.
  11. Double click on the Teams icon. The Microsoft Teams download page appears. You are ready to begin.
I have a personal MS Teams account. Can I also use it for work?

No.

Does MS Teams work with BlackBerry?

No. Only Android (Samsung) or iOS (iPhone) cellular devices are supported.

Should I download it to my laptop? My work phone? Both?

We strongly recommend that you download the Windows application to your laptop or desktop computer. If you have a business need, you can also download the mobile app to your smartphone.

Note: Please sign-off the Justice Network (GCSRA (Cisco AnyConnect) or JUSaccess) before downloading to your laptop or desktop computer.

Why can’t I create a team? How do I make a new channel?

Some features, like creating teams and channels, are not yet enabled at Justice. Once videoconference, teleconference, and chat functions have been rolled out to all of Justice through this application, we will begin to set up Teams. If you wish to create a team once this feature is available, please complete this form (link available in MS Teams) and advise any associated colleagues. This will help minimize duplicate requests.

Don’t I need to create a team in MS Teams to chat with my team?

No. You can create a group chat with all of the members of your team or working group. It can also be useful to create a separate group chat for people working on a specific project, for example.

To start a conversation with an individual or group, click New Chat, type the name of the person or group in the To field, write your message, and click Send.

How do I create a meeting in MS Teams? Why doesn’t it sync with my calendar?

If you create a meeting from the New Meeting function within MS Teams, it will not send or sync invitations to your Justice Outlook calendar, nor in others’ Justice Outlook calendars. For this reason, it is best to schedule meetings from within Outlook. Open Outlook on your Justice computer and go into your Calendar. In the Home tab, click on New Teams Meeting to make a meeting. To join the meeting, simply click on the link that is generated in your meeting invitation.

Due to the rapid deployment of MS Teams, there was not enough time to fully integrate MS Teams with the Justice email system. For this reason, it is best to follow the above guidance.

How can I hold meetings with stakeholders outside of Justice? Is this similar to WebEx, where anyone outside Justice can participate in a meeting as a “Guest”?

Yes, MS Teams has the same functionality. Add the stakeholder’s email to an Outlook meeting invitation, and MS Teams will generate an email with all the required information. Users who do not have MS Teams will connect as a Guest. The meeting organizer or another presenter will need to admit Guests to the meeting in real time, as they join.

I need more help understanding the features of this software. Is there training available?

The following training documents are available once you have successfully signed into MS Teams. If you are unable to sign in, please email O365@justice.gc.ca.

We are also working with “Super Users” in each organization across the Department. These users receive enhanced training in order to better support you. If you have any questions after going through the resources available, please contact your Super Users through email or MS Teams chat. A list of Super Users is available here.

How can I record using MS Teams?

This feature is not enabled at Justice Canada.

I am representing the Department of Justice Canada or the Government of Canada in a meeting, court proceeding, etc. Where can I get the official backgrounds for these video conferences (MS Teams and Zoom)?

You can find the approved backgrounds for Justice employees representing the Department or representing the GC for a meeting, litigation, etc. in the Forms and Templates section on JUSnet. These images work for both MS Teams and Zoom. Please note there are versions where the Government of Canada or Justice Federal Identity Program logo is in English first and versions where the French is first. As with any official communication, use the language that is appropriate to your regional office or, as a LSU employee, your host department.

What is a phishing scam?

Phishing scams are emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, but contain malicious attachments or links. Due to public concern around COVID-19, there is an increasing number of phishing attempts referencing the virus. The following are examples of recently reported phishing scams.

The Government of Canada’s Get Cyber Safe blog has numerous resources on phishing to help you recognize and avoid these scams.

Additional resources

There are many online resources available to help you stay safe online during COVID-19.

Fact sheets

Training

For non-IT practitioners

For IT practitioners

I’ve received a phishing email. How do I report it?

Please send spam emails as attachments to the spam-pourriel@justice.gc.ca mailbox immediately upon receipt using the following process.

From your Outlook inbox

  1. Open a new email message.
  2. In the To field, type spam-pourriel@justice.gc.ca.
  3. In the Subject field, type SPAM.
  4. From the Insert Menu, click on the Attach Item button.
  5. In the Insert Item dialog box, select the message you wish to attach, make sure the Insert As option is set to Attachment and click OK.
  6. Click the Send button.

If you accidently open the attachment to this particular SPAM email, do not continue to work or try to resolve any desktop issues. Instead, immediately shutdown your workstation and contact the Justice National Help Centre at 1-877-365-3375 or by email.

How can I protect my personal devices and home networks?

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, is offering Canadians a free, protected Domain Name System (DNS) service called Canadian Shield. This new service will prevent access to malicious websites that might infect devices or steal personal information. For more details, see Canadian Shield - Sharing the Cyber Centre’s Threat Intelligence to Protect Canadians During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

JUSaccess – Getting Started

What is JUSaccess? How does it work?

JUSaccess is a secure web gateway that allows authorized users to access the Department of Justice network remotely. One of the advantages of JUSaccess is that it can be used securely on non-Government devices, such as a home computer. If you are already using Government of Canada Secure Remote Access (GCSRA/Citrix), you do not need to use JUSaccess.

To log into the JUSaccess website, you will need four things:

  1. Your Department of Justice user ID
  2. The password to your Department of Justice user ID
  3. A PIN generated using your CRYPTOCard/SafeNet token
  4. The JUSaccess URL (https://jusaccess.justice.gc.ca)
Figure 1 described below

JUSaccess login screen.

Each time you press the activation button on your CRYPTOCard/SafeNet key chain token, the token will generate and display a unique PIN. This PIN provides your authentication when you log in to the JUSaccess website.

How do I get a CRYPTOCard token?

If you do not have a token:

It’s my first time logging into JUSaccess. What do I need to know?

The first time you log in, you may be prompted to install the Citrix Receiver. Your browser might prompt you to allow Citrix to run on this webpage, which you must do in order to continue.

Figure 2 described below

Citrix Receiver screen with prompt to Detect Receiver.

  1. When prompted, download and then Run/Open the Citrix Receiver installation.

    Figure 3 described below

    Citrix Receiver screen. Click “I agree with the Citrix license agreement” then “Download”.

    Figure 4 described below

    Citrix Receiver screen. Click “Continue” to download the Citrix Receiver, then “Run” to install it.

  2. When the Citrix Receiver installer opens, click “Start” to continue.

    Figure 5 described below

    Citrix Receiver installation screen. Click Start.

  3. Accept the License Agreement and then click “Install” to proceed.

    Figure 6 described below

    Citrix Receiver installation, license agreement screen. Click “I accept the license agreement” and then “Install”.

  4. Once the installation has completed, click “Finish” to exit the installer.

    Figure 7 described below

    Citrix Receiver Installation Successful screen. Click Finish.

Back on the Citrix Receiver download page, you can now click “Continue” to proceed to the JUSaccess home dashboard.

When you are ready to log out of JUSaccess, click on the arrow next to your name in the upper right of the dashboard, then click “Log off”

Which applications will be on the JUSaccess dashboard? What if I need to access a different application?

The JUSaccess home dashboard will display all of the applications available to you. Click on an application to launch it, and click “Allow” if prompted.

Figure 8 described below

JUSaccess home dashboard screen displaying various application icons.

If you require an application that is not displayed in your home dashboard, please contact the Help Center to request the application. The Justice National Help Centre can be reached at (613) 957-HELP or 1-877-DOJ-DESK (365-3375), or at help.centre@justice.gc.ca.

I lost my CRYPTOCard token. What do I do?

Treat your token as you would treat a credit card, a bank card or any other computer equipment. Do not give it to anyone and do not leave it unattended. If your token is lost or stolen, contact the Justice National Help Centre immediately to have the token disabled and request a replacement.

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