MOAT Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to take security awareness training?
Security awareness training is important in ensuring that we are all informed about our security responsibilities. The information provided in security awareness training will benefit you in your personal and professional life as you learn about topics such as malware (viruses, spyware, etc.), spam, phishing and identity theft. The training is required annually by University Policy #6131: Security Awareness and Training and by a state mandate.

Why do I get e-mails from awareity.com or vita.virginia.gov?
Longwood University contracts with Awareity to provide MOAT (Managed Ongoing Awareness Tools) security awareness training for University faculty and staff. Messages generated by the MOAT system may come from awareity.com or vita.virginia.gov. Be sure that none of your e-mail spam filters are preventing these types of messages from being delivered to your inbox.

Who must complete MOAT?
Any faculty or staff member with a LancerNet ID must complete MOAT within 30 days of the account being created and annually thereafter. Faculty and staff must complete MOAT regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time, temporary, etc. Retired faculty and staff who keep their e-mail and portal accounts are also required to complete MOAT annually.
Non-employees (ex. volunteers, vendors) who are provided University accounts are required to complete a different security awareness training program and are contacted with details.

Who should I contact if I have questions about MOAT?
Technical Questions: Contact Longwood's User Support Services at 434-395-4357 or helpdesk@longwood.edu

Compliance Questions: Contact Information Security at infosec@longwood.edu

What will happen if I do not complete MOAT?
If you become past due in completing your MOAT training:

  • 1 Day Past Due (and until MOAT is completed): You will receive daily e-mail notices from MOAT of your past due status.
  • 2 Days Past Due: Your area Vice President will be notified that your access will be suspended if MOAT is not completed within 2 weeks.
  • 15 Days Past Due: Your access is suspended until MOAT is complete.

If your access is suspended for failure to complete MOAT you must complete MOAT from a home or public computer and call the Help Desk at 434-395-4357 to inform them that MOAT is complete. The Help Desk will inform you of when your access will be reinstated. Your access will not be reinstated immediately.

What do I need to take this training?
A Windows PC with the Internet Explorer Web Browser version 6 or higher is needed. No other browsers (ex. Firefox, etc.) or other computing environments (ex. Mac, Linux, etc.) are supported at this time. PC's can be found in the Library Information Center/Commons and other academic computing labs on campus.   

Why am I getting a blank white screen when I attempt to login?
You may have a pop-up blocker installed that is preventing MOAT from loading correctly. You must allow pop-ups from the site to complete MOAT. Click here for our pop-up test page for more information.

I thought I had completed MOAT but I am still getting notices from Awareity. Why am I getting these messages?
If you are still getting messages from Awareity then you have not completed all portions of the training. On the left-hand side of the MOAT screen see the list of modules. There will be checkmarks next to all of the modules you have completed and circles next to the modules you have not completed. You must answer all of the questions correctly and agree to all of the documents in the Vault to complete the training.

How do I print my MOAT certificate?
While you are not required to provide a copy of your certificate to receive credit for completing the training, you may print your certificate at any time after completing the training.

To print your certificate:

  1. Login to MOAT.
  2. Select the "Tools" button from the bottom of the MOAT screen.
  3. Select "View and Print My Certificate of Completion."
  4. Adjust your print settings for the certificate to print in horizontal "landscape" mode.

How do I change my MOAT password?
If you know your MOAT password, you can change your password from the “Tools” menu (see the “Tools” link at the bottom of the MOAT screen). If you have forgotten your password, click “Request a new password” on the MOAT login screen. If you use the “Request a new password” feature please be aware that the new password will be e-mailed to you, but there may be a delay in receiving the message.

Passwords must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be 8 characters in length
  • Must not be a recently used password
  • Must contain at least three of the following four
    • Lowercase letters (a through z),
    • Uppercase letters (A through Z),
    • Numbers (0 through 9),
    • Special Characters (~!@#$%^&*?;:+=_-)

I am having trouble changing my password. What could be the problem?
We have found in the past that a "cached web page" will sometimes keep responding that the password has already been utilized. "Cached" web pages are pages your web browser has visited that the browser has kept a local copy of to make future loading faster.  The problem is that you are sometimes stuck with "old" pages when viewing. 

In Internet Explorer Version 7 and above:

  • Go to “Tools” and choose “Internet Options”
  • In the “General” tab, click on the “Settings” button beneath the “Browsing History” area
  • This opens the “Temporary Internet Files and History Settings” window
  • Click on the “Every time I visit the webpage” option

General Tab of Internet Options is shown with the Settings option to choose the "Every time I visit the webpage" option.

Because you may still have those older pages available to you:

  • Underneath the “Browsing History” area, choose the “Delete” button to remove the older versions of the page that have been stored
  • In the box that appears, choose the “Delete files” button next to “Temporary Internet Files” which will remove any of the “cached”/stored web pages you have visited
  • Close your browser and then revisit the site to try again to change your password

Use the "Delete files" option underneath "Temporary Internet Files" to clear your "cached" web pages.

In Internet Explorer Version 6:
  • Go to “Tools” and choose “Internet Options”
  • Select the “General” tab and “Settings”
  • Select the “Every Visit to Page” option and choose “OK”
  • Click on the “Delete Files” button in the “Temporary Internet Files” section of the “General” tab
  • Choose the “OK” button until the “Internet Options” area is closed
  • Close your browser and then revisit the site to try again to change your password