The below instructions only apply when configuring your Government Mailbox on Android Devices using the Outlook application

NOTE: Microsoft Outlook Application is only supported on devices running Android Version 8.0 or later and can be downloaded from the Play Store.

1. Make sure to have the latest version of Microsoft Outlook Application downloaded and installed
2. Open the Microsoft Outlook application
3. Type in your Government email address (i.e. [email protected])
   
4. Click Continue
   
   
5. You will be redirected to fs.mita.gov.mt, where you are required to type in you Corp domain password
6. Once your domain password is typed in, Click Sign In
   
   
7. You will be prompted to verify your authentication.
   • This depends on how you enrolled;
     • Type in the Multi-Factor Authentication code received by SMS.
     • Type in the Multi-Factor Authentication code received by the Microsoft Authenticator App.
     • Click Accept from the Notification received by the Microsoft Authenticator App.
     • Press the # Key from the phone call received..
8. Once MFA Authentication is approved, you will be redirected to your Government mailbox
9. Mailbox is now successfully configured
   

All mailboxes have a 10GB of free storage. To check the remaining free storage follow the below instruction depending on what Microsoft Product you are using;

• ​Open Microsoft Outlook 2013 / 2016 / 365
• Right click on your mailbox (found on the top left hand side of the screen)
• Click on Data File Properties
• Click on Folder Size

Outlook on the web

Once you login into your email account/ generic mailbox, click on the 'gear icon', and select Options

1. The 'Options' window will prompt, on the left hand side menu, click ​My account
   
2. Under My account you will be able to see the Mailbox size as per below

The information below, explains how to correctly configure applications, scripts and document centers (such as printers/scanners) that are routing emails through MITA smtp relay service (smtp.email.local).

An email is communicated between 2 or more mailboxes, the receiver (To field) and the sender (From field), both mailboxes must have a valid email domain/ suffix. This also applies when configuring automated emails, otherwise the email will not be able to routed and will fail delivery.

The below table shows examples of a valid email domain/ suffix;

A valid smtp address is also required. The below samples show a valid smtp address;

• <pinter_floor>@gov.mt
• <server_name>@gov.mt
• <application_name>@gov.mt

1. Click the Start Button  or found in the bottom left corner of the screen
2. Type Control Panel and press Enter
   
3. From the top right set the View by to 'Large icons' 
4. click on the Mail application
   
5. A new Window will prompt, click on Show Profiles…
6. Click on Add…
7. Type in a Profile Name to your liking
8. Under the Email Account the Display Name and Email Address will automatically be generated
   
9. click Next
   
10. Once automatic configuration is done, as shown below, click Finish
    

1. Ensure internet connectivity and open Mail.
2. Add Account
3. If this is the first time opening the application, you will be presented with an “Add Account” Dialogue.  Choose “Exchange” and then click on “Continue”
4. If Mail has been already set up to access other personal mailboxes, click on “Mail” (next to File, Edit, View….) and then click on “Add Account”.  Choose “Exchange” and then click on  “Continue”
5. Insert Name and Surname in the “Name” text box.
6. Insert your Government Email Address  in the “Email Address” text box.
7. Insert your Government Email password in the “Password” text box
8. Click on “Sign In”.
9. Type in "webmail.gov.mt" as Incoming and Outgoing URL​
10. You will be presented with an error stating “Unable to verify account name or password”.  Insert your Corp username in full (Corp\surnn001001) and click “Next”.
11. Select the apps to synchronize and click “Done”.​

A recurring appointment is an appointment that is repeated on a regular basis (e.g. every Monday, once a week, every Wednesday once a month, etc.)

To create a recurring appointment follow the below instructions, depending on what Microsoft Outlook you are using;

Microsoft Outlook 

• Select Calendar icon, left section on Outlook
• Set up appointment, click New > New Appointment
• Compose appointment details, then click Recurrence button
• An Appointment Recurrence dialog will pop up
• Select the preferred Appointment Time, Recurrence Pattern and Range of recurrence
• Once finished click Ok
• Click on Save & Close to save the appointment

Microsoft Outlook on the web (webmail)

Once you login into your email account/ generic mailbox, click on the 'functions' button and select Calendar

1. Click on the  button
2. Fill in all the required details of the appointment
3. Under Repeat, select one of the conditions
   Condition Other... will give further options to repeat the calendar appointment as per below;
   
4. Click 

Calendar appointments and any documents attached to these appointments take up space from your allocated mailbox size.  To manage your mailbox size it is good practice to remove all the unwanted Calendar appointments.

NOTE: Keep in mind that once deleted from your Calendar the appointments cannot be viewed.

To delete appointments from your respective Microsoft Outlook follow the below steps:

 Microsoft Outlook 

• Open Microsoft Outlook
• Click on Calendar
• Select the View menu and click on Change View and select List
• Select the items (Sort by date) you wish to delete (Pressing CTRL+A selects all items)
• Click on the delete icon (or press the DEL key)
• To go back to the previous Calendar view select the View menu and click on Calendar.

If you delete an item by mistake and you wish to know how to recover it please click here.

Microsoft Outlook on the web (webmail)

Once you login into your email account/ generic mailbox, click on the 'functions' button and select Calendar

1. Browse the date of the calendar using one of the following (Circled in red) functions to search for the appointment
   
2. Left click on the required meeting/appointment and click on the Decline button or Cancel button
   

​

Although MITA has a SPAM filter in place, a number of such emails can still make it to your inbox. Check the SPAM, Phishing and Spoofing information in the Email - Recommendations of Use page.

Microsoft Outlook offers the facility to set a rule to automatically move such emails to a required folder. To configure it in Microsoft Outlook follow these steps:

Microsoft Outlook 2007

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2007
• Click on the Tools menu
• Select Rules and Alerts
• Click on New Rule button
• Under Step1: Select Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder
• Click Next
• Under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specific words and in the Specify words or phrases to search for in the subject: write "[SPAM] -" (without the quotes)
• Click Add
• Click OK
• Also under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specified folder and select Deleted Items folder or any other folder of your choice (note that if you select another folder you will have to delete unwanted emails manually)
• Click OK
• Click Next 3 times
• Check Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox"
• Click Finish
• Click Apply
• Click OK

Microsoft Outlook 2010

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2010
• Click File
• Click Manage Rules & Alerts
• In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, on the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule
• Under Step1: Select Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder
• Click Next
• Under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specific words and in the Specify words or phrases to search for in the subject: write "[SPAM] -" (without the quotes)
• Click Add
• Click OK
• Also under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specified folder and select Deleted Items folder or any other folder of your choice (note that if you select another folder you will have to delete unwanted emails manually)
• Click OK
• Click Next 3 times
• Check Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox"
• Click Finish
• Click Apply
• Click OK

Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2013, 2016
• In the Quick Access Toolbar under Home click on Rules
• Click Manage Rules & Alerts
• In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, on the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule
• Under Step1: Select Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder
• Click Next
• Under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specific words and in the Specify words or phrases to search for in the subject: write "[SPAM] -" (without the quotes)
• Click Add
• Click OK
• Also under Step 2: (lower part of the Rules Wizard), click specified folder and select Deleted Items folder or any other folder of your choice (note that if you select another folder you will have to delete unwanted emails manually)
• Click OK
• Click Next 3 times
• Check Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox"
• Click Finish
• Click Apply
• Click OK

Outlook on the Web (webmail)

Once you login into your email account/ generic mailbox, click on the 'gear icon' and select Options

A new window prompts, on the left side menu, click on Inbox and sweep rules

• click on the icon
• Fill in the required information as per below;
  • Name: Type in a name to identify the rule (i.e. SPAM Rule)
  • Condition: Select, It include these words > in the subject...
    • Specify words: [SPAM]
    • Click and OK
  • Action: Select, Move, copy, or delete > Copy the message to folder...
    • Select a folder of your choosing (i.e. Junk E-Mail folder)
    • Click and OK
  • Untick Stop processing more rules

  The rule conditions and actions should be similar to the below;
  

• Click button to save the rule

The rule conditions and actions should be similar to the below;

If you sent an email by mistake or after you sent it you realised that you need to modify something, there is an option in Microsoft Outlook that allows you to do so.

Note: The success of this method depends on the recipients' actions. If the recipient read the original email immediately (e.g. from a mobile device) or even after the recall attempt has been made, the original email would still have been disclosed.

To try to recall a sent message from Microsoft Outlook (this option is not available from webmail or from mobile devices) perform the following:

Outlook 2013

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2013
• Click on the Sent Items Folder
• Double click on the email you wish to recall or delete
• Click File
• Under Info select Resend or Recall
• Select Recall This Message...
• This opens the Recall Option dialog
• Select the required option
• Click OK

Outlook 2016

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2016
• Click on the Sent Items Folder
• Double click on the email you wish to recall or delete
• Click File
• Under Info select Resend or Recall
• Select Recall This Message...
• This opens the Recall Option dialog
• Select the required option
• Click OK

Outlook 365

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2016
• Click on the Sent Items Folder
• Double click on the email you wish to recall or delete
• Click File
• Under Info select Resend or Recall
• Select Recall This Message...
• This opens the Recall Option dialog
• Select the required option
• Click OK

Deleted emails or calendar items are stored in the Deleted Items folder, still taking up storage from your allocated mailbox size.

It is good practice to empty the Deleted Items folder, to free up your mailbox storage. This can be done by;​

1. ​Right click on the Deleted Items folder
2. Select Empty folder

NOTE: Emptying the Deleted Items folder, will permanently deleted all items found in the Deleted Items folder.

If by ACCIDENT you have permanently deleted emails or a calendar items, it is possible to recover them for a period of time after they have been deleted. (Retention in accordance with the Email Service Definition)

The below 2 methods will assist in trying to restore deleted items depending on whether the item is still in the Deleted Items folder or not.

Recover items from the Deleted Items folder (Applies for: Microsoft Outlook)

1. Open Microsoft Outlook
2. Browse and select the Deleted Items folder from the left-hand side menu
3. Right click on the email/ calendar item you wish to recover
4. Select Move to Folder
5. Select the folder where you need the mail to be recovered to
6. Click on Move​

If the required email/ calendar item is NOT found in the Deleted Items folder;

1. Open Microsoft Outlook
2. Browse and select the Deleted Items folder from the left-hand side menu
3. Right click on the email/ calendar item you wish to recover
4. Switch to the Home tab
5. Click on Recover Deleted Items from Server
6. Click on the items you want to recover
7. Select Recover Selected Items
8. Click OK​

NOTE: This works only if the item was deleted within the retention period. Once an item is recovered, it will automatically be placed under the Deleted Items folder

Recover items from the Deleted Items folder (Applies for: Outlook on the web)​

1. Login into your email account/ generic mailbox
2. Browse and select the Deleted Items folder from the left-hand side menu
3. Right click on the email/ calendar item you wish to recover
4. Select Move to a different folder
5. Select the folder where you need the mail to be recovered to
6. Click on Move​

If the required email/ calendar item is NOT found in the Deleted Items folder;

1. Login into your email account/ generic mailbox
2. Browse and select the Deleted Items folder from the left-hand side menu
3. Click on the Recover deleted items found on top of the emails list​
   
4. Select the required email you wish to recover and select Recover
   
   

NOTE: This works only if the item was deleted within the retention period. Once an item is recovered, it will automatically be placed under the Deleted Items folder​

Sometimes it might be required to autoforward (i.e. automatically forward) emails to another mailbox.  While forwarding to a third party email is usually not allowed for security reasons (click here for more details on Mail Forwarding to a Third Party Mailbox if you have a business reason to do so), below you can find guidelines on how to go about it for transferring emails to other gov mailboxes.

By using a rule, any received email message that match conditions specified in the rule can be forwarded or redirected to another email account. Usually it is required that all email messages are automatically forwarded (autoforwarded) to another recipient.

One must first understand that there are two different ways how messages are sent to another mailbox.

• Message forwarding: When a rule automatically forwards a message that you receive, the rule adds the designation "FW:" to the beginning of the Subject line, changes the message formatting, and forwards the message to the account specified by the rule. The recipient represented by the account sees that the message came from you. A copy of the message you received is left in your Inbox or in the folder to which the message was originally delivered.
• Message redirection: When a rule automatically redirects a message that you receive, the rule sends the message, unchanged, to the account specified by the rule. To the recipient, the message appears as though it came directly from the original sender. There is no indication that the message was delivered by way of your account. A copy of the message you received is left in your Inbox or in the folder to which the message was originally delivered

In an effort to consolidate the corporate government image, an initiative has been triggered to install standard image signatures across all government users.  The below scripts have been compiled to work both on workstations connected to a MITA managed domain and on personal workstations running Windows OS using a third party internet connection.​

To set your email signature for Microsoft Outlook 2016 / 365 on a Windows workstation please open the appropriate zip file and double click on the script within the zipped file.  If you have a Mac workstation please click here ​to follow the instructions how to set the signature manually.

After executing the script, the new email signature will automatically be installed on the workstation you are using.  If you need to set your signature on other workstations you need to repeat the process from those workstations.  Note that the signature will only be visible when using the Microsoft Outlook client. The signature will not be visible when the email is accessed via webmail (webmail.gov.mt).

NOTE: For the signature script to work Microsoft Outlook must be set to send emails as HTML (not Text). This can be checked from the Tools Menu - Outlook Options - Mail tab - Compose messages section.  Government workstations have this configured by default.  It is also important that the latest MS Office service packs are installed for the signature to work properly.

If changes within your details are necessary, kindly contact your respective IMU or IT Department.

Below is a list of the available signatures for Government Departments and further below for Ministry Secretariat /  Private Secretariat.  At the bottom of the page are the signature for Government Entities.  Click on the respective link pertaining to your organisation & department / secretariat to download the zip file with the script to modify your signature.

The scripts provided here that facilitate the configuration of a standard signature are written for Windows operating system and thus are not compatible with Mac OS workstation.  For Mac these have to be set manually as explained below.

1. Copy the signature from someone else who has an identical signature (highlight the required text and images, and press the cmd and c keys simultaneously.  The safest is to use an email from someone within your section (who has set his signature using the respective script).
2. Open Outlook for Mac and go to Outlook menu - Preferences.
3. A window will open with a number of icons.  Click on the Show All button and then click on the Signatures icon from the Email section.  A new window will open.
4. Click on the plus (+) icon at the left hand side of the window.  Double click on "Untitled" to give your signature a description.  This description is for your information only and will not be seen by the recipients.
5. In the signature area (right top part of the window) remove any text that might be present and paste the signature previously copied by pressing the command and v keys simultaneously.
6. Due to compatibility issues between MS Office for windows and Office for Mac you might need to rearrange some items.  In some cases it might be better to paste the copied signature in Word, switch on the table borders, arrange the items from Word itself and then switch off the borders and copy the signature again from Word.
7. From the Choose default signature dropdowns, select your government email in the Account dropdown and your new signature for both New messages and Replies/forwards dropdowns.

How to configure Offline mail in Outlook 2016

The online mailbox has limited capacity to store emails (including attachments) and calendar appointments.  To learn how you can check your mailbox size click here​. Where Microsoft Outlook is being used it has the facility to set an offline folder pst file to allow you to move items from the online mailbox to an offline file.

Note: Refer to Email - Recommendations Of Use for recommendations on maximum size of pst file.

To create a new offline mail (archive) in Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016 carry out the following steps:

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2016
• Click on File and under Info Select Account Setting
• Select Account Settings
• Account Settings window will open
• Select the Second Tab called Data Files
• Click on Add..
• Create or Open Outlook Data File will open
• Select the destination of where you want to create the Offline mail (This location will be needed to back up the Offline mail)
• Type in a File name of your choice
• Click OK
• Click Close
• Offline mail will be visible in the side view of Outlook​

If you already have an existing offline mail (archive) pst file and you want to configure Outlook to view it perform the following steps:

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2016
• Click on File and under Info Select Account Setting
• Select Account Settings
• Account Settings window will open
• Select the Second Tab called Data Files
• Click on Add..​
• Provide the location and name of the pst file in which the offline mail is stored. Usually this is stored on your workstation hard disk.  If the offline mail is stored on a pen drive or a CD it is advisable to copy it to the local hard disk before you proceed.
• Click OK
• Click Close
• Offline mail will be visible in the side view of Outlook​

If you want to back up an existing offline mail (archive) pst file do the following:​

• Open Microsoft Outlook 2016
• Click on File and under Info Select Account Setting
• Select Account Settings
• Account Settings window will open
• Select the Second Tab called Data Files
• Click on the required offline (archive) pst file to be backed up and click on the icon with the yellow folder called Open File Location.. 
• This will open a Windows folder where the offline (archive) pst file is located
• CLOSE MICROSOFT OUTLOOK - this is important since if you will not close it the backup will not be performed correctly
• Right click on the required pst file and select Copy
• Navigate to locate the destination folder where you wish to back up the file (e.g. Pen Drive)
• Right click in a blank area in the destination folder and select Paste​

Note: When items are deleted from offline mail, the file size of the offline mail does not automatically reduce.  Sometimes it may be a problem to copy large files to a pen drive, so the following steps might be useful to try to reduce the offline file size.  Always make a copy of the offline mail before you attempt this procedure:​

• From the File Menu Click Account Settings and select Account Settings
• From the Data Files tab, click on the data file you want to compact, and then click Settings
• Click on Compact Now

A delivery receipt tells you that an email message  was delivered to the recipient's mailbox, but not whether  the recipient has seen it or read it.  A read receipt tells you that message was opened.  In both cases,  you receive a message  notification in your Inbox.

Microsoft Outlook 2016/ 365

1. Click the File tab
2. Select Options
3. Click Mail
4. Under Tracking, select the Delivery receipt confirming the message was delivered to the recipient`s e-mail server or Read receipt confirming the recipient viewed the message check box.

To share your government Calendar with other users carry out the steps of one of the following methods:

The Email service provided by MITA offers the Outlook on the Web facility, also known as webmail.  This is a feature that allows users to access it from a web browser from any location or from your personal PC / Laptop (not just from work) as long as an internet connection is available.  One has to keep in mind that offline emails are only available on the workstation where they were set and are not available through this facility.

Although Outlook on the Web is accessible from most browsers, including from mobile devices, there might be some limitations depending which operating system and browser version you are using.  More information on these limitations can be found here​.

If your device / operating system are not fully compatible you will use the OWA light version.  To know which features are not available in the light version please click here.

Logging In to Outlook on the web

To use the webmail service, open an internet browser of your choice and type the following in the URL: https://webmail.gov.mt

The below page will be displayed and will ask to login using your government credentials (Government Email Address and password).

Email Address:          Your Government Email Address (e.g. [email protected])
Password:                  Your domain password.

Accessing a Generic Mailbox using Outlook on the web (On Computer/ Laptop)

Login to https://webmail.gov.mt (as explained above) using your government credentials. Once logged in to your email account;

1. ​Click on the person icon found in the top right corner of the screen, and select Open another mailbox…
   
   
2. Once selected, a new window will prompt. Enter the generic mailbox email address and click Open
3. A new browser tab will automatically open the generic mailbox account

​​NOTE: You can only access generic mailboxes of which you have permissions to.

Composing and Sending a New Email

Once you login into your email account, make sure that the selected function is set as Mail. This can be confirmed by having Mail written in the top left corner of the ​screen

1. Click on the button and the below window will prompt, replacing the reading pane
   
   
2. Below once can find the icons found in the ‘New Email’ window, further explained; (Kindly refer to the letters found in the image above)

a. To send the current email

b. To attach an item

c. To discard the current email

d. Other options (Such as Save Draft, Set Importance etc.)

e. To open the ‘New Email’ window in a separate window

f. To enter recipients email addresses

g. To enter recipients email addresses in Bcc

h. To enter recipients email addresses in Cc

i. To type in the email’s subject

j. To type in the email’s message

k. Font options

l. Most relevant shortcuts

m. To import a template which was saved earlier

Reading and Replying to Emails

Once you login into your email account, make sure that the selected function is set as Mail. This can be confirmed by having Mail written in the top left corner of the screen

You will be automatically re-directed to your inbox folder, where a set of new emails may be found as per below picture

Reading: Double click on the email which you may wish to read. This will prompt a new window expanding the selected email with more details.
Replying to Emails: Double click on the email which you may wish to reply. This will prompt a new window expanding the selected email with more details and actions.

​One of the actions found is the Reply all. Such action can be found in 2 buttons as shown as shown below. Select either Reply, Reply all or Forward depending on your needs;​

• Reply: Will reply only to the sender
• Reply all: Will reply to all recipients in the email
• Forward: Will forward the whole email including attachments to a new recipient​

Logging Out from Outlook on the web

When you are done processing emails you should always log out of your session.  This is especially more important if you are using a shared workstation at work or a PC in public places.

To log out,

1. ​Click on the 'person icon' found in the top right corner of the screen, and select Sign out
   
2. Close all browser windows to ensure that your credential are not used in another session/ window and cannot be used by someone else.

An email distribution list is a group of contacts which you can choose as a single recipient.  When an e-mail is sent to the specified distribution list, all the contacts in that list will receive a copy of the e-mail.   It has to kept in mind that by default one can only send up to 200 recipients simultaneously.  To increase this limit one has to apply for the non standard request to increase the Maximum Number of Recipients.

There are two types of distribution lists: server-side and a local distribution list.

Server-side email distribution lists are created, modified or deleted following an RFS request, and can only contain government e-mail addresses found on the email server.   Such lists or groups are query based, meaning that the list is calculated on the fly based on a predetermined parameters (e.g. users' organisation = ministry x).  Examples of a server distribution list would contain the users within a specified department or for all the users within a specific ministry.

These lists can be used by anyone who has been authorised by an RFS, and can be used from any workstation that has outlook properly configured or from webmail.

The Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) system is a Microsoft delivered feature that offers government enrolled users to a self-help facility to reset their Corp domain password if forgotten.

One must first enroll to the Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) system to be able to reset the Corp domain Password.

Click here for documented instructions of how one can enroll​ to the Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) system

A number of internet related issues can be solved by clearing the browser's history cache where various data is stored.  This will clear items such as your browsing history, stored password, cookies and other temporary files that might be causing the issue.

To delete the cache in Internet Explorer (versions 8 - 11) perform the below steps:

• Open Internet Explorer
• Click on Tools menu
• Select the Internet Options menu item
• Under the General tab, in the Browsing History section, click on the Delete button
• Tick the options as shown in the screen shot below
• Click on Delete

If browser problems still persist after performing the above you might wish to try check the following page:  How do I Reset the Internet Explorer settings?

In order to solve several types of internet related issues, Internet Explorer has the functionality to reset all the settings to default without the need of a re-installation.  By resetting Internet Explorer settings, you return it to the state it was in when it was first installed on your computer.  This is useful for troubleshooting or eliminating problems that might be caused by settings that were changed after installation.

Before you start if you would like to know which Internet Explorer settings that are affected by a reset please click here.

To reset the Internet Explorer settings to default carry out the below steps:

• Open Internet Explorer
• Click on Tools menu
• Select the Internet Options menu item
• Click on the Advanced Tab
• Click on the Reset Button
• Select the option Delete personal settings if you require to reset ALL settings
• Click Close
• Click OK
• Close and Reopen Internet Explorer

RSS (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) is a service which provides a "feed" that is updated regularly. User can subscribe to an RSS feed to automatically receive the updated information. 

RSS feeds can be viewed in different ways, with the easiest methods being the following - you can find more information on each method further below:

• Use a web browser to surf the RSS feed page - this might require installing add-ons / extensions to the browser
• Configure Microsoft Outlook to receive the information directly in the RSS feeds folder - you can then view them using Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook offers a built in RSS feed reader, which allows the user to easily view RSS Feeds. To configure RSS feeds in Microsoft Outlook 2007 kindly follow the below steps:

• Open Microsoft Outlook
• Click on the Tools Menu
• Select Account Settings
• Select the RSS Feeds tab
• Click on the New button
• Enter the RSS Feed you want to add and click Add. The RSS Feed URL can usually be found by clicking the   symbol on the webpage providing the feed.
• Enter the Feed name in the following window and click OK.
• This will take you back to the Account Settings window where the RSS Feed will be listed as ‘Pending’. Close this window to finish setting up the RSS Feed.
• The RSS Feed can now be viewed in the RSS Feeds folder in your Mailbox

In order to remove and RSS Feed you no longer require kindly follow the below steps.

• Open Microsoft Outlook
• Click on the Tools Menu
• Select Account Settings
• Select the RSS Feeds tab
• Select the required Feed and Click Remove.
• Click Yes to remove the Feed.
• Kindly note that this does not remove the previously downloaded feeds. In order to do so, right click on the RSS Feed folder and click Delete.

In these cases you need to apply for the additional Internet Packages (refer to the section Internet – How do I apply for Additional Options?)   To know which Internet package you need to apply for based on the category shown when a page is blocked, click here.

 

Below are some basic troubleshooting steps to assist you in determining whether you have an internet related problem.

• Ensure that you are logged on to the internet.  Type logon.gov.mt in the browser URL bar and if you are presented with a page to type in your credentials (user name and password) type them in, click on the Log In button and try to access the required web page again.
• If you are able to access the Internet service but a particular web site is not accessible you can check if the web site is down by using free online services such as http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ which will tell you if the web site is down for everyone else, in which case you have to wait until the site owner / provider fixes the issue.
• Try to use a different browser (if available) to see if the issue solves itself when using a different browser.
• Try to clear the browser cache.  Click here to see how to clear Internet Explorer cache.

MITA's internet service includes the filtering of web sites according to their category.  Each web site falls under a specific category as defined by the web filtering product in use by MITA (FortiGuard Web Filter).  MITA has grouped these categories in a small number of packages, such as the Standard, Standard Plus, Restricted and Prohibitive.

While using the internet service one might encounter pages that are being blocked (click here for more information).  In these cases to access the required sites you will need to apply for additional internet packages. To learn how to apply for the Prohibitive Package internet package click here.

One can check a website classification from the Fortigate ​Web Filter Lookup. Insert the URL of the required website in the Search URL and press enter. The site will then return the category accordingly.

To be able to know which package is required to access particular categories refer to the below list.

CATEGORY	AVAILABLE CONTENT	INTERNET ​PACKAGE
		Standard	Standard Plus	Restricted	Prohibitive
Potentially Liable	Discrimination
	Drug Abuse
	Explicit Violence
	Extremist Groups
	Hacking
	Illegal or Unethical
	Plagiarism			​
	Proxy Avoidance
​​	​	​
Adult/ Mature Content	Abortion				​
	Advocacy Organizations
	Alcohol
	Alternative Beliefs
	Dating
	Gambling
	Lingerie and Swimsuit
	Marijuana
	Nudity and Risque
	Other Adult Materials
	Pornography
	Sex Education	​
	Sports Hunting and War Games
	Tobacco
	Weapons (Sales)
Bandwith Consuming	File Sharing and Storage
	Freeware and Software Downloads
	Internet Radio and TV
	Internet Telephony
	Peer-to-peer File Sharing
	Streaming Media and Download
	Security Risk
	Dynamic DNS
	Malicious Websites
	Newly Observed Domain
	Newly Registered Domain
	Phishing
	Spam URLs
General Interest - Personal	Advertising
	Arts and Culture
	Auction
	Brokerage and Trading
	Child Education
	Content Servers
	Digital Postcards
	Domain Parking
	Dynamic Content
	Education
	Entertainment
	Folklore
	Games
	Global Religion
	Health and Wellness
	Instant Messaging
	Job Search
	Meaningless Content
	Medicine
	News and Media
	Newsgroups and Message Boards
	Personal Privacy
	Personal Vehicles
	Personal Websites and
	Blogs
	Political Organizations
	Real Estate
	Reference
	Restaurant and Dining
	Shopping
	Social Networking
	Society and Lifestyles
	Sports
	Travel
	Web Chat
	Web-based Email
General Interest - Business	Armed Forces
	Business
	Charitable Organizations
	Finance and Banking
	General Organizations
	Government and Legal Organizations
	Information Technology
	Information and Computer Security
	Online Meeting
	Remote Access
	Search Engines and Portals
	Secure Websites
	Web Analytics
	Web Hosting
	Web-based Applications
Unrated	Unrated				​

The following steps need to be performed:

• Open the required workbook
• Click on the File menu and select the Save As option
• Click on the Tools button (to the left hand of the Save button) and select General Options... (refer to below screen shot)

• You will now be prompted with two possible passwords - make sure that you remember any password that you type in as the file might be inaccessible if you forget it
• Type a password in the Password to open textbox if you want the users to be prompted for this password when they want to view the file (you will be prompted to re-enter the password to verify it)
• Type a password in the Password to modify textbox if you want the users to be prompted for this password when they want to edit the file (you will be prompted to re-enter the password to verify it)
• Finally select the location and File name and click on the Save button

This document is applicable only for Office 365.  It is NOT applicable for Office 2016.  Office 365 asks you to register the first time you load an Office product (e.g. Word).  If when you load the Office product you are not asked to register, go to the File menu and click on Account.  A page that contains the Product Information with will be displayed and the Subscription Product should be "Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus".

To register / activate Office 365 follow the below steps:

• Load the Office 365 application Word application and you will be prompted to activate the product
• Enter your Email address (e.g [email protected])
• If prompted for a password use your CORP password
• After you log in Office 365 you must set your email signature as explained here.

Please note that you can activate your Office 365 account on up to 5 workstations.  If you wish to unregister / deactivate an account from a particular workstation, please follow the below steps:

• Log in https://portal.office.com using your Email credentials (e.g. ​[email protected])
• Click on the personalised icon in the top right hand corner of the window
• ​A tab will be shown on the right-hand part of the screen - click on "My Account"
• Click on "Manage installs" under Install Status
• Select the device you no longer use and click on "Deactivate" and confirm

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Workstation-HowDoIBackupTheDataOnMyWorkstation

It is important to back up your files regularly from your workstation to minimize data loss especially in the case of a hard disk failure.​

You should always check your backed up data ensuring that you have the very latest copy of the data before you authorize activities such as erasing, wiping or reinstallation on your PC / laptop​.

When a PC is moved from one place to another or is disconnected to facilitate maintenance work, the peripherals have to be connected again.

The below picture shows the back side of a typical computer.  As it can be seen there are a number of sockets / connectors / ports with the most important ones labelled.  Further below you can find a brief description on each of them.​  The ports can be located anywhere on the back (or even on the front) and not necessarily in the same place as shown in the sample layout below.

To manually map shared folders on a Windows device please follow the below steps:

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format that captures all data of a printed document as an electronic image. It ensures that when a file is viewed or printed it retains the intended format and the data in the file cannot be easily changed or edited.  PDF files retain their original format better than other file formats (e.g.  .doc, .xls) especially when viewed on mobile devices.

PDF format top benefit is its mobility and portability. PDF files can be viewed from most operating systems including mobile devices. This means that when you need to circulate a document, the other users only need a PDF viewer to read the document (i.e. there is no need for them to have e.g. Excel, Word, Publisher, Powerpoint, Project, Visio to read your file).

It is quite easy to convert files or web pages to PDF. Below you can find the different methods used to save as PDF depending on the Microsoft Office or Internet Browser version you are using. ​

To test if the Maltese keyboard is working properly open Microsoft Word, select the Maltese keyboard and try the below keys to see if ALL the Maltese characters are functioning.

Note: There can be multiple Maltese keyboards set (e.g. 47 and 48 key).  Try them both to see which one works best for your current keyboard.

If you need to install the Maltese keyboard on a Windows 8 / 10 PC / Laptop perform the following steps:

• Click on Start
• Type Control Panel
• Click on Language
• Click on Maltese and click on Remove
• Click on Add a language
• Choose Maltese and click Add
• Sort the Maltese language as the first option to set as default language
• Click on Options
• Click on Add an input method
• Choose Maltese 48-Key and click Add
• Click Save

When a number of network dependent services (e.g. email, internet, OA shares) are not available on a workstation that used to access such services, the cause can be lack of network access.  This is identified by a red cross on the task bar at the bottom right hand of the screen (refer to screen shot below).

​

The following can be attempted to try to restore access or identify the cause if you are using a wired network (PCs are usually wired):

• Ensure network cable is properly slotted both from the workstation side and from the wall port.
• Try to change the network cable with a known working cable.  If this solves the issue and a new network cable is required contact your respective IT department or IMU.
• If a number of workstations within the same area are impacted simultaneously, it is likely that some network equipment (e.g. a network switch) is switched off.  If possible ensure that the network cabinet is powered up.  Electricity related issues should be directed to the respective maintenance department, your IT department or your IMU.
• If after performing the above the network is not yet restored you need to contact MITA to log a request as there can be other issues (such as a faulty network card on the workstation) that have to be seen to by MITA representatives.

Note: If the workstation is being connected for the first time to the network, the port has to be patched from the network equipment's side.  You need to contact MITA to log a request to have the port patched.

• Make sure that the laptop wireless switch is set to on.
• If you are using MITA provided wireless access from a government department for the first time, you need to ask your respective IT Department / IMU to raise an eRFS (xxxxx) to be granted access.
• If you are using third party (i.e. not provided by MITA) wireless access, you need to ask your respective IT Department / IMU to provide you the respective wireless key and security settings.
• If possible try to ask other users within the same area to check if they have wireless access.  If wireless access is not available to other users as well then there might be problems with the access point.  If the wireless service is provided by MITA then you need to raise a request with the MITA Service Call Centre.  If the wireless is provided by third party then please contact your respective IT Department / IMU.

There are two most common type of printer configuration as follows:

Network printer: This type of printer is connected directly to the network via a network cable or by means of an external print server.  This is the better option to share a printer between multiple users, and some models have other features such as scan to email.

USB printer: This type of printer is usually cheaper to purchase (although consumables might be more expensive) and is connected directly to a workstation via a USB cable.  Sharing this type of printer with other users is also possible but this requires the workstation that has the printer attached to be switched on.

If you cannot print from your printer, please make sure to check the below:

- Make sure that the printer and print server are powered on and that the printer is loaded with papers.

If your workstation is powering up but not booting (blank screen) try the following steps.  First try the below generic steps.  The steps further below are specific to whether you have a PC or a Laptop.

• Ensure that all the workstation plugs (including monitor) are connected to a mains power socket that is switched on
• Try to move the mouse or press a key on the keyboard to reactivate the workstation from hibernation / sleep mode
• Press the power button once (short press)
• Connect the mains plug to a different power outlet and try a different power cable / laptop charger
• For laptops disconnect the battery and switch on the laptop using just the charger

For PC

• Check that the display is powering on - if not check that the display power cable is properly attached
• Check that the keyboard and mouse are properly connected - if not connect them and switch the PC off and on again (where possible try a different mouse / keyboard)
• Disconnect the power cable from the PC
• Press the power button for 10 times
• Hold the power button for 10 seconds
• Reconnect the power cable
• Try to switch the PC back on

For Laptops

• Disconnect the power adapter
• Remove the battery from the laptop
• Press the power button for 10 seconds 
• Press the power button for 10 times
• Reconnect the power adapter and try to boot it.
• If it boots, shutdown the laptop, disconnect the power, reconnect the battery and the power 
• Turn on the laptop

One must first enroll to the Multi-Factor Authentication to be able to make use of such service. Users accessing the VPN service will be prompted with the normal Corp domain credentials and a token code / approval from the multi-factor authentication service depending on the selected method.

Instruction of how to enroll for the Multifactor Authentication can be found below:

Open an internet browser and navigate to the link https://mfa.mita.gov.mt (ideally from a laptop or computer, as you require your mobile device for another step)

The below screen should appear, login using your CORP email address ([email protected]) or UPN ([email protected]) and click Next

In the next page, type your CORP password and click Sign in

After you successfully login the below window will appear, click Next

For the following steps you require your mobile device.

The first method to setup is the Authenticator App.

As instructed in the following step, please download and install the Microsoft Authenticator  app on your mobile device. This application is available from Google play store, iPhone App Store or Windows phone store.

The app is compatible with Android 8.0 or later and iOS 14.0 or later. To check what operating system your phone is running click here

Once you download the app, from your computer click Next and from your mobile device open the app and tap Add Account where you will be met with the below two screens.

Computer	Mobile Device

From your laptop or computer click Next. On your mobile device select Work or School account and then select Scan QR code. With your mobile device scan the QR code shown on your computer.

Computer	Mobile Device

Once you scan the QR code, your CORP account should appear within the Microsoft Authenticator App on your mobile device. When it appears, click Next on your Computer or Laptop.

In the following screen, your Computer will show you a number which you will need to input on your mobile device, and tap Yes as shown hereunder.

Computer	Mobile Device

Once you complete the above, the following screen will appear and click Next.

The second method to setup is your mobile number where you can approve the authentication either by a phone call or a text message.

From the following screen on your Computer, select the respective country code pertaining to your mobile number (e.g. Malta) and type in your mobile number and click Next.

If you choose for Microsoft to Call you, a robotic voice will instruct you to press # on your mobile phone and that way you will be verified. The process shown below is how you setup the SMS method.

A message from Microsoft should be received on your mobile device. Input the code received in the field as shown below and click Next.

The following window will appear indicating that the SMS was verified and click Next.

After successful completion of the above steps, the below screen will appear signifying that you are enrolled you may click Done and close the window.

Instructions on how to install the VPN client software on a government workstation click here​. To know how to install the VPN client software on other machines click here.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Email-ServiceDefinition

Current Email Service Description may be found on the CIO Portal. Please contact the respective Information Management Unit or IT Representative for access or MITA Call Centre for more information.

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit such services can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Email-HowDoIApplyForNon-StandardRequests

Consideration should be given to all cases before non-standard request are made, ensuring that a valid business need for every request.  Such requests are submitted against a deviation from one or more policies or best practices. Additional charges might also be incurred to fulfil these requests.  In some instances, there might be additional risks and liabilities that will be carried by the respective user and/or department.

Approval from your department’s management as well as your CIO / IT Manager is required before proceeding with the request.

Un-Quarantine Email

• Business Justification: Although the GFI e-mail filter is intended to block attachments that may pose security threats, there might be a valid business reason to un-quarantine such blocked email.

• Method: Quarantined emails can be requested for release by forwarding the email sent by the E-mail filter to [email protected].

Multiple Email Addresses

• Business Justification: If a person requires multiple email addresses pointing to the same mailbox (i.e. to the same role within government) a one or more secondary SMTP email addresses can be attached to the one physical mailbox.  The old email address is kept as secondary email address so that emails sent to the old address are not lost.  If you need to apply for a secondary SMTP use the method below.  It is important to keep in mind that The secondary SMTP email address needs to be a government email (usually @gov.mt).
• Method: Send an email to your respective CIO or IT Manager.  If approved, your request will then be forwarded to the MITA Service Call Centre mailbox for processing.

NOTE 1: If the email address is in use or was previously used for a personal account pertaining to a different individual (i.e. not the same person requesting it), then the email address cannot be used. If the required email address was previously used by the same individual while in a different organisation, then approval from the previous organisation must be sought before the request can be processed.

NOTE  2:  When there is a change in user details that triggers a change in the email address (e.g. change in surname, organisation etc.) MITA automatically sets the old email address as secondary SMTP and no further requests need to be made in this regard.

Access Generic Mailbox from a Mobile Device

• Business Justification: Although it is possible to access a generic email from a mobile device, care should be taken with such requests since there are some technical limitations.  A generic email can be configured to be accessed from a smartphone by only one specific person.  This specific person must also have a secondary domain account, since it is not technically possible to access a generic email from an account that has a personal mailbox associated to it.

• Method: An email from a person who can approve RFSs is to be sent to [email protected] including the user details and the generic mailbox to be accessed​.  A secondary domain account will be created and bound to the required generic mailbox.

Maximum Number of Recipients

• Business Justification: As default, users can send up to a max of 200 recipients simultaneously. Some roles include duties to send business emails to a large number of recipients.  This can be, for example, via a Distribution Group, or via a local Distribution List within the contacts.  If the number of recipients exceeds the allowed limit, then the email is not sent.  In certain cases, it might be possible to send the same communication multiple times each time including a limited number of recipients.  However, if this functionality is required on an ongoing basis a request should be made as below.

Each ministry has a generic email account (Information Release at Ministry Name) that can send bulk emails.  If the requirement to send an email to multiple users is a one-off case then this account can be used. The respective Information Management Unit should be contacted to enquire about this facility.

NOTE: ​As per email GMICT policies, bulk email should only be sent before 08:00 and after 17:00. To protect the email infrastructure, failure to comply with the policy may result in the sender account being disabled.

Maximum Email Size

• Business Justification: It is always recommended to keep the email size as small as possible. Compressing files before sending them as attachments can help to reduce the size. In any case the size of a single email cannot exceed 20MB. This includes both the email content and attachments.  If this size exceeds, then the email is not delivered.  In most cases splitting the attachments over several emails can serve as a workaround.

Mail Forwarding to a 3rd Party Mailbox

• Business Justification: While from security point of view it is acceptable to forward or redirect your emails to another government mailbox (click here ​to learn how to set forwarding and redirection emails), forwarding emails to a Third Party Mailbox (i.e. not hosted by MITA) should be avoided. If you have a business reason to forward emails to other providers, you need to apply for a deviation from policy.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Email-RecommendationsOfUse

Correct use of Email

• Email should be used primarily for business purposes.  Personal use is only acceptable in limited circumstances and if it does not interfere with the performance of the Account Holder’s duties or those of other Account Holders.

Mailbox Owner

• The Government Email service is provided for business use only, and hence it is deemed to be the property of Government. Thus, any Emails, including attachments that are created, sent, received, or printed via the Email service become the property of Government.

Offline/ Archive Mail

• It is good practice to regularly clean up the mailbox (including the Deleted Items and Sent Items folders) to keep the mailbox size as low as possible.  Remember that even calendar appointments take up mailbox space.  Click hereto learn how to remove old unwanted calendar appointments.An Offline folder can be created to further reduce the size of the online mailbox.  It is recommended that regular backups of the Outlook Offline files are taken on media such as DVDs, USB Pen Drives, Archive Space R: drive (if you have the service enabled)  or External Hard Disks (you cannot store PST files on H: and P: folder ).  However, it is important to keep in mind that Microsoft neither supports nor recommends the use of PST files on a network drive.  This means that although you can back up onto a network drive that allows you to do so (such as R: if available - you cannot back up on P: or H:), the offline file being used must be stored on your local hard disk. This warning can be found within a Microsoft web page here​.Since offline is in effect a local file, the offline file must be available to view or update offline email.  This means that although online features are available from anywhere using Microsoft Outlook Clients, the offline file must be available on the workstation being used in order to be accessed.

NOTE: Microsoft recommends keeping the size of a .pst file to less than 20GB for MS Outlook 2007 but it is recommendable to try to keep it much less than that.  Keep in mind that if this file is damaged or corrupted then you will possibly lose all the offline mail within that file.

SPAM, Phishing and Spoofing

• • SPAM is the use of email to send unsolicited messages, usually for advertising purposes. MITA has a service in place to try to prevent as much as possible such emails from arriving to your inbox. However, it is not always technically possible to detect such emails without the risk of blocking legitimate ones. For this reason, emails that are likely to be spam might still be delivered to your inbox. However, one must keep in mind that there are technical constraints and the automated systems cannot be 100% accurate. To be entirely sure whether an email is SPAM or not one needs to contact the sender to verify the validity of the email.

• • Phishing is similar to SPAM, but the sender is explicitly attempting to gain sensitive information from you, such as logins, passwords or credit card details.  In essence phishing emails rely on social engineering techniques to deceive users to willingly provide information to untrusted third parties.  Such emails are usually made to seem legitimate emails coming from popular web sites, and might sometimes press you by stating that your account will be closed or that your account has been compromised.  It is important not to click on any links and especially not to provide any password in such links.  The provided link is usually to a fake web site that may seem identical to the legitimate one.

• Spoofing is a method of sending emails (usually phishing emails or emails containing viruses/malware) that seem to originate from legitimate senders.  Thus you might receive an email from a person you know when in fact it was send from a malicious sender or from a virus on this person's workstation.

NOTE: In all cases, if in doubt do not open suspicious emails and attachments. You may consult with MITA by forwarding the suspicious email (as an attachment .msg) to [email protected].

Use of Distribution Lists and Distribution Groups

• When the business requires emails to be sent to many recipients, it might be better to put the recipients in the Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc) field while addressing the email to your own email address. This way the individual recipients would not be able to view the email addresses of all the other recipients. It is always recommended to limit the attachment size as much as possible and send such emails outside office hours, since such emails can generate higher load on the email servers and on the network. Emails that are not related to the business of the respective department, such as chain emails, should not be sent.

Attachments

• Attachments facilitate the exchange of electronic documents between users.  In most cases compressing the files before attaching them greatly reduces the email size.  Attachments from unknown senders should not be opened.

Access from a Mobile Device

• Access to email from mobile devices is dependent on the make and model of the device and also upon the software installed on the mobile phone model.  Refer to the Email - Technical Questions and Answers section for configuration instructions.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Internet-ServiceInformation

The service provided by MITA offers Internet to users within Government Departments and several Government Entities.  The following is a list of features provided by this service:

• Authentication using the CORP or Embassies domain login and password
• Access of Internet from multiple workstations simultaneously using the same account
• Internet Filter that blocks access to potentially harmful sites
• Web sites grouped by categories to facilitate level of access
• Security appliances in place to prevent illegal access to the government network from the internet
• Caching of HTTP websites for improved performance

NOTE: The Internet filter for users within schools is managed by the Ministry of Education.

This Service targets a Service Level of 99.6% availability on a 24x7 basis. Note that this target Service Level excludes unavailability of other services, such as network and workstation, on which this service depends.  SLAs for requests are specific to the type of request as below.  Note that these SLAs are applicable during MITA Office Hours only.

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit a new Persona Package can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Most users authenticate the Internet Service automatically, once logged in to the workstation, using the Single Sign On (SSO) technology. However, users who are not connected to the MAlta Government NETwork (MAGNET) must authenticate to the Internet by logging in to https://logon.gov.mt​ using the Corp domain credentials.

The internet service is configured to request authentication after 12 hours from when the internet was initially accessed (i.e. credentials were provided to login) even if the connection is being used.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Internet-HowDoIApplyForTheService 

RFS are submitted by the respective IMU or IT department.  Any related cost is indicated within RFS Portal. 

Internet Account

• Business Justification:Internet is used to search and access information related to the line of business of the respective user.  All users who have a government email account are automatically granted standard internet access.

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit a new Persona Package can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

RFS are submitted by the respective IMU or IT department.  Any related cost is indicated within RFS Portal.

The below services can be applied for through the ​RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit such services can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Additional Internet Packages

• Business Justification: If the business needs require access to additional Internet Packages other than the Standard package provided with the Persona Package, one can apply for additional Internet Packages.

Internet Audit History Report

• Business Justification: There might be cases when information about the internet activity made by a specific Internet account is required by the user’s superiors.  MITA offers the facility to request an audit history of Internet related activity.  The information provided includes the Internet address of sites accessed and the respective date and time stamp.  A standard report can generate information on the last 60 days of activity, while an ad-hoc report can also get older data.  The latter takes more time to compile.

Internet Reports:

• Standard Internet Report - Current & Previous Month
• Ad-Hoc Internet Report - Older than the last 2 months

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Internet-HowDoIApplyForNon-StandardRequests

Consideration should be given to all cases before non-standard request are made, ensuring that a valid business need for every request.  Such requests are submitted against a deviation from one or more policies or best practices. Additional charges might also be incurred to fulfil these requests.  In some instances, there might be additional risks and liabilities that will be carried by the respective user and/or department.

RFS are submitted by the respective IMU or IT department.  Any related cost is indicated within RFS Portal.

The below services can be applied for through the ​RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit such services can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

​​​Access the Prohibitive Package

• Business Justification:If your work requires you to access sites that fall under the Prohibitive Package, then the request can be made as below. The request is vetted and approved by the MITA Information Security Department before it is processed.

Unauthenticated Web Site

• Business Justification:  Un-Authenticated sites contain pages that need to be be accessed by everyone on the Magnet without the need to have a MITA Internet Account. All sites that end .gov.mt are an example of such sites.  Due to the business nature of a particular site, there can be a need to have it accessible to all Government users i.e. make the site as un-authenticated. All requests are evaluated by the MITA Security Department and their final approval is required to process such requests.

NOTE: Users from within schools do not follow this process.

Deviation​ from policy content:  Electronic Mail and Internet Services Directive

​

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Internet-RecommendationsOfUse

Like any other password, Internet account passwords should NOT be shared.  It has to be kept in mind that in the majority of the cases your internet password is also your email password, which makes sharing the password even worse.

The Internet account provided by MITA is a personal account, and the responsibility of such account relies on the Permitted User.  The GMICT Security Policy specifies that passwords should never be shared or stored in a visible location.  Additionally, the activity carried out be other users utilising a shared account will be attributed to the Account holder and s/he will be held responsible for such activity.

Disconnecting from the Internet

• When using a Workstation that is shared by other persons it is good practice to disconnect and log off from the internet.  To logoff go to http://logoff.gov.mt/

Audio and Video Streaming

• Audio and Video streaming takes up more bandwidth than a normal website, and for this reason special attention should be made when frequently accessing sites providing these services (e.g. sites allowing you to listen to radio or watch video clips).  There should be valid business requirements for individuals to access such sites

A workstation is a desktop computer or a laptop within a site that is connected to the government network (MAGNET) and joined to a MITA managed windows domain. It also includes any government owned peripherals attached to it.

Support is only given on contracted workstations. All contracted workstations have an inventory label with a unique identification number, also referred to as the inventory number. This number is registered in systems within MITA to facilitate the identification of contracted workstations. For all workstation related requests, the respective inventory number has to be provided by the user before the request can be logged.

There are four different kinds of labels, with the old inventory labels being phased out. The inventory labels on PCs are usually attached on to the top left hand corner of the PC case, while on laptops these are normally found on the bottom side of the case.

The service provided on workstations can be software support, hardware support or both, depending on how the particular workstation is contracted. Hardware support is any intervention that requires the servicing of hardware components within the workstation.

• Configuration of workstations for network access
• Troubleshooting Operating System issues
• Configuration of printers and other peripherals
• Assistance in installing Line of Business software
• Installing and supporting Corporate Software
• Reinstallation of workstations (if required to solve technical issues) using a standard predefined image
• Centrally managed Operating System patch updates
• Centrally managed Power Management features (excluding health related workstations)
• Centrally managed Antivirus / Endpoint updates and configuration
• Remote support using Microsoft SCCM
• Remote deployment of applications using SCCM where available
• On Site support (where necessary) during Service Hours

• Installation, configuration and commissioning for new workstations.
• Diagnosis, troubleshooting and repair of hardware.
• On Site Support during Service Hours.

• Support outside Normal Working Hours unless explicitly contracted.
• Hardware Repairs and Replacements on workstations that are not contractually covered for this service.
• Consumables such as mice, keyboards, laptop batteries, printer toner and cartridges.

Who is entitled for the Service?

• All government employees using contracted workstations are entitled for workstation support within contracted sites.

Remote Support

• Where possible and feasible MITA will try to connect remotely to contracted workstations to perform better first line support and attempt remote resolution. Remote support is done using Microsoft SCCM technology where the remote session is triggered by MITA and the user will be asked to approve the connection before it starts. If this fails MITA can also opt to use Bomgar by requesting the user to go to https://bomgar.gov.mt and select the appropriate agent from the list (as instructed by MITA). Simple on-screen instructions will guide the user to allow the MITA agent to connect to your workstation. MITA can also provide a session key that will be entered by the user in this website to initiate the remote support session. Alternatively, MITA can send an email with a link that will take the user directly to the remote support session after approval is granted.

Remote Support

• Contracted Workstations have to be configured according to best operational practices adopted by MITA. This configuration includes the following:
  • Connection to the government network.
  • MITA standard antivirus software.
  • Standard Netbios naming convention that uniquely identifies each workstation according the the inventory label number.
  • Initial installation that contains a standard set of approved software.

Centralised Configuration

• Workstations that are installed with the standard configuration benefit from the below centrally managed services:
  • Automatic antivirus definition updates
  • Automatic Windows updates
  • Version updates of specific software included within the standard configuration
  • Group Policies (GPOs and GPPs) configured in a way to protect the operating system files from accidental or malicious deletion and/or modification
  • Screen saver that triggers after 15 minutes of inactivity, automatically locking the workstation, requiring credentials to resume working for security reasons
  • Access to approved virtual applications, most of which are automatically installed when a user logs on a new workstation
  • Power management settings

Power Management

• In collaboration with the Sustainable Energy and Water Conservation Unit (SEWCU), MITA sets power management settings on workstations connected to CORP domain. The scope of this change is to have the workstations configured in a more energy efficient manner, thus resulting in less power consumption. The settings configured are as below (any user settings are superseded):
  • PCs and Laptops connected to the mains / power adapter:
    • Display is turned off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity.
    • PC / Laptop is put in sleep mode after 30 minutes of inactivity.
  • Laptops using the battery:
    • Display is turned off automatically after 5 minutes of inactivity.
    • Laptop is put in sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Workstation-HowDoIApplyForAdditionalOptions

Additional Microsoft Products Installation

• Business Justification: Microsoft products which require a license, and which were not part of the standard workstation installation need to be procured before they can be installed.  Since these products come at a cost it is important to ensure that the license is required and whether an alternative free product (such as a compatible viewer) can be used instead. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to apply, transfer and remove license on MS Viso, MS Project, MS Dynamic 365 or MS Power BI Pro Contract can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Line of Business Software Installation

• Business Justification: The Workstations come pre-installed with a defined set of standard software.  In several cases the user might need additional software to be able to perform the required work.  In these cases, the Software Installation Procedure must be followed (including the SIRA form​) to ensure that licensing and security concerns are considered appropriately.  If the request is approved by the respective CIO or IT manager then the below eRFS has to be raised if MITA is required to assist in the software installation.  In this case it is important that the user has the software installation medial / files before the RFS is raised except in those cases where the application is virtualised. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit Line of Business Software Installation can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

NOTE: If software that is part of the Security Classified List needs to be installed please refer to the Installing Software in the Security Classified List section found in the page Workstation - How do I apply for Non-Standard Requests?

Movement of Workstation

• Business Justification: When PCs and Laptops are moved from one site to another both technical and administrative interventions might be required.  The workstations might have to be commissioned as necessary (e.g. printer installation and configuration). The Asset Management System also must be updated for each computer that is moved. MITA and its Suppliers can provide technical assistance to move computers if notice is given in advance as per table below.

  Whenever the Logging Process requires an RFS (RFS classification: Movement of Workstation) the current organisation (i.e. the organisation that currently own the asset, according to AMS) must raise an RFS, after obtaining the necessary approval from the asset destination organisation (i.e the new organisation the asset will go to).

File Sharing System (FSS)

• Business Justification: FSS is a shared Network folder which allows users to upload data and share it with other members. FSS is similar to any other folder within the Operating System, however not effecting the workstation's storage. Only users who are granted permissions can access and view data. Data is backed up regularly, therefore should there be any data loss, an RFS can be raised to restore the said data. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

   

  NOTE: Instructions of how to apply, transfer and remove license on MS Viso, MS Project, MS Dynamic 365 or MS Power BI Pro Contract can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

NOTE: Backups are retained by MITA for only 6 months.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#Workstation-HowDoIApplyForNon-StandardRequests

Consideration should be given to all cases before non-standard request are made, ensuring that a valid business need for every request.  Such requests are submitted against a deviation from one or more policies or best practices. Additional charges might also be incurred to fulfil these requests.  In some instances, there might be additional risks and liabilities that will be carried by the respective user and/or department.

Approval from your department’s management as well as your CIO / IT Manager is required before proceeding with the request.

​Removal of GPOs​

• Business Justification: The government standard workstation is configured centrally via Group Policy Objects (GPO) to enhance the endpoint security.  Sometimes it might be required to remove the GPOs on a workstation and to grant local administrator rights on the same workstation.  Such cases might be to allow end users to install drivers on laptops that are being used outside government premises, or for legacy software that is not compatible with GPOs.  However to eliminate software issues it must be emphasised that before any software is procured, its compatibility with GPOs should be confirmed. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit an RFS related to Remove/ Enforce GPOs can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

​Modify GPO for list of Trusted Sites ​

• Business Justification: The government standard workstation is centrally configured via Group Policy Objects (GPO) to enhance the endpoint security.  One GPO which is centrally enforced is a list of sites that the workstations’ internet browser should trust.  Sometimes it might be required to modify (include/remove) this list of sites for a particular in-house built website to be allowed to function properly. To add / remove a website URL from the trusted site list, an Email from an RFS approver must be sent to [email protected].

NOTE:  Proof of testing must be provided to make sure that this modification solves the intended issues without creating undesired impact. ​

​

Remove Power Management

• Business Justification:Some workstations might have a business or technical (e.g. workstation has a local printer connected to it that is shared with other users) justification that requires the workstation NOT to have centrally set power management. Health Workstations are excluded from central Power Management configuration and thus should not be impacted. It can take up to 1 day (with workstation switched on) for Power Management settings changes to take effect after being centrally modified.​ Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit Remove/ Enforce Power Management Setting can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Screen Saver Timeout

• Business Justification:Due to the nature of the work procedures within some specific departments (especially in Mater Dei Hospital and the Health sector in general), there is an option for a longer screen saver timeout period to be set.  Once can also apply for the removal of the centrally managed screen lock feature and set it to managed by user. The standard screensaver timeout is 15 minutes, but options for 45 minutes (Health only), 6.5 hours (Health only) and no screen saver.  If the option is selected the respective user must ensure that the required screen saver timeout has been configured. ​Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit User Screensaver Timeout  can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Installing Software in the Security Classified List

• Business Justification: The Software Installation Procedure contains a Security Classified List which is essentially a list of application types that cannot be requested as part of this procedure.   If software that is part of the Security Classified List needs to be installed, then a deviation from policy has to be raised.

  Deviation​ from policy content:  Software Installation Procedure

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#VPN-ServiceInformation

The Virtual Private Network (VPN) service provides secure remote access to systems hosted at MITA over standard personal internet connectivity. The service provided by MITA is offered to the following using personal domain accounts:

Who is entitled for the Service?

• The Virtual Private Network (VPN) service can be granted to government employees or suppliers who need to access systems hosted at MITA.

Multi Factor Authentication

• To make the service more secure, to access the VPN service users must provide both their domain credentials as well as multi factor authentication.  Various methods of multi factor authentication can be set by the user.  More information about this can be found here​.

Terms and Conditions

• When using the MITA VPN service users are bound by the Terms and Conditions as found here.

Use of Domain Account for Secure Token

• A personal CORP account is required to be used in conjunction with the Secure Token every time a user needs to connect to the VPN service.  Thus it is mandatory to have a domain account to make use of this service.

Third party suppliers / contractors performing work for multiple organisations (Ministries and Entities) must have a separate personal domain account for each organisation they support.  This is because each organisation can request the deletion of the supplier's specific domain account when the supplier's services for that organisation are no longer required.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#VPN-HowDoIApplyForTheService

Create VPN Account

• Business Justification: Users who require to access systems hosted at MITA from third party connections (e.g. from home) or suppliers who need to perform support on systems hosted on the MAGNET. Accesses are granted according to the VPN profile that is determined by the user's Organisation, Department and Section.  When applying for users who need to have new accesses (i.e. new VPN profile) then you must also raise an RFS for a new VPN Profile Group. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit an RFS to apply for a VPN Account can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

Delete VPN Account

• Business Justification: To remove VPN access to a user who no longer require having VPN account, a UAM request must be submitted. Users who no longer are government employee, VPN access is revoked automatically once the Persona Package is deleted. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit an RFS to revoke a VPN Account can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

VPN Profile Group

• Business Justification: VPN profile groups dictated what accesses are allowed via VPN.  For example, each ministry has its own access to systems that are specific for the respective ministry.  More information about this can be found in the CIO portal.  Client's suppliers using VPN often have their own VPN profile group to limit access to the systems that they support. If changes to VPN profiles / groups (e.g. VPN access to a new system) is required, a request must be raised. Such service can be applied for through the RFS Portal, https://rfs.gov.mt

NOTE: Instructions of how to submit an RFS to Create/ Modify or Delete VPN Profile can be found in the RFS Service Classification.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#VPN-HowDoIApplyForAdditionalOptions

Change Multi-Factor Authentication Method

• Business Justification: In most cases the multi factor authentication method can be changed by the user as indicated here​.  In some cases, such as when the registered phone / mobile number are not accessible, then the user must send an email from his personal government email to the generic SCC mailbox.  Alternatively, an RFS approver from the user's organisation can send an email on the user's behalf to [email protected]​.

Consideration should be given to all cases before non-standard request are made, ensuring that a valid business need for every request.  Such requests are submitted against a deviation from one or more policies or best practices. Additional charges might also be incurred to fulfil these requests.  In some instances, there might be additional risks and liabilities that will be carried by the respective user and/or department.

Approval from your department’s management as well as your CIO / IT Manager is required before proceeding with the request.

Remote Desktop Connection

• Business Justification:Although it is not recommendable due to the risk it carries, there might be business and technical requirement to allow the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

Method: The normal RFS has to be used (refer to the section VPN - How do I apply for the Service) but further security vetting for such a request will have to be conducted.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#VPN-RecommendationsOfUse

Below are some considerations for the correct use of the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

Security Considerations

• The VPN service is coupled with the multi-factor authentication to provide a more secure service.  It is important to keep this in mind when selecting the multi-factor authentication method.  For example, selecting a phone number that is also accessible by other persons is not good practice. Similarly, if your mobile is used for one of the methods, ensure that you always keep it in sight and that it is kept locked.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#MSTeams-HowDoIShareMyScreenInAChat

When you're chatting with one or more people in Teams, you can instantly share your screen. Click here to find out how.

https://mita.gov.mt/call-centre/#MSTeams-HowDoIShareAFileInTeams

You can share your files through MS Teams, click her to see how.