Friday, September 22, 2017

Download campus safety app WatSAFE

Stay informed of campus emergency events and related information by downloading the University emergency notification app WatSAFE. Downloading the app to your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry device or tablet ensures you receive immediate access to Alert Notifications and Alert Statuses (situation updates), even when you’re on the go.

Through WatSAFE, you can connect with the support resources you need including 911, the Campus Police, Safety Office, and campus support units (e.g. Counselling Services, Health Services, Sexual Violence Response Coordinator); review safety and emergency training videos, guidelines and procedures; and report suspicious activity.

It is important that you download the WatSAFE app to stay informed of campus safety and emergency events. For more information and to download WatSAFE, visit https://uwaterloo.ca/watsafe. 

Questions about privacy and app access to your device? Learn more on the AppArmor website, http://www.apparmor.com/About/Privacy/.

The psychology of phishing

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

Recently, the University has been subjected to a series of targeted phishing attempts that have compromised several hundred student email accounts. Information Systems and Technology (IST) would like to remind the University community to always be careful when clicking on links in emails that they are unsure of. Phishing attempts have become more sophisticated and are sometimes difficult to distinguish.

Phishing is a type of cyberattack where malicious email is sent trying to make you give out personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers.

Recognizing these emails can be difficult.  Many are well-crafted and look like genuine email from your school, employer, or a government agency.  To defend yourself, many security experts suggest you consider the psychology of the message, rather than try to detect a forgery.

Phishing email attempts to induce a rapid and emotional response in the recipient, using psychology to have the victim assist the attack.  They claim to require an urgent request for response by making threatening claims like

• Your user account will be shut down
• You have important pending email held on a web site
• You are out of email disk space
• You have an unpaid tax bill or parking ticket
• You have failed to fulfill your end of an on-line purchase
• You could miss a deadline to update personal information

Once you become concerned by the threat, you may not think clearly and could respond as requested by the attacker.  The email might persuade you to:

• Click a link to a malicious web site
• Open an attached file containing malware
• Reply to the message with your password, financial details, or other personal information

When you receive email that elicits a strong emotional response and requests fast action on your part, slow down, and think it over before replying. You just might prevent a hack.

For more information, see the article: Learn about and protect against spear phishing.

Speaker looks at upside of rise of the machines

St. Paul's University College is inviting members of the University community to  you to join them for the 2017 Stanley Knowles Humanitarian Service Lecture on the topic of ‘Humanitarian Robotics in Action.’ The speaker is Dr. Patrick Meier, an expert and consultant in the humanitarian applications of digital and robotic technologies. Patrick is co-founder and executive director of WeRobotics and author of the book Digital Humanitarians: How Big Data is Changing the Face of Humanitarian Action.

Meier has over 10 years experience working in humanitarian technology, crisis mapping and crisis early warning, and has consulted for major international aid organizations such as the Red Cross and the United Nations.

Patrick obtained his PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and completed a Pre-doctoral Fellowship at Stanford University. His professional blog iRevolutions has over 2 million hits.

The free public event takes place on Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the CIGI Auditorium. Please register in advance. Following the lecture, guests are welcome to stay for a complimentary reception.

As the Battle of Waterloo looms, Waterloo goes 4-0

The Waterloo Warriors football team could have just enjoyed 3-0 while it lasted.

They were already leaps and bounds ahead of the external expectations: 3-0 for the first time in a decade, after back-to-back 0-8 seasons. And they were already behind the adversarial eight-ball on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa: On the road, in a hostile homecoming environment, against the Carleton Ravens – a team that's received at least one vote in 18 of the last 21 national top-10 polls. And they were already dealing with some gameplan-changing injuries: one half of the ultra-effective quarterbacking platoon, rookie Tre Ford, was inactive due to an injury, as was veteran fullback Mitch Kernick.

Then, at halftime, they were already behind – and behind big – on the scoreboard. There were poorly-timed penalties. Costly turnovers. A freight train in the Carleton backfield named Nathan Carter, who rushed for 224 yards in the half. So, trailing 30-10 after two quarters, the Warriors could have just enjoyed 3-0 while it lasted.

But they were already orchestrating a program-defining comeback for the ages.

When the dust settled on a frenetic second half, the Warriors had roared all the way back to claim an impossible 45-43 victory over the Ravens at MNP field, moving to 4-0 for the first time since 1998.

Check the full recap on the Athletics website.

Tomorrow is the annual Battle of Waterloo versus the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks. 

Waterloo is hosting Laurier at Warrior Field. The game takes place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23 and gates open one hour earlier. Buy your tickets online.

Construction on Seagram Drive; other notes

Beginning Monday, September 25, the City of Waterloo will begin making upgrades to Seagram Drive near the access points for Parking Lots A and C.

This construction will take roughly 4 weeks to complete, weather permitting, and will take place in two phases:

Phase 1 construction will begin at the single exit lane from Lot A lot back to the new LRT station near Waterloo park There will be no access to A or C lots from Seagram Drive during this phase - the lots are only accessible from University Ave.

Phase 2 will start as soon as phase 1 has been completed and will cover the remaining part of Seagram from the single exit lane out of A lot to University Ave. During phase 2 there will be no access to A lot and C lot from University Avenue - instead they will be accessible from Seagram Drive.

Please follow all construction and detour signage. Parking staff will be on site assisting with wayfinding and transition at the beginning of each phase.

"UW Food Services, partnering with the Sustainability Office and Sustainable Campus Initiative are proud to be participating in Fair Trade Campus Week’s “World’s Largest Bake Sale”," says a note from Food Services. "From September 25 to 29, all Food Services locations across campus will be selling Fair Trade Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and Fair Trade peanut butter cups. When either is purchased, proceeds will be going towards education of the benefits of Fair Trade across Canada and towards a Fair Trade event that will be help on campus."  

"Food Services is proud to serve Fair Trade coffee and teas across campus and hope you will join them in supporting this sustainability initiative!"

Cathy Jardine of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is celebrating a milestone birthday today and her colleagues wanted to wish her all the best. Happy birthday!