emergency
How to Spot and Handle Phishing Messages
National Lightning Safety Awareness Week June 18-24, 2017
National Weather Service Hurricane Preparedness Week – May 7 – 13, 2017
Get Plugged in for Commencement
UConn Testing Emergency Alert System on Tuesday
Sent on behalf of University Communications:
To the University Community:
The University of Connecticut will test its emergency notification and alerting system, UConnALERT, at all campuses on Tuesday at 12:25 p.m.
The test involves multiple messaging platforms. A notice will be posted on the UConnALERT website (alert.uconn.edu); an email will be sent to all faculty, staff and students; and posting will appear on the University’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Cell phone numbers registered with the UConnALERT system will also receive a text message. For the Storrs campus only, the outdoor sirens will be tested simultaneously with an audible tone.
Smartphone users who have downloaded UConn’s official mobile application, myUConn, will also receive an alert through the app during the test. To download the free myUConn mobile app, visit mobile.uconn.edu.
In an actual emergency, information will be available and updated through the UConnALERT website (alert.uconn.edu).
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to visit this site to register for cell phone text alerts, update their information, and view other items related to emergency procedures and general campus safety.
Thank you for your cooperation during the exercise and your support of University Safety initiatives at UConn.
Hans Rhynhart
UConn Chief of Police and Interim Director of University Safety
Tysen Kendig
Vice President for Communications
How to Survive an Active Shooter – New Video
UConn’s Office of Emergency Management has developed a short, new video detailing how to survive if you are caught in an active threat situation.
The new video features guidelines put forth by the Department of Homeland Security in a format that is easy to digest and less than one minute long. It is the first of a new series of shareable videos that aim to educate viewers with a basic understanding of how to react during all types of hazardous events that may occur on campus – and beyond.
The link to UConn OEM’s YouTube page and video can be found here.
If you would like to know more about what to do if you encounter an active threat (or active shooter), check out our Emergency Hazard Guide to ensure you are equipped with the latest information.
Don’t forget to share this video with your friends and fellow Huskies to ensure everyone you know is #UConnReady.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=dOkmwI-9bpk
UConn OEM YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjoAXTYVWC7Bb5CO_EWWiw.
Recent Email Phishing Scams
Sent on Behalf of University Information and Technology Services (UITS)
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To the University Community,
University Information Technology Services (UITS) would like to draw your attention to the risks of email phishing scams, including one that occurred yesterday.
In that instance, the phishing scam involved an email that appeared to come from Payroll with the subject line, “ONLINE ACCESS TO CORRECTED W-2 WAGE AND TAX STATEMENT(S) (PLEASE VIEW).”
This message was malicious, and an attempt to steal personal information by prompting recipients to click a link to view their corrected 2016 W-2. This attack exploited current events (i.e., tax season) and tailored the message to UConn by referencing CoreCT.
UITS is aware of the spam message and has taken steps to block and remove the email from inboxes, but we also encourage everyone in our community to be suspicious of unsolicited requests for personal information, including credentials.
In general, you should never volunteer confidential or personal information based on any contact that you did not explicitly initiate. For more comprehensive information about this and other threats, visit the UITS Information Security Office website at security.uconn.edu.
If you clicked on the link in the fraudulent message or have questions or concerns about this phishing attack, contact the UITS Help Center at 860-486-HELP (860-486-4357).
Sincerely,
Michael Mundrane, Chief Information Officer and Vice Provost
Jason Pufahl, Chief Information Security Officer
Happy Holiday Tips
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Emergency Alerts Revamped for Faculty and Staff
With the arrival of winter – and the first weather-related disruption to University schedules happening this week – UConn faculty and staff members now have an improved way to get urgent updates from the University.
On the UConn Alert homepage – https://alert.uconn.edu – where campus status information is posted, and which houses any messages related to weather or other emergencies, a new link allows faculty and staff to choose how they want to receive communications.
Found on the main pages’ right-sidebar and under the “Resources” tab, the registration page allows faculty and staff members to choose multiple cell phone numbers and email addresses, along with a landline, as the preferred method of contact.
For the first time, too, the system can now accommodate phone numbers from outside the U.S., an important addition to a faculty and staff population as diverse as UConn’s.
The change comes as part of an overall revamping of UConn’s system of emergency communications, undertaken under the auspices of the Division of University Safety with assistance from University Information Technology Services.
“The technology has advanced since the time when the University first started offering registration for text messages and emails,” says Christopher Renshaw, UConn fire captain and the fire department’s liaison to the Office of Emergency Management. “We wanted to make this as streamlined and user-friendly as possible, while providing people with options that weren’t available before.”
Signing up for alerts by text and email is the best way to learn of University decisions regarding weather and other urgent situations that could affect scheduling, along with visiting the UConn Alert page and checking the University’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Based on the success of the faculty and staff version, an updated student interface is planned for the start of the spring semester via the PeopleSoft platform.
Renshaw notes that the new registration system features of this platform are a boon to the University’s University Safety communications effort. “It is a big improvement over what we’d been able to offer in the past,” he says.