Think Before You Click

cyber-security-1BU is aware that students from, and applying to, other universities have been targeted with spam, phishing emails and websites designed to look as though they legitimate agencies but are in fact malicious and designed to deliver malware and/or gather sensitive information.

Then there are sites which may be legitimate but ask for a username and password as part of the registration process in such as way it may unknowingly influence you into to disclosing your Uni credentials.

We can confirm that your BU username and password, or any other BU credentials, should not be use anywhere else but on BU systems. e.g. Systems delivered by or through Bournemouth University (.bournemouth.ac.uk).

For your own protection please be aware Cyber related threats are constantly being developed to beat our own counter security measures and can cause considerable harm to individuals, as many attempt to steal personal identifiable information. They can also have a huge impact on the university’s IT operations.

We’re not aware that any BU students have been affected but please protect yourself and the university by taking time to be vigilant.

To find out more about these types of threats and how to protect yourself and others, please head to Get Safe Online or contact BU’s Cyber Security Unit or BU IT Services Helpdesk.

UK Election 2015: Your vote matters

london-nightThursday 7 May 2015 will see the nation heading to polling stations until 10pm to vote on the party they believe should win the parliamentary elections.

So what does that mean to you as a student? As the future work force of our country and global economy, we think it’s important you have your say on who represents you in the UK Parliament.

Toni Pearce, President of the National Union of Students (NUS) thinks it’s important too. In a blog post about why students hold the key to next election she said: “There are 197 seats across the country where the sitting MP has a majority of ten percent or less, and so EACH of these seats would need a swing of no more than five per cent to change hands entirely. In all but six of those seats, official Census data shows that the number of students living there is larger than the swing required”.

To help you better understand the party policies which affect students, the NUS Connect website provides links to policy briefings on education, employment and community.

Register to vote

In a General Election, you can vote just once. As a student you may be able to register to vote at your home or term-time address, so that wherever you are, you can still have your say.

Due to the time of year, we anticipate most BU students will vote in Bournemouth or Poole, so make sure you register your term-time address by the 20 April 2015. Soon after you’ve registered you’ll be sent details of your local polling station.

Registering online takes five minutes – the deadline is Monday 20 April 2015.

Find out more – TalkBU

If you want to vote but feel you don’t know enough about it, come along to “An Idiot’s Guide to the Elections” by David McQueen at 5.30pm, Tuesday 21 April in Dylan’s on Talbot Campus, and join the discussion using #TalkBU.

To find out if you’re eligible to vote, check The Electoral Commission website for details.