Weblogin

Overview and Key Features:

Weblogin is the web single sign-on service, which is used by hundreds of University service providers to provide authentication via UTORid/password. It also provides ‘coarse-grained’ authorization attributes such as affiliation and email address, which can be used by services to create and maintain local accounts and restrict access. Weblogin uses Shibboleth as the underlying technology.

Access the Weblogin service

Federated access

The University’s Weblogin service is integrated with the Canadian Access Federation, a Canada-wide service that provides access to Canadian and worldwide services, including:

Weblogin access integration with other Canadian higher-ed services.
University of Toronto services access via other Canadian institution access systems.
Integration with eduGAIN, a service that extends the Canadian higher-ed federated capability to educational institutions in the United States and across the world.

Getting Started:

Access the Weblogin service

Users:

For information on using federated login services, visit the CANARIE website or contact Information Security.

Technical staff:

To implement Weblogin, refer to “Installing and configuring Shibboleth”, and “SAML attributes available from Weblogin”.

Get Help:

For Weblogin issues, contact your local help desk.

Research Cyber Risk Assessments

Overview and Key Features:

A Research Cyber Security, Threat and Risk Assessment (R-CSTRA) aims to:

Identify potential security risks, threats and gaps related to your research project.
Recommend services and methods to enhance the security of your research project.
Evaluate your project’s alignment with the U of T’s Information Security Control Standard and other relevant requirements.

Through an R-CSTRA, researchers will gain a clearer understanding of their project’s security posture and the cyber threats and risks that could impact their intellectual property. Assessments are conducted in collaboration with the research team and relevant technical and security staff to ensure a comprehensive and tailored approach.

Getting Started:

Assessment types:

Basic

A basic R-CSTRA provides a high-level review of a research project and the information systems and solutions that interact with research data (e.g., collection, generation, processing, storage) to identify potential threats and risks. This assessment is designed for low-risk projects that involve level 1, level 2 or lower-risk level 3 data, with minimal regulatory or security requirements.

Advanced

An advanced R-CSTRA involves a comprehensive review of a research project and all associated information systems and solutions that interact with research data. This assessment evaluates potential threats and risks and includes an in-depth analysis of information systems and solutions against the university’s Information Security Control Standard. It is intended for medium- and high-risk projects that involve higher-risk level 3 and level 4 data or require a robust data governance structure and adherence to significant regulatory requirements.

Connect with the Research Information Security Program team via Enterprise Service Centre to safeguard research knowledge, intellectual property and data.

Get Help:

Contact the Research Information Security Program team: research.infosec@utoronto.ca.

Preferred name (display first name)

Overview and Key Features:

Members of the University of Toronto community often have a first name other than an official name that they use to identify themselves to others. Recognizing this, U of T allows students, faculty and staff to set and use their preferred first name.

Differentiating between the preferred and official first names allows the University to enable individual preference in applications that do not have a requirement to use official names. The preferred name option enacts the adoption of a consolidated preferred name across the University’s IT infrastructure.

The preferred name service was previously known as display first name.

Getting Started:

Access the preferred name service.

How to use:

To change your preferred name, log in to the preferred name service page and follow the prompts.

Application owners:

If you’re an application owner, learn how to consume preferred name information from Shibboleth.

Get Help:

Questions about selecting a preferred name

Students should contact their registrar’s office and employees should contact their divisional human resources office.

Online Meetings (Zoom)

Overview and Key Features:

Zoom is a cloud-based video communications tool that allows you to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing, and other collaborative capabilities. Instructors have additional access to Zoom Cloud for recordings up to 365 days. Undergraduate students do not have access to record to Zoom Cloud. An Instructor/teaching assistant can host meetings with unlimited minutes for up to 300 participants.

Getting Started:

Scenario I: University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Community Members

Members of the UTM community should continue to use the U of T Zoom Portal (https://utoronto.zoom.us) as they always have – there is no change for you.

Scenario II: Zoom Accounts Supplied by Departments/Divisions

We know that several departments and even some full divisions, such as OISE, Medicine, U of T Scarborough, etc. have paid for, supply, and/or manage Zoom accounts for their instructors and staff. If your Zoom account was given to you by your department, it is imperative that you do NOT access the U of T Zoom Portal without first checking with your local or divisional IT unit. If you are not sure, please contact your local or divisional IT unit first.

Scenario III: No Previous Zoom Account (or accounts not associated with a U of T email)

For individuals who have never had a Zoom account, or for individuals who have a Zoom account that is not associated with their U of T email address, simply go to the U of T Zoom Portal (https://utoronto.zoom.us), and log in with your UTORid and password, and claim your personal Zoom Education license.

Scenario IV: Existing Free Zoom Account using U of T email

For individuals who have a Free Zoom account that is associated with their U of T email address, and who wish to upgrade at no personal cost to a full Zoom Education account, simply go to the U of T Zoom Portal (https://utoronto.zoom.us), and log in with your UTORid and password, and claim your personal Zoom Education license. It will take about 24 to 48 hours to transfer your existing Free Zoom account to our provisional Zoom Education Licenses.

Get Help:

UTM ITS Zoom Index of Knowledge Base articles (requires UTORid and password):
https://uoft.service-now.com/utm_iits?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB 0011068

Academic, Research & Collaborative Technologies (ARC) Zoom information (details on account creation, zoom licence scenarios):
https://act.utoronto.ca/zoom-information/

U of T Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) Documentation on Zoom:
https://ito-engineering.screenstepslive.com/s/ito_fase/m/95272

Academic, Research & Collaborative Technologies (ARC) Enterprise Video-conferencing & Video Meeting Resources:
https://act.utoronto.ca/enterprise-video-conferencing-video-meeting-resources/

VPN and Secure Remote Access

Overview and Key Features:

Members of the University community must secure their access to sensitive systems and protect themselves when connecting from remote locations, such as while traveling or working from home. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow a user to route their computer’s internet traffic through a specific network while not directly connected to it. U of T offers two VPN tools for different purposes:

UTORvpn: A general remote access VPN that protects connections and allows users to connect to the campus wireless network remotely.
AdminVPN: Allows the owners of administrative and academic systems, as well as department administrators, to enforce strong authentication and secure connections.

Getting started

Download Cisco Secure Client (for desktop) or the Cisco Secure Client app (for Android/iOS). Cisco Secure Client was previously known as “Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client”.

Installation instructions for Secure Client can be found below.

Open Cisco Secure Client.
From the dropdown menu, enter or select “general.vpn.utoronto.ca” and click Connect.
An authentication window will open. Enter your UTORid and password, then cick OK.
Your computer will notify you that it is now connected to UTORvpn.

For detailed connection walkthroughs, see the Enterprise Service Centre (ESC) Knowledge Base:

Installing the VPN client

You must have an administrator account to install Cisco Secure Client on desktop. If you are using a U of T-managed workstation, contact your local IT help desk to have them install the software for you.

Installing on Windows

Navigate to your Downloads folder and run the Cisco Secure Client .msi
Agree to the licence agreement and the installation will complete.

Installing on Mac

Navigate to your Downloads folder
Double-click on the Cisco Secure Client .pkg file to start the installer.
Click Continue and accept the license agreement.
Uncheck all modules except VPN. Click Continue.

Installing on Linux (Ubuntu)

Navigate to your Downloads folder and extract the Cisco Secure Client gz file to a directory.
Navigate to the VPN directory under the extracted directory. Right-click and choose Open In Terminal.
Run the command: sudo bash vpn_install.sh. Enter your password when prompted.
Agree to the license agreement and the installation will complete.

Emergency Notification System (UTalert)

Overview and Key Features:

UTalert is a service that allows the University to quickly send important messages via email, SMS text and mobile app push notifications. UTalert complements other University communications channels, such as websites and social media.

All current members of the University community are automatically subscribed to the system for University-issued mass notifications using their official U of T email address.

Getting Started:

The University will use the UTalert system to send you messages via email, SMS text, or mobile app push notification.

UTalert texts will come from the phone number 855-756-1140. Creating a contact on your phone for this number called “UTalert” may make it easier to identify text notifications.

The UTalert website provides the ability to customize your notification options.

Get Help:

For more information, please consult our frequently asked questions about UTalert page.

Email Services

Overview and Key Features:

With the new UTmail+, you get all the email features you know and rely on plus increased functionality. Automatically organize your inbox and share documents by connecting to Microsoft 365’s OneDrive. You can connect from anywhere: log in to Outlook/UTmail+ online or download the Outlook desktop and mobile apps to access your email from any device.

Getting Started:

Web Version

To access the Outlook (UTmail+) Web interface, sign in to your work account at mail.utoronto.ca. For the first time, the page will prompt you for UTORid confirmation.

Desktop Version

A downloadable version of Outlook is included to the Microsoft 365 package and available for University of Toronto-owned computers under the Microsoft Campus License Agreement.

Get Help:

If you’re looking to get started or have any questions or concerns, we recommend beginning by reviewing the relevant resources:

Knowledge Base (IT Service Centre)
Enhancing Outlook Efficiency (Connect+Learn session recording)
Outlook Training (SuccessFactors)
External Email Banner Project

Recommended External Resources

Support Level: Advanced support available

Cloud Storage Services (OneDrive)

Overview and Key Features:

Using OneDrive, you can securely store all your personal files in one place, easily share them with your colleagues and access them from any device.

With OneDrive, you can also:

Control the sharing rights on your documents and access files remotely.
Eliminate the need to send files to yourself by email: you no longer need to use your inbox for document storage.
Better collaborate with colleagues by editing and sending changes to OneDrive email attachments in real time through UTmail+. There is no need to collate multiple recipients’ edits and comments.
Keep track of document comments and edits in one place, not across multiple copies of a document.

Getting Started:

Web Version

To access the OneDrive Web interface, sign in to your UTmail+ account (Outlook). Then, click on the application launcher (the waffle icon in the top left corner) and select OneDrive

Desktop Version

Faculty members, librarians, and administrative staff with at least a 20 per cent appointment can download and install OneDrive on up to five personal devices the Office home page.

Get Help:

Knowledge Base (IT Service Centre)
OneDrive File Management (Connect+Learn session recording)
OneDrive Training (SuccessFactors)

Recommended External Resources:

Support Level: Basic support only

Diagramming and Visualization Tools (MS Visio)

Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Visio is a diagramming tool that is part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. It is primarily used for creating various types of diagrams, such as flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, and more. Visio provides a user-friendly interface with a wide range of shapes, templates, and tools to help users visualize and communicate complex information effectively.

Key features of Microsoft Visio include:

Templates and Shapes: Visio comes with a large library of templates and shapes that cater to different types of diagrams and industries. This makes it easy to start creating diagrams without having to design everything from scratch.
Customizable Diagrams: Users can customize shapes, lines, colours, and other elements to create diagrams that suit their specific needs. This flexibility allows for the creation of professional-looking diagrams.
Export and Integration: Diagrams created in Visio can be exported in various formats, including PDF, image files, and even web pages. This makes it easy to share diagrams with people who may not have Visio installed.

Getting Started:

UTmail+ Home
Log in to your online Outlook/UTmail+ account and click on the waffle in the top left corner. Select the Visio tool.
Visio web-based version is available for Faculty, Staff and Students.

If the full version of Visio is required it must be purchased through the License Software Office at uSource.

Collaboration and Communication Platform (MS Teams)

Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based collaborative workspace that brings together people, content and conversations. With Teams, channels of colleagues can create content while collaborating with one another at the same time. Users can share files through Teams both internally and externally, and access their team files on SharePoint.

The powerful chat functionality of Teams enables instant text, audio, and video communication among university colleagues. It integrates Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, offering a collaborative experience.

Getting Started:

Desktop Version

While Microsoft Teams is available as a web app, the Teams desktop client is recommended for a more robust experience. The desktop version offers better integration with Microsoft 365, efficient resource use, and enhanced notifications.

Get Help:

If you’re looking to get started or have any questions or concerns, we recommend beginning by reviewing the relevant resources:

Report a security incident to the Security Team

Support Level: Basic support only