ANR Update

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Cyber security update, Zoom best practices

Cyber-security update regarding COVID-19

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many industries have seen a 600% increase in phishing attempts over the last month. Higher Education institutions identified numerous email campaigns targeting our employees that solicit sensitive information through malicious links and attachments.

More specifically, cybercriminals are using the pretense of handing out federal stimulus payments to try to steal personal and financial information. Please do not click on links or attachments in emails that ask you to fill out forms in order to qualify for these payments. If you are eligible for a payment, you will receive a payment directly (such as by direct deposit or check) from the Internal Revenue Service.

We've also seen an increase in phishing emails claiming to be from authoritative sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and health care organizations tracking COVID-19 pandemic cases. These emails attempt to extract information such as username, passwords, and financial data from unsuspecting users.

These are age-old tricks cybercriminals use to gain access to corporate and private systems. Please use caution and judgment when responding to external requests and stay vigilant of any requests involving money or bank information.

As a UC ANR employee, you are our first line of defense against these threats, which pose a potential danger to our systems. The UC ANR IT team has these tips for employees:

• Never give your personal or sensitive organization information to someone unless you are sure of their identity.
• Do not open attachments or click on links in emails or texts you are not expecting.
• Report any suspicious email to help@ucanr.edu.

In addition, if you receive a suspicious phone call or text, or unexpected verification request, immediately contact the ANR IT and notify your manager.

Thank you for helping to ensure the security of our systems.

Zoom best practices 

The university's Chief Information Officers are very aware and concerned that Zoom is experiencing security and privacy issues. Our UC IT security and privacy experts are closely monitoring these issues and Zoom's responses.

Zoom has been quick to respond to these issues, including the timely release of security patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities. UC locations also have issued guidance for their users, which is found below. Such guidance will be revised as necessary, based on any new findings.

In addition, UC has a systemwide agreement in place with Zoom, which includes the UC Data Security Appendix and a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. The terms of this agreement address UC's needs and provide greater security and privacy protections than Zoom's standard agreement terms.

Privacy and security are a joint responsibility of both Zoom and our UC communities. There are a few keys steps all of us can take to best ensure the privacy and security of our Zoom interactions:

• All Zoom users should install client software updates as soon as they are available.
• Zoom meeting hosts should set their accounts to provide the highest protection for the privacy of all meeting participants in accordance with their location's published guidance. See UC ANR guidance at https://ucanr.edu/sites/safety/files/323618.pdf.
• All Zoom users should periodically check their location's published guidance for updates.

In sum, Zoom has been responsive to the security and privacy concerns and, while it is important for our IT security and privacy experts to monitor the situation, we believe that at present Zoom continues to be an appropriate option for online learning and remote work. 

Celebration Corner

UC ANR Staff Assembly created a new reimbursement program, ANR GROWS, which encourages staff to take time out to relax through gardening and growing food. They are offering a hundred $50 reimbursements, on a first-come first-served basis, for staff to purchase soil, seeds, transplants, compost and gardening supplies. Visit http://staffassembly.ucanr.edu/ANR_Grows/ for more information.

Erin DiCaprio, Assistant CE Specialist in Community Food Safety at the UC Davis Food Science and Technology Department, created an 11 module online series of her Food Safety Training for Master Food Preserver Trainees that she gives each year as part of New Trainee Training.

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

 

Lindcove REC director search extended to April 24

Applications for the director of Lindcove Research and Extension Center are still being accepted with a closing date of April 24.

The position is open to all ANR academics including Agricultural Experiment Station faculty.

“We are extending the deadline because of COVID-19 related issues,” said Mark Lagrimini, vice provost for research and extension. 

Candidates should submit their CV and Letter of Interest to Joan Warren at jtwarren@ucanr.edu no later than April 24, 2020. Letters should highlight how your passion, skills and past experiences will contribute to the future success of Lindcove REC. Applications will be evaluated by the search committee, and a recommendation made to the Vice Provost of Research & Extension.

The Lindcove REC director position description can be downloaded at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/323399.docx.

STAR Award nomination deadline extended to Friday, April 17

The deadline to nominate staff for a STAR Award has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 17.  This is in response to requests from a number of managers and supervisors whose workload is impacted by the COVID-19 situation and other competing priorities. Please use this extra time to recognize and nominate staff who have achieved great things during the last year, including those who have stepped up during the current emergency. 

The program provides one-time $500 cash awards to eligible staff in recognition of outstanding achievement. Managers may nominate individuals and teams demonstrating exceptional performance, creativity, organizational abilities, work success and teamwork.  

Policy-covered ANR staff and members of the Clerical Unit (CX) are eligible to be nominated for STAR awards. Staff in other collective bargaining units, academics and members of the Senior Management Group are not eligible to receive STAR awards.

Nomination forms and program guidelines are available on the UC ANR Human Resources website. 

Send your nominations via e-mail to humanresources@ucanr.edu by Friday, April 17, 2020.

STAR Award winners will be celebrated during an ANR recognition event on June 18, 2020, even if it's a “virtual” Zoom event.

 

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Revised date for operations status, cloth face coverings required, Town Hall April 16

Revised date for UC ANR telecommute and limited on-site operations status

Governor Newsom's statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect with no defined end date; however, many California counties have extended their stay-at-home orders through May 3, 2020. Accordingly, UCOP communicated late last week that they will remain on telecommute status with limited on-site operations through at least May 3.

After discussing the implications of this with the REC and County Directors last Friday, I am now asking that all UC ANR locations continue the telecommute and limited on-site operations protocols that are currently in place until further notice. However, for planning purposes, please assume that this will continue at least through May 3and may be extended again.

I am also asking that all meetings/events/gatherings statewide be cancelled, postponed or conducted online at least through this same date. I know that this is a difficult situation and I want to express our great appreciation for your continued patience, flexibility and ingenuity. We are deeply committed to getting you solid information and guidance as it becomes available.

Cloth face coverings required for all UC ANR on-site personnel

CDC, CDPH, and some county public health officials have recently issued new guidance regarding use of cloth face coverings by the general public and essential workers. CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures may be difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

Based on this guidance, ANR employees who continue to come to the workplace or field work sites for essential activities (including approved research, extension, maintenance and construction work) must wear face coverings when they are working in situations where they may come in contact with other people. If you are close enough to see or hear other people (within about 20 feet) while you are away from home for work, you need to cover your nose and mouth. 

Face coverings are not a substitute for maintaining social distancing and frequent handwashing. The best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is to wash our hands frequently, avoid touching our eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid being around sick people, and maintaining physical distancing, especially by staying at home. However, covering your nose and mouth with a snug-fitting washable cloth can provide an additional measure of safety by forming a barrier and reinforcing physical distancing, as long as you maintain the use of other defense measures.

There are numerous do-it-yourself options for cloth face covering, including this Fact Sheet from CDC that describes three methods. Employees should be encouraged to bring their own face coverings to work and launder them at home as necessary. If supervisors need help with arranging for face coverings for their employees, please contact the ANR Environmental Health & Safety team via the Ask EH&S survey.

It is also important to note that the cloth face coverings recommended are not medical masks or N95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.

April 16 Town Hall

Join UC ANR on Thursday, April 16, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a Town Hall meeting. I will share general updates and host a question/answer session. Vice Provost Mark Bell will discuss innovation in UC ANR in the midst of COVID-19. Three UC ANR colleagues will share their innovations for working through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Zoom information: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/530365395

(669) 900-6833 or (646) 558-8656  

Webinar ID: 530 365 395

Celebration corner

A new webpage ucanr.edu/covid19communityresources provides links to relevant, credible, practical UC ANR information to help our communities weather the pandemic. Information categories include agriculture; food, water and nutrition; youth development; gardening; exploring your environment; and health and wellness. Send suggestions/links to Mark Bell.

Matteo Garbelotto, UCCE forest pathology specialist and adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley, redesigned the annual citizen science project to map sudden oak death disease in order to ensure the safety of participants. The first in a series of SOD blitzes of 2020 will be April 11 in Napa. More information is available on the Green Blog.

A searchable library of production-quality UC ANR images has been developed on WebDam. Instructions for accessing the library are in the Communications Toolkit. Send additional image suggestions to Evett Kilmartin.

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

 

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: No COVID-19 layoffs through June 30, 2020

No COVID-19 related layoffs through June 30, 2020

As the impacts to our organization due to COVID-19 continue to be felt widely by all of UC ANR, our employees have been at the forefront of activities and planning systemwide to keep our people healthy and engaged in the workforce. I'm proud of the many new and innovative plans you all have created to keep our teams working. Our employees continue to carry out the UC ANR mission and it has been our goal from the beginning of this crisis to support them in return. 

Please read this important letter from President Napolitano distributed today to the UC community giving assurances that there will be no COVID-19 related layoffs for all career employees through the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2020.

There is also a Spanish version of the letter here.

Expanded wellness resources

Please be sure to view the expanded wellness resources athttp://safety.ucanr.edu/Programs/emergency/Current_Health_Alerts/Wellness_and_mental_health/ and take good care of yourselves. If you have ideas for additional resources, contact Jeannette Warnert.

Celebration corner

Dustin Blakey, County Director in Inyo and Mono counties, is using Facebook to engage with clients and answer questions, and he's using Constant Contact to deliver resources to a larger local audience based on FaceBook questions. Recent responses addressed canning dairy questions by sending USDA info on freezing meat and dairy. He also created a YouTube video on canning beans.

Gabe Youtsey is working on leveraging our CropMobster partnership to disseminate information related to weathering the pandemic to the agricultural community.

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

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