Security advice „UniNow App“
Currently the start-up UniNow GmbH promotes their “UniNow App”. This App provides information about exam-, library- and canteen-data.
Safety problem
For using the “UniNow App” you have to give your personal credentials (User-ID/password) for your RWTH Aachen University IT-services. Thus, you grant UniNow access to your following personal data:
- Name of your university,
- Surname, first name,
- Matriculation number,
- Subjects,
- Lectures,
- Audits and marks,
- Access data for retrieving and sending e-mails via RWTH-mailserver and
- Access data for the online-services of the RWTH Aachen University and RWTH Aachen University Library.
With the help of this data the operator logs e.g. into CampusOffice and makes your results available in the app. There is no information on how your data is being protected from abuse in any kind. The company admitted via Facebook “Yes, we could make registrations and cancel your registrations for exams without asking.”
Inter alia these are the reasons why the IT Center strongly advises you not to use the “UniNow App”!
This process is unreliable and runs into errors if, for example, there are changes being made to RWTHonline or IT-structures within the RWTH, wrong or outdated results can be shown in the “UniNow App”.
Fundamental information
Principally it has to be stated that your credentials and exam results are your personal data and must be handled confidentially. Third parties should not be allowed to have any information on this data.
Alternatives?
Due to the above stated information the IT Center strongly advises you not to use the “UniNow App” and recommends the official “RWTH App” instead for any mobile access on your study related data. Only within the “RWTH App” the IT Center can provide safety by the latest security technologies as e.g. the OAuth authentication and encrypted data transfer. By using the RWTH App, we can guarantee you the up to date data and results for your Account.
The official RWTH App does also provide you more functionality like access to RWTHmoodle and chat support. The App is available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone systems.