Announcements

FROM: UTech Security RE: UTech Security Awareness Bulletin - Phishing
Sent: 2/23/2015 12:53:46 PM
To: Students, Faculty, Staff

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From: UTech Security
RE: UTech Security Awareness Bulletin - Phishing

Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be another trusted user or company in an attempt to steal their credentials. The e-mail can contain a link to a fake web site that asks the user to enter personal information such as username, password, credit card number, etc.

There are several signs you should look for to identify a phishing e-mail:

• Any e-mail asking for your name, birth date, social security number, e-mail username, e-mail password, or any other type of personal information, no matter who the e-mail appears to be from, is almost certainly a scam.  California University of Pennsylvania and most other businesses do not send unsolicited e-mail requesting personal or financial information.
• E-mails that are poorly worded, have typos, or have phrases such as "this is not a joke" or "forward this message to your friends" are generally scam e-mails.
• Phishing mail often includes official-looking logos and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate Web sites, and it may include convincing details about your personal information that scammers found on your social networking pages.
• A few phrases to look for if you think an e-mail message is a phishing scam are:
  • "Verify your account."
  • "If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed."
  • "You have won the lottery.”

How to avoid being a victim:

·       Verify the URL (web address) of a website before clicking on a link. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation of spelling or a different name.

·       Don’t send sensitive information over the Internet before checking a website’s security.

·       Do not reveal personal or financial information, and do not respond to e-mail solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in e-mail.

·       Never respond to suspicious e-mails or click on links inside suspicious messages.

Note: California University of PA will NEVER ask you for a password or account information via e-mail.