If you receive an email that is not from a trusted source or just appears to be suspicious, the main security threat is not in opening the email but rather in clicking on the links or opening any attachments that might be included. If you are uncertain about the message, please contact Information Security for assistance.
Avoiding Email Scams:
Generally, you should be suspicious of any email that includes a link in it. You may verify the target of the link by hovering over the link text in the message. The link URL will temporarily display in a pop-up box. Examination of the URL will reveal the target website.
Remember:
- EIT will not use email to ask for account information, passwords or other sensitive information.
- When in doubt about suspicious emails, report it and then delete it.
- Look for unfamiliar organization names, or misspelled words.
- Never click on links, download files, or download attachments from unknown senders.
Additionally, the following things can potentially indicate an email that is a security threat:
- Misspellings
- Grammar mistakes
- Content that includes requests for help, monetary donations, explicit material
- Any request for sensitive or personally identifiable information, including passwords and banking information.
- Hyperlinks to unfamiliar websites or that use link shorteners (for example, http://bit.ly/1lC63XM)
Email messages originating from the EIT Service Desk will have a very specific format that identifies who the message is from, the subject and a summary and impact. Again, EIT will NEVER ask for your password via email.
For more information about phishing, please reference this Rose Pod Shortburst Training Video or click here to view a second Shortburst Training Video.