Information Security Alert: Don't Let Phishing Emails Reel You In
Unwanted email known as “spam” makes up over 90% of messages sent over the Internet. These messages are often financial/stock scams or ads for illicit pharmaceuticals, cheap replica products, or adult-oriented content. Most spam can be either blocked by Postini, Google’s email security service, or is easy to spot, ignore, and delete.
Not all spam is so benign. A growing number are “phishing” messages that are designed to entice you into clicking on links that either install malware or trick you into giving up identification credentials (user IDs, PINs, social security numbers, or passwords). They usually try to look like legitimate emails from sites like Bank of America, Facebook, Amazon, YouTube, PayPal, the IRS (promising refunds), and even your local computer system administrator asking you to verify your password.
While technology can help block most spam and phishing attacks, your information security vigilance is still required to deal with a threat that is constantly evolving. This is not just a business issue – you also need to protect yourself from identity theft and financial loss at home.
A good way to help protect yourself is to know what a phishing attack might look like and how to avoid it. An excellent way to learn this is to complete a 15-minute web-based training module from the Defense Information Systems Agency: http://iase.disa.mil/eta/phishing/Phishing/launchPage.htm -- Information Services strongly recommends that everyone complete this training.
