Phishing scams use email or pop-up messages to trick readers into disclosing user names and account passwords, credit card information, bank account information, Social Security numbers, or other confidential information. There has been an exponential increase in the number of phishing attempts against the University in recent weeks. Unfortunately, more University employees have been responding to these attacks resulting in adverse impacts to themselves and increasing the burden on University resources to remediate the mistake.
Phishing scams are becoming more sophisticated and thus seemingly legitimate to users. In order to gain trust, most cyber attackers will send spoof emails—claiming to be from a bank, university department, or IT professional—using company logos and company contact information which direct users to counterfeit URLs. While designed to appear authentic, these websites are actually controlled by the attacker. Please follow the tips below to make sure that you don’t take the bait and get “phished”!
How to Prevent Getting Phished …
• Before you act, carefully consider the type of information requested.
• If you are not sure of the sender, DO NOT click on web links or respond to the message in any way.
• Become familiar with our best practices regarding phishing at http://makeitsafe.missouri.edu/phishing.html.
If You Know That You Received a Phishing Message…
• DO NOT reply. The best approach is to simply delete the message. If you want to report it, you may send it to abuse@missouri.edu. When reporting phishing, please send the original email as an attachment by dragging and dropping it into a new message box.
• DO NOT click on links within the message or open any attachments.
• If you need further assistance, consult your IT support team or the IT Help Desk at 882-5000.
If You Think You Have Already Been Phished …
• If you are a victim of a phishing scam, reset your password immediately. For information about resetting passwords visit http://doit.missouri.edu/accounts/passwords.html.
• If this vulnerability relates to your University account, you are required to report the incident. Please review the mandatory reporting requirement at http://doit.missouri.edu/security/response/.
For more great tips, security news and all the latest alerts, visit http://makeitsafe.missouri.edu/.