When it comes to email, if it looks phishy, sounds phishy, and smells phishy, then more than likely…it’s a phish. What is a phish(ing attempt)? A phishing attempt is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Below is a screenshot of a compromised AD account used nefariously in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to university networks, data, and your identity. Notice the vague attempt to address “colleagues”, the run-on sentence structure, incorrect formatting, and the mysterious link to some unknown webpage. It’s just all around not right. Whether the address is from a UNL faculty/staff member or not, keep your senses; you are under attack.
Say it’s someone of whom you’re accustomed to receiving emails, but it seems phishy; just pick up the phone, and call that person to verify everything in the email BEFORE you click on any mystery link. However, if you do click a link of a phishing attempt, time is of the essence, every second counts, and definitive action must be taken to regain control of your identity.
If you have questions about the steps to take if such a thing occurs, please feel free to drop by or message me anytime.