UNL employees should be on alert for fraudulent "phishing" emails designed to steal employee credentials to University and banking websites. These emails have frequently targeted numerous university employees across the nation to reveal their online login and password or submit those credentials to a fraudulent site.
Please do not click on or respond to any message that asks you for your credentials or personal information. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will never ask you for your login/password or any other personal information via email.
Also known as "spear phishing" many emails have become more sophisticated and focused, closely resembling actual email correspondence used by a university or banking institution. Many universities are prime targets due to their large populations.
As recently as October 18, two Michigan State University employees credentials were stolen via a phishing scam requesting direct-deposit confirmations. Cybercrimminals subsequently used the information to modify banking information through the institution's employee web portal. Weeks earlier, paychecks for five employees from Washington University, St. Louis were diverted via a phishing attack.
Many phishing emails are blocked at UNL's email gateways, but some inevitably get through. If you are suspicious of an email, please forward it to the Computer Help Center. You can also reference emails that have been reported as frauds at http://its.unl.edu/phishing.
If you have responded to an email, it is important that you contact the Computer Help Center to help you change any passwords that may have been accessed. Contact the Computer Help Center at 472-3970 or Toll Free (866) 472-3970 or email at mysupport@unl.edu.
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. For other information security resources go to http://security.unl.edu/.