As any type of fraud, phishing can be extremely damaging and has already claimed victims on campus. Use these pages to find out more about phishing - what it is and what risks it poses. Don't get hooked! Learn how to protect yourself against phishing scams and identity theft. Show
What is Phishing?Phishing refers to different types of online scams that ‘phish’ for your personal and financial information (e.g., your passwords, Social Security Number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or other personal information). These messages claim to come from a legitimate source: a well-known software company, online payment service, bank, or other reputable institution. Some will use an organization's email address, logo, and other trademarks to fake authenticity. Phishing messages may also appear to be from a trusted friend or colleague. See below for details on phishing attacks at UMass Amherst. Phishing messages can come from a growing number of sources, including:
What is spear phishing? More sophisticated attacks, known as spear phishing, are personalized messages from scammers posing as people or institutions that you trust. They often collect identifiable information about you from social media or the compromised account of someone you know to make their messages more convincing. Never transmit sensitive information over email or social media, even if the message requesting information appears to be legitimate. Signs of phishing include:
For more information, see the FTC's page about Phishing. What are the Risks?Don’t be fooled! These are fraudulent communications that in most cases have nothing to do with the institution they claim to be affiliated with. Opening, replying, or clicking the links provided in these emails poses a serious security risk to you and the campus network. Some of the risks involved are:
Phishing Attacks at UMass AmherstMembers of the university community may have received more targeted phishing emails, asking specifically for their IT Account NetID and/or password. These fraudulent emails claim to be official university communications (or otherwise originate from a legitimate office on campus). Most will ask you to ‘immediately update’ your personal information or face serious consequences. Don’t be fooled! These emails do not come from UMass Amherst IT/UMass Amherst. They are fraudulent messages attempting to compromise your personal information. UMass Amherst IT will never ask for your IT Account password or other sensitive information via email or link. Note: UMass Amherst IT uses sophisticated email filtering software to automatically detect and block SPAM, phishing, malware, etc. To help mitigate risks, the filtering software and IT staff may take action including blocking or removing these types of emails. The email filtering software is not foolproof and some unwanted messages may get through. It is critical that you learn to identify phishing scams, take the appropriate steps to protect your computer and your information, and report messages to IT. Visit this page for instructions on how to report phishing messages to UMass Amherst IT. What is the process of sending an e mail that appears to have come from a trusted source but is really spam quizlet?Phishing is the process used by attackers to acquire sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and usernames by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. Phishing emails are drafted such that they appear to have come from a legitimate organization, such as banking, social media, or e-commerce websites.
What is the term for a file that attaches itself to a program then moves from computer to computer within a networked system with the intention of contaminating files?A worm is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer. A virus is a piece of computer code that inserts itself within the code of another standalone program, then forces that program to take malicious action and spread itself.
What is the definition of spam and junk email quizlet?Email spam, also known as unsolicited bulk email (UBE), junk mail, or unsolicited commercial email (UCE), is the practice of sending unwanted email messages, frequently with commercial content, in large quantities to an indiscriminate set of recipients.
What advantage does a communication system using VSAT satellite have?The biggest advantage of VSAT networks is that they are easy to deploy. The ground station essentially communicates with satellites, which then redirects the data to several hubs at different locations on the earth.
|