Tag Archives: Phishing

Phishing and Social Engineering 

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Phishing and social engineering campaigns are still a top source of ransomware and other malware[1]. 

Phishing is a type of cybersecurity attack where malicious actors send messages pretending to be a trusted person.  Social Engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions like installing malicious software, clicking a malicious link, or divulging sensitive information.

Reduce your chances of your falling victim to phishing attacks!

Beware of messages that:

  • Do not clearly identify themselves or their company
  • Come from an email address that does not match the company’s domain
  • Do not give full contact information such as the title of sender, the company’s physical address, or phone number
  • Make too good to be true offers with no strings attached
  • Ask to pay an upfront fee or asks you to transfer money for them
  • Ask to give your credit card or bank account numbers
  • Ask to send copies of personal documents
  • Remember: DO NOT provide any personal information, especially Social Security numbers or financial information. Legitimate companies would not ask for this information over the phone or email.

If an email looks suspicious, do not respond and do not click on any links or attachments. When available, “Report phishing” to block other suspicious emails.

[1] 2023 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)

Please send any questions or concerns to Simmons Information Security Officer, Kristen Howard, or the Technology Service Desk.

Phishing and Social Engineering

Special News, TechNews, , , ,

Phishing and social engineering campaigns are the #1 source of ransomware and other malware[1].
Phishing is a type of cybersecurity attack where malicious actors send messages pretending to be a trusted person. Social Engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions like installing malicious software, clicking a malicious link, or divulging sensitive information.

Reduce your chances of your falling victim to phishing attacks!

Beware of messages that:

  • Do not clearly identify themselves or their company
  • Come from an email address that does not match the company’s domain
  • Do not give full contact information such as the title of sender, the company’s physical address, or phone number
  • Make too good to be true offers with no strings attached
  • Ask to pay an upfront fee or asks you to transfer money for them
  • Ask to give your credit card or bank account numbers
  • Ask to send copies of personal documents
  • Remember: DO NOT provide any personal information, especially Social Security numbers or financial information. Legitimate companies would not ask for this information over the phone or email.

If an email looks suspicious, do not respond and do not click on any links or attachments. When available, “Report phishing” to block other suspicious emails.

[1] 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)

Being Aware: Spam, Phishing, and You

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Though spam, phishing, and other attempts to obtain personal information via email are nothing new, we’d like to remind everyone that these types of threats are real and that Gmail is not immune to the most sophisticated attempts.

When using your Simmons email, please be aware of these threats. If you receive an email that you know is suspicious, you should report it to the Service Desk and click SPAM in the Gmail toolbar above the email.

For more information about safe computing, please read this FAQ and, for more information about phishing scams in particular, please see this FAQ on the Service Desk website. If you have questions about phishing or need guidance in a particular situation, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.