Phishing

Phishing is an attempt to access an individual’s private information through the use of a falsified e-mail address or text. The most common types of phishing schemes appear to come from a legitimate business or organization. Often these messages are sent under the guise of protecting one’s private information and accounts (e.g., the message may ask the e-mail recipient to confirm his or her identity in order to verify a suspicious transaction). Recently, phishing e-mails from what appears to be your own institution have begun to appear. These messages will display an e-mail header that contains a common unit in your organization, such as “University X Help Desk” or “Company X Accounting Department.” These messages are scams to acquire personal information by having an individual ...