The U’s Information Security Office (ISO) is urging students, faculty and staff to remain cautious and alert to possible phishing scams designed to coincide with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Phishing attempts often take the form of spoofed emails, directing recipients to enter login credentials at a fake website that looks almost identical to the legitimate one. University students, faculty and staff are encouraged to scrutinize official-looking emails and watch for the following common signs of an email phishing attempt:
- Unusual language, poor spelling or grammar
- Messaging designed to provoke an emotional response
- A URL that doesn’t match the corresponding webpage
- A link that doesn’t match the promised content
To better protect yourself and your login credentials, please follow these best practices:
- Forward the suspicious email as an attachment to phish@utah.edu. ISO staff will analyze the email and notify you whether it’s a phishing attempt.
- Guard your uNID and password like you do your Social Security Number.
- Change your passwords often.
- Lock your device screens when not in use.
For more information about phishing, please review this UIT Knowledge Base article.
For more information about recent COVID-19 scams, please visit the following posts from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
If you have questions, your local IT support staff may be able to assist, or you may contact your respective help desk: UIT Help Desk (801-581-4000, option 1) or ITS Service Desk (801-587-6000).