Tech Tip of the Week: Phishing
From the IT Group:
You just received the following email in your Keene State College Outlook/Entourage email account. Is this phishing or is this real?
From: Christopher Nissen cnissen@niu.edu
Subject : Mailbox Manager
This is to notify you that you are over your mailbox limit which is 250MB as set by your mailbox manager, you are currently at 257MB, you will not be able to create new e-mail to send or receive messages until you validate your mailbox. To re-validate your account, click here:
Help Desk.
This is an actual message that many received on campus this week. This email is phishing. You can tell because Keene State College and the IT Group would never ask you to verify or validate any account information through email or any other electronic source. We already have that information. Also, this message does not use the standard template you always see from the IT Group when we communicate to campus. Our template always:
- addresses the GAL, not individuals and it always comes from the IT Group HelpDesk.
- identifies us as the IT Group at the beginning of the message.
- tells you the reason behind our communication (routine maintenance, infrastructure upgrade, etc.).
- provides our contact information (including phone number, email address, and building location), in case you have any questions or concerns.
However, most importantly, legitimate institutions, including the IT Group, will not ask for personal information through e-mail. There are never any exceptions to this.
We hope this information will help you better understand Phishing when you receive a suspicious email. However, whenever you are in doubt, do not hesitate to contact the HelpDesk at 358-2532, e-mail helpdesk@keene.edu, or stop by our office on the second floor of Elliot Hall. We will be glad to help.
