University of Connecticut Cautions Students about Fraudulent E-mails

University of Connecticut's Michael Mundrane, Vice Provost for Information Technology as well as Chief Information Officer has asked the university's students to remain vigilant of spam mails and phishing scams while eschew visiting unsecured websites else viewing unfamiliar e-mail attachments.

Students have been getting a number of phishing and spam messages during the recent months. The electronic mails pretended to be messages from UConn Mail Service, Blackboard Inc., and lately President Susan Herbst sending an attached file named "Exclusive Important Announcement from President Susan Herbst." The Daily Campus posted this online dated February 2, 2017.

During 2015-16, the number of victims of scam and junk e-mails rose 270%. Ordinary phishing scams impersonate accredited institutions, like a company or bank, while embed one web-link into the electronic mail pointing to one fake login site. Soon as end-users type in their information, theft occurs on the website of password and login details, as well as other info like credit card details, Social Security Numbers and bank accounts, explains FBI.

Mundrane advises that students must necessarily safeguard their passwords, while remain vigilant of probable attacks. He says the combinations of usernames and passwords well serve as identifications of the potential victims. To avoid having the said credentials hijacked, users must verify the authenticity of attachments that may come from unfamiliar places while maintain extreme caution for embedded web-links.

There is little secrecy maintained of student addresses which are garnered through various means. Scammers garner addresses and keep them listed which they target in their attacks later on, Mundrane continues.

UConn's spam filters stop a lot of these e-mails from getting into inboxes. However, those that do bypass get dealt with university's own IT security measures immediately on detection. However, students too must remain vigilant of the few electronic mails which bypass the filters.

Although assaults continue to increase at UConn, the university has got down to fight the fraudsters while safeguard its students.

Mundrane concludes that there will be no halt of phishing scams for which UTIS will keep on devising more advanced means as well as explore technologies to ensure improved security.

» SPAMfighter News - 2/7/2017