National Cyber Security Awareness Month: how to stay safe online
Lacey Klotz |
As thousands in the U.S. and Caribbean are still dealing with the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew, Chris Simmons, assistant professor of computer science and information security, warns internet users that this is also an opportune time for malicious cyber activity and email phishing scams to take place.
In light of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Simmons shares his expertise on how to stay safe online, as well as references tips provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team on how to avoid fraudulent emails.
Cyber Security Awareness Month Could Not Have Come Fast Enough - Potential Hurricane Matthew Email Phishing Scams
Hurricane Matthew reached a category 4 hurricane before reaching southeastern United States, which was then hit hard as Matthew moved very close to the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Many con artists and Internet criminals take advantage of a disaster abroad and in the United States. Hurricane Matthew is no different, as it wreaked havoc on Haiti and the southeastern coast of the United States. Along with this devastating event, there is a new deceptive email phishing scam that we all need to cognizant about. Email phishing scams provide a means for attackers to infect machines with malware and viruses in order to collect personal and private information.
Computer users should educate themselves of the dangers associated with email phishing scams seeking to capitalize on Hurricane Matthews. Extreme caution should be exercised when dealing with emails seeking to solicit information and/or containing a link or attachment, which could potentially direct users to phishing or malware-infected sites.
Here are safe ways for employees to avoid email phishing scams as recommended by US-CERT:
- Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages. Clicking on unsolicited web links in emails can allow an attacker to gain access to your computer potentially capturing sensitive information.
- Use caution when opening email attachments. Be sure you are aware of the sender sending attachment. It is always a good practice to send any attachments through a virus scanner before opening any attachments. Email services, such as Gmail, automatically scans every attachment for viruses when it is delivered to you. Refer to the Using Caution with Email Attachments Cyber Security Tip for more information on safely handling email attachments.
- Keep antivirus and other computer software up-to-date. It is always recommended to keep software up-to-date in order to ensure that any security related updates will aid in preventing computer attacks.
- Avoid being social engineered. Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks Cyber Security Tip for more information on social engineering attacks.
- Research Charitable Organizations thoroughly before donating. Scammers and con artists tend to take advantage of disaster situations with an attempt to lure suspecting givers towards a fraudulent relief fund. Review the Federal Trade Commission information on Charity Scams.
- Verify the legitimacy of any email solicitation. It is important to contact the organization directly through a trusted contact number to ensure you funds are being properly donated to the correct organization. You can find trusted contact information for many charities on the BBB National Charity Report Index.
Majority of people will always be humane and donate to various forms of charitable organizations to express their support when natural disasters occur in parts of the world. Moreover, the United States is ranked No. 2 in giving, down from its 2014 No. 1 ranking, as rated by the World Giving Index. Therefore, as phishing scams continue to advance in various forms, it is important for computer users to become conscious of opening suspicious emails. We pray for all people who have been impacted by Hurricane Matthew.
—Chris Simmons, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Computer Science and Information Security
College of Computing and Technology
Lipscomb University