Secure Communication

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This service is to provide common tools, features and best practices for secure communication. 

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Empowering Your Digital Security

At AUP IT Services, our dedicated team works tirelessly to safeguard the university from cyber threats, including malicious attacks, viruses, and the actions of ill-intentioned individuals. However, it's crucial to remember that the most significant factor in ensuring IT security is you.

Stay Informed and Stay Secure

In today's digital landscape, vigilance is your strongest ally. To help you navigate potential threats, we've compiled a list of malevolent content that might land in your Outlook inbox from dubious external sources. By following our expert guidance, you can fortify your defenses and keep your digital world secure.

Threats at a Glance

Here's a brief overview of the key threats you should be aware of:

Phishing

Phishing article image.png

Phishing is a type of malicious email where the sender poses as a reputable company. The email sender’s goal is to induce individuals to reveal personal information (think passwords, credit card numbers, etc.).

These emails are sometimes very clever and may look official. Please be careful:

  • NEVER click on a link from a suspicious email.
  • If you receive a suspicious email, forward it immediately to itservicesataup.edu explaining why you think it is a phishing attempt.  
Ransomware

7122566.jpgRansomware is another type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

Here is how it works:

  • An individual or group first sends you an email and encourages you to click on a link. You then download a file that corrupts/crypts your computer files
  • The sender copies those files to his own server, so the data can be shared with his accomplices
  • S/he then asks for ransom - often in bitcoins - blackmailing you, threatening to disclose some of your personal information that may harm your reputation
  • Since s/he blocked access to your computer system, s/he can also demand a sum of money in exchange for the key that will give you access to your files again

 If you receive one of those emails:

  • NEVER click on an attachment or link.
  • NEVER pay the ransom. Even if you do pay, you are not certain to get your data back.
  • Immediately forward the email to itservicesataup.edu.
Scam

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You've received an email saying you won the lottery?

Or that a great producer needs money right now but will reward you a hundred-fold if you just give him your credit card number?

These types of scams are frequent on the internet, and you may get these strangely "good news" in your inbox. 

Don't answer them, just forward the email to itservicesataup.edu.

How to recognize a dangerous email?

 

Who is the sender? 

Legitimate emails usually come from someone with an email address associated with the company. So if you are getting an email about Microsoft’s Office 365 from beyonce35atmassygroup.com , more than likely, they do not work for Microsoft and this is a phishing attempt.

 

Who is it addressed to? 

If the email greeting is vague (i.e. “Dear Customer”  or “Dear <insert your username>”) there is a chance the email did not come from a safe source. Most companies you subscribe to know your name and will include it in the message.

 

How is the grammar? 

Phishing emails tend to have a lot of misspelled words and grammatical errors. If you see a lot of mistakes in the email, this may be a phishing attempt. Of course, in some phishing attempts the grammar is perfect. So do not use grammar as the sole indicator.

 

Where do these links actually lead to? 

If you hover (do not click) over the links in the phishing email, then look at the bottom of your internet browser: it displays the URL of the link. If all of the links lead to the same place or to a place that does not coincide with the legitimate company, there is a high chance that it is a phishing email.

 

Is it in a foreign language? 

 

In a phishing email, the sender may have a foreign name and most of all work for a company you've never heard of. If the message is in French, it won't be from AUP since all our communications are in English. Part of the message, such as a disclaimer in the footer, can be in a foreign language too, and can be a sign of a suspicious source.

Check the official website yourself

In many phishing attempts, the sender encourages you to click links that seem to come from an official structure (taxes, social security, bank, etc.). However, these links usually lead to a site that steals any personal information you enter. So, instead of clicking the links within the email, navigate to the company website yourself and check if the message you have received is genuine. If  that's the case, you will find the same information when you log in to your account on the legitimate website.

Examples of suspicious emails

Example of phishing email #1

Example of Ransomware

Fake Microsoft message in French (very convincing)

Fake Microsoft message in English

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