Sent: 2021-08-27
From: EIU
To: Various Recipients
Subject: Phishing Information
Exciting new times, like the beginning of a new semester, can be used by opportunistic attackers attempting to use phishing techniques to access EIU resources, email accounts, and workstations.
Phishing is the use of an email or communication - often appearing to come from a person or company you know, sometimes even with credible and familiar-looking logos or headers - to trick you into providing sensitive personal information.
Following these guidelines can help you avoid being phished:
• Do not click links within a suspicious email. When possible, type the URL into your web browser.
• Remember: EIU will never ask for your password in an email or on a Google Form
• Never send a password in an email.
• Do not download and open attachments you are not expecting.
• A frequent format used by phishers is posing as a fellow student requesting information or telling you about an opportunity.
• When in doubt, call the person from whom the email came.
• If it is an official EIU message, there will be a verification link. Verify by visiting this website: https://www.eiu.edu/verify/.
How to spot a phishing message:
• The message’s email address does not match the company that supposedly sent it.
• The message has a generic, non-personal greeting.
• Poor grammar and spelling.
• The message has a sense of urgency.
• The message makes promises of financial gain.
If you feel you have fallen victim of a phishing attack, immediately change your password at https://password.eiu.edu - log in and choose the “reset password” option.
Have you recognized a phishing attempt? Please forward the message to phishing@eiu.edu and then delete it. Another option, while using Outlook on the web or on your desktop, is to click “Junk” and choose the “phishing” option.
For more information: https://www.eiu.edu/panthertech/kb/000/kb00000011.php
If you have questions about a potential phishing email or have other questions, contact the EIU User Services Help Desk at 217-581-4357.
Thank you,
Aaron B. Allison, GSEC - Information Security
Information Technology Services | Eastern Illinois University
217.581.1939 | Office365 Teams: aballison | www.eiu.edu/panthertech
