Information Technology

Spam and Phishing Protection

Spam and Phishing Protection

Information Security

The goal of many of these malicious messages is to gain access to 你r Lindenwood account by misleading 你 to provide 你r User ID and password. Though Lindenwood IT has many preventative measures in place to limit and eliminate SPAM and PHISHING messages, some messages get through our safeguards. 因此,  play an important role in ensuring account and information security at Lindenwood University.

Please follow the tips below to keep 你r information and data secure.

Think Before You Click!  

It’s fine to click on links when 你’re on trusted sites. Clicking on links that appear in random emails and messages, however, is not advisable. Hover over links that 你 are unsure of before clicking on them. Do they lead where they are supposed to lead? A phishing email may claim to be from a legitimate company and when 你 click the link to the website, it may look exactly like the real website. The email may ask 你 to fill in the information but the email may not contain 你r name. Most phishing emails will start with “Dear Customer” so 你 should be alert when 你 come across these emails. 当有疑问时, go directly to the source rather than clicking a potentially dangerous link. 

Verify a Site’s Security 

It’s natural to be a little wary about supplying sensitive financial information online. Before submitting any information, make sure the site’s URL begins with “http” and there should be a closed lock icon near the address bar. Check for the site’s security certificate as well. If 你 get a message stating a certain website may contain malicious files, do not open the website. Never download files from suspicious emails or websites. Even search engines may show certain links which may lead users to a phishing webpage which offers low-cost products. If the user makes purchases at such a website, the credit card details will be accessed by cybercriminals. 

Check Your Online Accounts Regularly 

If 你 don’t visit an online account for a while, someone could be having a field day with it. Even if 你 don’t technically need to, check in with each of 你r online accounts on a regular basis. Get into the habit of changing 你r passwords regularly too. To prevent bank phishing and credit card phishing scams, 你 should personally check 你r statements regularly. Get monthly statements for 你r financial accounts and check each and every entry carefully to ensure no fraudulent transactions have been made without 你r knowledge. 

警惕弹出窗口 

Pop-up windows often masquerade as legitimate components of a website. All too often, though, they are phishing attempts. Many popular browsers allow 你 to block pop-ups; 你 can allow them on a case-by-case basis. If one manages to slip through the cracks, don’t click on the “cancel” button; such buttons often lead to phishing sites. Instead, click the small “x” in the upper corner of the window. 

Never Give Out Personal Information

一般来说, 你 should never share personal or financially sensitive information over the Internet. 当有疑问时, go visit the main website of the company in question, get their number and give them a call. Most of the phishing emails will direct 你 to pages where entries for financial or personal information are required. An Internet user should never make confidential entries through the links provided in the emails. Never send an email with sensitive information to anyone. Make it a habit to check the address of the website. A secure website always starts with “http”. 

Additional information can be found here: 钓鱼邮件技巧