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Revision 58 as of 2019-06-15 10:00:40

Phishing Emails

I received a phishing mail: What to do?

  • Delete it.

I received a mail and I'm unsure if it is a phishing mail

  • Check our IT news: https://math.uzh.ch/li - we're publishing phishing mails there, as soon as we're aware of it.

    • Thinlinc: upper right corner you find our IT News channel. Blinking means there are new messages: right click on it to see the headlines, left click opens the channel in a browser. news.png

    • Announcements starting with '[Phishing] ...' means: this is a phishing mail, delete it.

  • Forward the mail to support@math.uzh.ch and ask if it is reliable.

What is a phishing mail?

An attacker tries to get your username/password by providing a website with a login box, which often looks identically to known websites.

I have nothing to hide!

If thousands (or millions!) of people receive spam, cause your credentials have been used for sending spam, than you're reponsible for this.

This is only one reason, much more reasons exist to keep the own credentials secret.

How can I distinguish fake and reliable mail?

  • Does the email ask me to log in somewhere?
  • Did I requested the action described in the email?

'Do not trust any email' means ...

  • Do not trust any email address.

  • Do not trust any content - see below 'Personalized...'.

Personalized by Big Data

  • An attacker starts some 'big data' algorithm which reads a hacked email inbox, the collected email adresses (auto adressbook) and correlate that with other information like hacked email accounts, computer (incl. PDF, word or excel files saved on the computer) or general public available information.

  • A personalized email is build automatically and it fit's perfect to your current situation but it's still a fake.

Personalized by human

  • With the hacked collected information and some creativity: no limits.

Should I stop using email?

  • No - Email is by far the most accepted electronic way to communicate - keep it.
  • Just be aware that a email is like a postcard: everyone can write it, with any sender address, with any information.

Are there alternatives to email?