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Phishing Information and Awareness Training

What is Phishing?
Common techniques used in Phishing
Ways to avoid getting hooked by Phishing attempts
Online Quiz
How to Report if You Have Been a Victim of a Phishing Scam
Phishing Resources

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a criminal mechanism employing both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal campus users personal identity data and financial account credentials. Social-engineering schemes use spoofed e-mails masquerading as a legitimate businesses and agencies to lead campus users to counterfeit websites designed to trick recipients into divulging financial data such as usernames and passwords. Technical-subterfuge schemes plant crimeware onto computers to steal credentials directly, often using systems to intercept consumers online account user names and passwords - and to corrupt local navigational infrastructures to misdirect campus users to counterfeit websites (or authentic websites through phisher-controlled proxies used to monitor and intercept consumers’ keystrokes).

The number of unique phishing websites detected by Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) during the first quarter of 2008 saw a massive increase during the month of February, an increase of more than 77 percent from January 2008.


Common techniques used in Phishing

Phishers use a variety of techniques that prey upon human nature to lure victims into providing their personal and financial information.

  • Urgency
    “If you do not respond immediately, your account will be suspended”
    “The offer is only good for the next 15 minutes”
  • Exclusivity
    “You have been chosen to receive…”
  • Fear
    ”Your account has been compromised and your data must be verified”

Ways to avoid getting hooked by Phishing attempts

  • Do not reply to email or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information.
  • Do not click on links provided in emails
  • If the email is sent by an institution that you are part of, open a web browser and manually enter the web address of the institution.
  • Do NOT cut-n-paste the address from the email.
  • Do not call any numbers provided in email. Use numbers provided by your affiliated institution in statements or on your membership card.
  • Use and regularly update anti-virus and anti-spyware software as well as firewalls.
  • Use security images to verify you are on the correct site, where supported - Coming Soon to SacLink.

Online Phishing Quiz


How to Report if You Have Been a Victim of a Phishing Scam

Forward spam that is phishing for information to iso@csus.edu. The Information Security Office will analyze the phishing attempt and take appropriate action. If you feel you have become a victim of a phishing attack, please contact the Information Security Office.

Information Security Office
916-278-1999
ISO@CSUS.EDU

Phishing Resources

http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/phishing.aspx
http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/apwg_report_Q1_2008.pdf
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt127.pdf