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Printer-Friendly ModePhishing threatens SVSU e-mailers
October 19, 2009 —
Last week, everyone with an SVSU e-mail address received another message from the Information Technology department with more updates on computer security.
With over 40,000 Yahoo!, Hotmail and Gmail e-mail accounts compromised in a huge phishing attack worldwide, Ken Schindler, the executive director of Information Technology Services, deemed it appropriate to send a reminder on virtual safety measures.
Schindler’s job is to keep the SVSU network secure. Whenever he sends an e-mail to everyone, it’s usually for a good reason, he says.
“Phishing,” in basic terms, occurs when someone sends an e-mail falsely claiming to be from some legitimate organization in order to obtain sensitive information such as usernames or passwords. Usually e-mails are written in a threatening or desperate manner, which makes the target feel as though they need to respond.
Apart from this single phishing attack, SVSU’s network has been relatively safe this year. According to ITS, only one account has been hijacked so far, and the team was able to lock it down and take care of it quickly.
Despite this, Schindler advises students and faculty to not let their guard down. “Keeping your e-mail secure is a simple three-step process,” Schindler said.
The first step: “Never give up your username or password,” he said.
“SVSU would never send out an email asking for that information.”
Second, he recommends users regularly change their passwords. SVSU already requires users to replace them every 90 to 120 days.
Third, Schindler says to be careful with links in e-mails — specifically, to watch where they come from. If the domain name doesn’t include “svsu.edu” in any variation, then there is a good chance it’s a phishing attempt, he says.
The other biggest vulnerability comes from malware — malicious software that can seize control of a computer and send out spam e-mail — but Schindler and the ITS team have been working on fixing that vulnerability.
“Now, when anyone tries to connect to the network, it checks to see if they have anti-virus software and if it’s up to date,” Schindler said. If a student’s computer doesn’t pass the check, they won’t be able to log on.
“Instead, they’ll be sent to our ITS page where they can download free anti-virus software.”
The ITS Web site has plenty of other tools to help keep computers secure, including free virus-scanning tools for both PC and Mac users.
So despite all the threats out there, Schindler says ITS is doing everything it can to keep ahead of the curve. But individual responsibility is the best way to keep SVSU’s network safe. Following these simple methods can go a long way in preventing computers and e-mail accounts from being compromised.
If students or faculty have questions about computer security, they can direct their inquiries to the ITS Support Center, or by calling 964-4225.