There has been an increased amount of spam (phishing) email messages sneaking through our filters. We have taken additional steps to change the way that our filters work to hopefully block these messages before they get to your inbox. However, no filter is going to be perfect, and sometimes messages are going to make it to your inbox. We need each and every user to be vigilant and cautious about clicking links in any email.
No, this is not a test, these are three legitimate links to specific resources that I, Ryan Sage, on behalf of RSDIT, am personally suggesting that you click, read, and research for your own protection:
Specific ways that you can tell these links are legitimate:
You can see the entire URL of the link, which means that you know where the link is taking you
These are known and trusted domains (ftc.gov and Microsoft)
They are being sent from a trusted source (me!)
No one is telling or asking you to submit any additional information
The attacks sent earlier this week included a link to “docs.google.com” which, while it is a trusted domain in general, the document that it sent you to which asked for personal information and passwords is a huge red flag not to proceed.
If you have received any email message which is suspicious and you are unsure how to proceed, please forward a copy of the message to me, or any member of the IT department and we will check if it is safe and let you know how you should proceed. It is always better to be safe than sorry and check the message before you submit any information. It is so incredibly important to stress this point that you should always be suspicious of emails and err on the side of caution by never submitting information over the internet based off an email.
When we look at the size of our district, past trainings and regular warnings, there are far too many people falling for these scams.
This skill is important to learn and master now, and for the rest of your digital life! If you lose access to your email account in college, you may not be able to submit your term paper and you may fail your class. If you work for Boeing and accidentally send your Boeing account password to a scammer in Russia, you may be fired. If you are a grown adult and send your bank account information to a scammer in China, you may lose all your money.
Spotting scams and protecting your digital information is a lifelong skill that takes practice and effort. Please spend some time reading the resources linked above and let me know if you have any questions or concerns about how you can protect your account and stay safe online.
Thank you for your time and understanding surrounding this serious issue.
Use the resources on https://www.phishing.org/what-is-phishing for useful tips:
