Cybersecurity Corner: new warning on external emails

Update | Tuesday, January 14, 2020

You may have noticed that emails from outside the College now carry a warning at the top: “Columbus State Information Security Warning: This is an external email. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you trust the sender.”

Ben Dalton, information security officer, says, “The new notice at the top of your email is a way to identify external emails. The message serves as a notice and reminder about being cautious when clicking on links and attachments from external senders.”

Phishing is a cyberattack that uses fraudulent emails to trick people into providing sensitive information or downloading malicious attachments. These scams continue to be a top cybersecurity threat for colleges and universities. Attacks are persistent and sophisticated. Cybercriminals are constantly improving their techniques to make illegitimate emails appear to be authentic. Successful phishing attacks can lead to ransomware, identity theft, theft of funds, and unauthorized access to systems.

Information on scams and protecting yourself can be found on the Information Security website.

Report suspicious or phishing emails by forwarding the email to abuse@cscc.edu or by calling the IT Support Center at extension 5050.

 

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