Ransomware Infections on the Rise – COVID-19

We recently received the following information via an announcement from our anti-virus software provider Cisco AMP for Endpoints:

The Cisco AMP for Endpoints research team has observed increasing incidences of malicious activity culminating in ransomware. These incidents often begin with phishing emails containing a malicious attachment, malicious link to a website, or drive-by downloads of exploitation against vulnerable software, all of which could lead to the execution of ransomware.

Let’s work together to reduce the possible attacks on the Etown network.

Remember to look for these things in email messages to help recognize scams:

• External message banner – Messages pretending to be from an etown.edu email address but only spoofing the address will have a “CAUTION: External message…” banner at the top of the email message.
• From address – Review the sender’s email address at the top of the message to confirm the real address that sent it.
• Links to websites – Never click a website link in an email message unless you are certain it is safe and directing you to the correct website. Hover over the link in the message to see where the link will send you.
• Attachments – Never open an attachment from a sender that you aren’t expecting. If you aren’t sure if it’s legitimate, contact the sender for confirmation.

If you think you’ve received a phishing attempt:

• Use the Phish Alert Button in Outlook to report the message
• If you don’t see the Phish Alert Button, forward the message to mailcop@etown.edu and delete it
• Don’t open the message, click on any links, or respond in any manner

If you haven’t already done so, enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication which will help protect your account from being used by a hacker. Our best defense against phishing attempts, malware, ransomware and all the other attempts by hackers to gain access to the Etown network is you! Paying additional attention to your email today can save loss of data and untold hours of cleanup later.

As always, contact the ITS Help Desk (717-361-3333 or helpdesk@etown.edu) with any questions about your cybersecurity. Be well!