Even during these difficult times, cybercriminals are preying on Coronavirus (COVID-19) fears to steal users’ personal and financial information. UCF Information Security Office (InfoSec) would like to remind employees to take precautions to protect their personal and university data, especially while working remotely.
Scam messages have been sent by email, text message, and on social media. These fraudulent messages claim to provide Coronavirus awareness, sell virus prevention products, or ask for donations to a related charity.
To protect yourself against scams, please remember:
- to pay attention to the website address: malicious websites try to look identical to a legitimate site, but the address may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com versus .edu).
- if you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try verifying it by contacting the company directly; contact the company using information provided on an account statement, not information provided in an email.
- if you receive a suspicious email, forward it as an attachment to SIRT@ucf.edu and use the Phish Alert Button in Outlook to report phishing emails.
Basic security measures can help protect you and the university from cybercriminals taking advantage of this global Coronavirus crisis.
When working from home, please remember:
- to follow the guidelines contained within the UCF Telecommuting Program Manual: https://hr.ucf.edu/files/Telecommuting-Manual-Agreement.pdf
- if available, to use a university-provided computer to do university work.
- to use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to your office computer with a VPN (virtual private network) to the UCF network: access the VPN at https://secure.vpn.ucf.edu/
- to keep your computers and devices up-to-date with the latest operating system and software updates, and to keep anti-malware software current.
- to keep your devices with you at all times or stored in a secure location when you’re not using them.
- to limit access to your computer: family and friends should not use a university-issued device.
Learn more about defending against Coronavirus scams at https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2020/03/06/defending-against-covid-19-cyber-scams .
For more information, and to see examples of reported Coronavirus-themed phishing emails, please visit our security awareness vendor’s blog post at https://blog.knowbe4.com/piling-on-exploiting-the-coronavirus-for-fraud-and-profit .