Don’t take the bait!
Published: 21 March 2017
Every week the UofG’s spam filters keep 1.5 million dodgy emails out our inboxes! Here’s how to deal with the ones that slip through the first lines of defence.
The Internet is awash with bogus emails; every week the UofG’s spam filters keep 1.5 million of them out of our inboxes! There’s a balance to be struck though - it’s critical to ensure bona fide messages AREN’T blocked - so inevitably some spam will slip through these first lines of defence.
Attackers use dodgy emails to
- infect computers with malware or viruses
- steal passwords and other personal details via deception (a practice known as 'phishing')
- lure people into scams, often financial in nature
Often they will ‘spoof’ their emails, making them look like they come from your bank, your email provider, or even a part of the University like IT Services, ‘HR Payroll’, ‘The Helpdesk’, or ‘The System Administrator’.
Protect yourself by treating unsolicited email with suspicion, even if the sender appears to be someone you trust!
More advice
- Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in unsolicited email.
- Never respond to any email asking you for your ID or passwords.
- If a link in an email takes you to a log-in page, even if it looks similar to the page you normally use, do not log-in. Instead use one of these safe methods:
- Go to the University home page or MyGlasgow and navigate from there.
- Use a desktop icon or a bookmark you saved earlier.
- Carefully type the URL address by hand.
- If an offer in an email seems too good to be true, it probably is!
- Again, treat all unsolicited email with suspicion, even if the sender appears to someone you trust.
Always err on the side of caution. If you’re ever in doubt whether an email is genuine, contact the IT Helpdesk.
Help IT Services to help you
If you do receive spam email, you can forward it to the spam filters to help reinforce their defences. Find out how at the link below.
First published: 21 March 2017
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