Campus alerts!

We are seeing the following cyber attacks on campus:

• Board member impersonator tries to get you to pay a vendor
• Job scammer looks for a research assistant
• Faculty impersonator tries to trick payroll

Stop and think before you click.

Announcements

• Nominate a colleague for a Random Act of Cybersecurity and earn a chance to win a spin of the prize wheel.

Threats that may affect you

• Scholastic data breach
• PowerSchool data breach affects Alberta schools
• Emails from legitimate PayPal address used in crafty phishing scheme

Cybersafety tip of the week

How your personal information could put your savings at risk

Data brokers sell personal information, increasing the risk of scams that can jeopardize retirement security. Scammers use broad or targeted approaches, ranging from generic phishing to highly detailed attacks. To protect yourself, invest in data removal services, avoid clicking on suspicious links, never share sensitive information under pressure and always verify identities before providing personal details. These precautions can help reduce the risks posed by data brokers and safeguard your retirement savings.

Read the whole article.

Campus alerts!

We are seeing the following cyber attacks on campus:

• Tom Rahilly impersonator tries to get your phone number
• PDF shared through Adobe contains a malicious link
• McAfee impersonator fakes a PayPal invoice
• Another McAfee impersonator looks for money

Stop and think before you click.

Announcements

• Congratulations to Leigh-Ann Duke who has won the Random Acts of Cybersecurity draw for December. Leigh-Ann was entered for watching the monthly cybersecurity awareness video on phishing.
• Perform a Random Act of Cybersecurity and earn a chance to win a spin of the prize wheel.

Threats that may affect you

• Young Living data breach
• Glamira
• Phishers cast wide net with spoofed Google Calendar invites
• Fake Captcha driving Infostealer infections
• Dozens of Chrome extensions hacked, exposing millions of users to data theft

Cybersafety tip of the week

Understanding brushing scams and how to protect yourself

A "brushing" scam occurs when you receive unsolicited packages from online retailers, often filled with inexpensive items like humidifiers, flashlights or random products. Scammers use this tactic to inflate their ratings and improve their sales by creating fake reviews under your name using your personal details, which they may have obtained from data breaches. While receiving these packages may seem like a surprise gift, it raises serious privacy and security concerns.

To protect yourself:

1. Contact the retailer if the package is from Amazon or another company.
2. Return unopened items by marking them “Return to Sender.”
3. Never pay for unordered merchandise.
4. Monitor your accounts for unauthorized orders.
5. Consider using services like Incogni to remove personal information from online data brokers.
6. Change your passwords if your personal information has been compromised.
7. Be cautious with QR codes and use antivirus software to protect your devices from malware.

Read the whole article.

Random Acts of Cybersecurity monthly question

Why should you be concerned if several items you didn't order get delivered to your door with your name on them?

Submit your answer.