The Current Big Picture

COVID-19

Currently one of the most high profile campaigns centers around the coronavirus. We are already under stress from working remotely, having to educate our children or taking care of those around us in new ways. Fake or shoddy supplies, fake charities, malware laden websites or files provide an endless array of dangers to the unsuspecting user. Add in text messaging and Social Media as delivery methods and these threats are unavoidable. Regardless these vectors all employ the same tricks and tactics hoping to get you to behave in an abnormal way. Here are the 3 main classes of attacks:

Scams

Fake cures, face masks, drugs and donations to fake charities top the list, but the list is limited only by imagination. These scams are mostly designed to part you from your money.

Malware

Macros: You open a document or spreadsheet requiring you to enable content and/or macros. This can be used to deliver banking trojans, ransomware, crypto miners or other malware variants. URLs: You to click on a link that leads to a compromised website. Once you have clicked on the link there are various methods they will employ to attempt to deliver the malware.

Credential Theft

This variant attempts to get you to follow a link to an untrusted site to have you enter credentials to retrieve a document, fax or voice mail. They often 'scrape' an official page from W&M or Microsoft or Google and host on their own server hoping to trick you.

A word of caution with phones and other small form factor devices. These can make it hard to see some details like spoofed email addresses or the obviously strange domain names in links.

How can you protect yourself:

Be suspicious of emails that attempt to get one to open attachments or click on links.
Do you normally communicate with this person/organization if not be wary. If you do is the subject 'normal' or expected in tone and content.
If you deal with an organization or person and receive an email confirm the actual email address or URL.
Find creditable charities and communicate directly, never from a link in an email

Questions? Contact the Technology Support Center (TSC)
757-221-4357 (HELP) | support@wm.edu | Jones 201, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm