Spam emails using spoofed addresses
Tuesday, 05 September 2017
Colleagues at the University may have received a spam message this morning.
The email was from an address 'myUR' and said: "This messages is to inform you about the University of Reading official update kindly click on view to read more."
IT have blocked the link that this message leads to, and would like to remind users to be careful when they receive emails that look suspicious.
Our systems block approximately 3 million spam emails every week – even with these measures in place, a small number of spam emails still manage to get through.
Spam emails can be hard to spot, especially if they use ‘spoofed’ email addresses or pretend to be sent from an existing University system.
These emails can also be malicious, and opening links or attachments from them could put your work and personal information at risk.
We ask you to be vigilant and consider the following actions when opening email at work:
- Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails.
- Email addresses can be ‘spoofed’ to look like an address you trust. Check the email address carefully, and if unsure, check with the sender.
- If the email pretends to be sent from a specific system, check the email carefully – emails sent from the University will include clear sender details and branding (including University email signatures). An example is available for reference.
Other good security practice is:
- Use strong passwords, including a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
- Never share your password or write it down.
- Don’t allow family members or non-authorised people to use your work computer.
If you receive an email you believe to be suspicious or would like further information or advice, please visit the IT webpage: www.reading.ac.uk/it