Phishing is one of the most common causes of cyber attacks, it’s when a bad actor messages you (could be email or text message) pretending to be someone else asking you to send over personally identifying information or fill out a fraudulent job application.
How do I recognize a phishing scam?
- If you don’t know the sender, don’t open the email or download any attachments.
- Even if the sender is someone you’re familiar with or do business with, pay attention to the subject line, sender’s email address, and body of the email. Look for spelling mistakes, hover over any URLS to see where they will take you (DO NOT CLICK ON ANY SUSPICIOUS LINKS) and if possible contact the sender to verify the contents of the email.
- Don’t trust that link!
- If you receive an email requesting you log in to verify account information, navigate to their home page directly. Avoid using the links provided within the email as they may automatically download Malware to your device or take you to a website that will do so..
- Does something look off?
- Pay attention to the emails you receive regularly, they can help you spot a phony in the future. Great phishers will recreate websites with small discrepancies, keeping an eye out for minor or careless mistakes can keep you safe.
If I suspect a message is phishing, how do I report it?
Contact Fordham IT
Contact the Fordham University Service Desk and they’ll fill out a ticket for you. You can call IT at 718-817-3999, visit the walk-in centers (McShane 266 or Lowenstein SL18), or go to the IT portal to fill out a ticket. A representative will forward the email to Information Security & Assurance who will respond to you within 2 business days, if you suspect an email is phish-y, wait to open any links or provide any information to the senders until an IT investigation has been completed.
Report Using Cofense:
Fordham’s Information Security and Assurance has partnered with Cofense to help members of the Fordham community recognize and report suspected phishing and malicious emails. Cofense Reporter is an addon to Gmail. With one click, you’ll be able to report potential phishing and malicious emails from your Fordham Gmail safely and in real-time. Information Security & Assurance will investigate the email and respond back to you within 1-2 business days.
How to find the Cofense Reporter (Desktop or Laptop)
On desktop, Cofense will be the fish icon on the right sidebar of the Gmail website
How to find the Cofense Reporter (Mobile)
The Cofense add-on can only be used on the Gmail app and is located at the bottom of a message as shown below
