staysafeonline
One thing is certain when it comes to cyber crime, email is the most effective way for criminals to deliver malware
to an unsuspecting victim. Increasingly, text-based threats are rising as more people do more on mobile devices.
If you are even a little bit suspicious of a text message or email--do not click. Immediately delete.
VERIFY TO CLARIFY
If you receive an email or text message requesting you
to confirm or submit financial information, your login
information, or any other sensitive personal information
by clicking a link, don’t. Immediately contact the
organization (not via the contact information contained in
the email) to verify the request. You can also visit the
company’s legitimate website and log into your account
to see if you have any messages or action items.
STRANGER DANGER
Remember what you learned about not accepting candy
from strangers? Apply that to the online world as well. Do
not click links in emails, text messages, chat boxes, etc.
from people you do not know--and be suspicious of links
sent from those you know as well.
Malware, or “malicious software,” is
designed to damage and destroy
computers and their systems.
Examples of common malware you
may have heard of include: viruses,
worms, Trojan viruses, spyware,
adware, and ransomware.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT
Links in email, tweets, texts, posts, social media messages
and online advertising are an easy way for cyber criminals
to get to you. Be wary of clicking on links or downloading
anything that comes from a stranger or that you were not
expecting. Essentially, don’t trust links.
TO CLICK OR NOT TO CLICK:
THAT IS THE QUESTION
WHAT IS MALWARE?
TAKE-ACTION TIPS
STAYSAFEONLINE.ORG
staysafeonline
TAX-TIME SECURITY TAKE-ACTION TIPS
staysafeonline
UNSUBSCRIBE MIGHT SUBSCRIBE YOU TO A HACK
Sometimes the call to action in an email can trick you--such as “unsubscribe” or “reply to stop receiving
these messages.” It is better to just delete the email or mark it as spam if it is spam.
READ THE EMAIL OR TEXT CRITICALLY
Is the sender asking you to do something they wouldn’t normally ask you to do, such as bypass your
company policy? Does it seem weird the credit card company is asking you to verify your credit card number
or SSN? (yes--they have that information already). Are there misspelled words or unusual phrases? Is there
a sense of urgency--requesting you click now or act immediately? These are often context clues in the body
of the email or text hinting that something is not right.
IN YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT, CONFIGURE THE
SETTINGS SO THEY DISPLAY THE SENDER’S
EMAIL ADDRESS AND NOT JUST THEIR
DISPLAY NAME
This will help you verify the sender’s email address is
legitimate (for instance [email protected]
(correct) vs. [email protected] (incorrect)--
notice the one simple change from an o to a 0.
STAYSAFEONLINE.ORG
staysafeonline
TO CLICK OR NOT TO CLICK:
THAT IS THE QUESTION
A FEW TRICKS
PLUG-IN ASSISTANCE
There are some plug-ins you can use in your internet
browser that will display a URL’s true path. You might
consider enabling that security feature in your internet
browser’s security settings.
TAKE-ACTION TIPS
Google: Free Phishing Quiz
https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/
TAX-TIME SECURITY TAKE-ACTION TIPS
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
staysafeonline
STAYSAFEONLINE.ORG
staysafeonline
TO CLICK OR NOT TO CLICK:
THAT IS THE QUESTION
A FEW TRICKS
HOVER TO DISCOVER
You can put your cursor on top of the link (be careful not to click!). When you do that, the true path will
appear. Does the destination of the link align with what you would think? If it doesn’t look legitimate, do
not click. Immediately delete the email.
WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?
Often, hackers will use shortened URLS to make a malicious link appear safe to click. If you receive a
short URL, there are free online tools where you can copy and paste the short URL into the tool and it’ll
expose the true path. Be careful with this, though. You don’t want to accidentally click the URL. If you are
afraid of copying and pasting, just delete the email or text message with the shortened URL and go to the
company’s main site itself to access whatever deal or event you’re trying to access.
HAVE ANTI-MALWARE AND ANTIVIRUS INSTALLED ON ALL OF YOUR DEVICES
You can even install it on your phone. This will add an extra layer of protection, though it won’t replace you
needing to be cautious and vigilant.
CISA: Avoid Phishing & Social Engineering Attacks
https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-014
NCSA & Adobe: Phishing & Ransomware Video
https://staysafeonline.org/blog/security-awareness-episode-4-phishing-and-ransomware/
