Phishing

Please be cautious when clicking links that come in an email message, both at work and at home. Spammers will use a technique call "phishing" when sending emails to obtain your personal information. Phishing is an attack that uses "spoofed" e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data such as credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, social security numbers, etc. "By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince up to 5% of recipients to respond to them." (Anti-Phishing Working Group)

Always be aware of any possible inconsistencies when clicking on links in an email and when surfing the internet. If you sense that something is wrong, call the company to confirm that they sent the email. If you have to fill out confidential information over the internet, make sure it is a secure site. To confirm this, make sure the address starts with ”https:” instead of just “http:”. Being cautious will ensure the confidentiality of your personal information.