Dear USF Community,
As COVID-19 continues to spread, working from home has suddenly become the new norm here at USF. With many of the U.S. workforce working from home during this crisis, there has been an increase in COVID-19 related cyber activity. Criminals are using this global pandemic as the perfect opportunity to exploit basic human emotions, such as fear, and use them to their advantage in their attacks. In addition, connecting to a potentially unsecured home network may make it easier for cyber criminals to gain access to University data or your personal data.
Here are a few examples of the COVID-19 themed phishing and scams that you should be aware of:
- Phishing email disguised as an email from The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Fake Coronavirus themed email from the World Health Organization.
- SMS message falsely claiming that they will sell you a treatment for the Coronavirus.
- Websites selling fake COVID-19 testing kit.
- Bogus Mobile Application that will install malware or spyware on your phone.
To find more information regarding COVID-19 themed phishing attempts and scams, please visit the links below:
You can find more tips and information on how to identify and protect yourself from phishing scams by clicking on the knowledge articles below:
- How Do I: Understand and Avoid Phishing Scams
- What should I do if I suspect my myUSF or computer has been compromised?
If you believe that you have fallen victim to a phishing scam, reset your myUSF password immediately, then contact the ITS Help Desk at 415-422-6668 or itshelp@usfca.edu
Zoom Security
As USF classes and much of business operations are being conducted virtually, Zoom has become an important collaboration tool. On occasion, you may encounter uninvited guests attempting to harass other attendees and cause disruption. To better manage your meetings and protect your sessions from these uninvited guests, Zoom has shared some helpful tips: How to Keep the Party Crashers from Crashing Your Zoom Event.
If you need further assistance with Zoom, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 415-422-6668 or itshelp@usfca.edu
Sincerely,
Nicholas Recchia, Ed.D., CISSP, PMP
Information Security Officer
Director, Information Security & Compliance (ISC)