The Omicron variant is the latest trend for hackers to use in phishing schemes–this time, at universities.
Tennessee Tech Cyber Security Assistant Director Eric Brown said that phishing emails are looking for two things: money, or information.
“Universities are a wealth of information,” Brown said. “Just like any other education system, just like hacks into healthcare systems. They’re huge databases with great deals fo personal information that can be valuable to people who want to buy such information on the dark web for financial gain.”
Brown said that when it comes to phishing emails, the biggest indicator is a message that seems urgent and requires you to act quickly. He said that are two ways to prevent falling victim to such emails. Brown said to consider if you had expected to hear from the person emailing, and to consider if their email is in-line with usual business.
Brown said that another thing to look for is an unusual email address. He said that by verifying email addresses, you can tell sometimes tell if the sender is not who they say they are.
“Especially at this time of year, Christmas time is a very popular time for phishing schemes,” Brown said. “Delivery of packages and stuff is getting insanely popular right now because everyone is getting packages delivered to try and scam you, ‘Your package is delayed click here to figure out what’s going on.’ Unless it’s truly from that company, don’t click it.”
Brown said that at the end of the day, there’s no real way to prevent a phishing email. He said that the best thing you can do is be aware, especially by keeping your antivirus and malware software is up-to-date.
