Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or to click on a malicious link. WSU is a target of phishing scams, and although we have security software that helps stop many of these attempts, some emails still get through and employees must be vigilant.
Phishing emails are crafted to look authentic and often appear to come from a trusted source.
Characteristics may include:
- Sense of extreme urgency to act
- Requesting sensitive information
- Improper use of English
- Use of personal email address domain instead of business domain
Institutions of higher education are an increasing target for attacks.
While WSU has mechanisms in place to defend against phishing attacks, no system is infallible. Increased vigilance among users has been proven to be the best defense and the first step toward prevention. If you receive a questionable email, forward it directly to abuse@wsu.edu before responding or clicking on any links.
See the Information Security page on Phishing/Malware for more information.
