The University of Utah Information Security Office is warning the U community of a significant increase in recent months in email attacks known as Phishing. In an email blast to U faculty, staff and students last night, the Office says at least three individuals, all faculty members in the School of Medicine, were victims of email attacks. As a result, their individual paycheck direct deposit information was accessed and then stolen.
Steve Corbato is the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Utah.
"These types of attacks take advantage of two things. First, is actually clicking on the link in that email but then if,: says Corbato, "as you look at that website that you click through, if it doesn’t seem right or particularly if it’s asking for your login information be that at the University or say at your financial institution, I think at that point a health degree of skepticism is called for,” he says.
Corbato says the investigation is ongoing but his office hopes to minimize the negative impacts of these recent attacks by getting the word out now.
