OIT Encourages Students to be Mindful of Phishing Scams

OIT Encourages Students to be Mindful of Phishing Scams

As the end of spring semester approaches, many students are applying for internships and jobs. The Office of Information Technology encourages students to be mindful of potential phishing scams, and to recognize the red flags of phishing when checking their Crimson email.

“Hackers know exactly what to say to get the attention of students,” said UA Chief Information Security Officer Ashley Ewing. “They often send students emails that say things about summer jobs or internships, because they know that’s what students are wanting to see in their inboxes.”

OIT urges students to understand and recognize the warning signs of a phishing email, so that students are able to decipher a real job offer from a phishing job offer.

  • Look at the “From” email address. Confirm that the @ address is the company that the sender says it is.
  • Hover over links to see the URL before you click.
  • Look for an official email signature.
  • If you didn’t apply for it, don’t open it.
  • Do not send sensitive data, like a social security number, over email.
  • Never provide financial information, like credit card numbers or bank account numbers, over email.

If students suspect they are a victim of a phishing attack, they are encouraged change their myBama password and to install DUO. If students have provided sensitive data or financial information to a phishing email, they are encouraged to complete a report with UAPD. For questions, please contact the IT Service Desk at 205-348-5555 with any questions.

To stay up to date on the latest cyber security alerts, please visit https://oit.ua.edu/news and follow OIT on Twitter @OITatUA.