The Texas Department of Information Resources Security Office has advised state agencies and higher education institutions to be on heightened alert for cyber-attacks from nation-states and Internet-based special interest groups (hacktivists). The TTU IT Division advises students, faculty and staff to be vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on the political tension between Russia and Ukraine. Historically, any international conflict, natural disaster, or media event has resulted in an increase in email scams and other cyber threats.
Examples of common email scams:
- “Breaking News” stories – Scams may appear to come from a reputable news source, directing recipients to a fake site for breaking news on a situation.
- Requests to respond/register for a “political” issue or cause – Many Internet criminals leverage political topics of the day to elicit an emotional response, such as a war in the global theatre, domestic issues, or special interest legislation.
- Requests for donations to individuals in “dire” circumstances or charitable organizations – Many of these schemes may also masquerade as a reputable charitable organization assisting with a current national or international crisis. The message may request that you donate online by providing your personal banking information or credit card information.
Criminals often use these topics to lure people into opening a malicious attachment, clicking on a link, or copying and pasting a web address into their browser.
Specific Recommendations:
- If you receive one of these messages, delete it and do not respond to it.
- If you do respond, either by replying, clicking on a link, or visiting the website, your eRaider account will be disabled to protect the TTU community and institutional accounts and data.
- If you are uncertain of a message’s legitimacy, please contact IT Help Central for further assistance.
