Beware of Spam Emails
Never ever click on anything in email, no matter how authentic-looking. And never believe anything in email related to money.
Please read the fascinating and depressing NY Times article “The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S”. It shows how human fallibility gave hackers untrammeled access to highly sensitive and secure systems, including Gmail, one of the most secure email systems.
How do they do it?
Spammers gain access by tricking many users with plausible and authentic-looking emails asking them to click to change their password, or click to confirm access. Tired and distracted users fell for these tricks. With one click, once-secure mailboxes and systems were compromised, and an election was, arguably, lost.
It is almost impossible to tell an authentic email from a perfect forgery. But with just a tiny change in the linked URL, it will completely compromise your computer and company. Recent waves of tricks include “your Microsoft mailbox is full”, “your logmein account is locked out”, “your Microsoft license expired”, and “please pay this already, we are calling the bill collectors”. And basics like fake LinkedIn invites and eFaxes are always popular.
Remember: Don’t believe anything and don’t click on anything. Email now is like your home phone at 6pm – treat everything with a very healthy dose of skepticism. And never ever click, no matter what.
If you are a Hybridge client we have strong layers of security to protect your email, your network, and your computer, but no system is invulnerable. If you would like Hybridge to protect and secure your email, contact us at info at hybridge.com or 888-353-1763.
