The beginning of the semester is often referred to as “phishing season” because of the increased phishing attempts on campus—one of the most common threats to Northern Arizona University’s data.
The goal of a phishing attack is to bait users into giving private information, such as a username and password that the attacker can then use to gain access to other private data including financial information, files on your computer and personal information. These emails often create a sense of urgency or appeal to the recipient’s emotions.
Remember that NAU takes the security of data and user credentials seriously and will never ask for sensitive information through email.
Recent examples of phishing subject lines that hooked people include:
- [ATTENTION REQUIRED] Message From the President
- MEDICAL CA **Action Required**
- Re : URGENT (NAU) ACCOUNT UPDATE !!!
- Helpdesk: Email Abuse Notice
If you receive a suspicious email:
- Don’t open any attachments, click on any links or respond to the email.
- Send the email as an attachment to phishing@nau.edu or submit the email to the phishing app at edu/phishing.
- If you think your accounts may be compromised, change your password at edu/password.
- Call the Solution Center at (928) 523-1511 if you have any questions.