Here in BC, with the COVID-related announcements of the past couple of days, the stage has been set for Cybercriminals to try and take advantage of us yet again.

The Issue

Starting back in June, cyber security firm Proofpoint noted a sharp rise in pandemic-related phishing attempts.  Interestingly, this spike coincided with a spike in Google searches for “delta variant”.

What followed are classic cybercriminal tactics.  COVID-19 phishing emails have started to re-emerge, this time focused on the uncertainties related to the delta variant, vaccination requirements, etc.  Here’s an example – note the name of the file being shared:

Pretty scary, eh?  And, with employers starting to ask for proof of vaccination, requiring return-to-office forms to be completed, etc. you can see why it’s working. It’s fertile ground for phishing and ransomware attacks. Proofpoint uncovered major phishing campaigns posing as corporate human resource departments and asking recipients to submit information about their vaccination status, etc. Links in these emails probably led to fake Microsoft sign-in pages (such as the one above), with the goal of stealing employees’ log-ins.

What YOU can do to stay Cyber Safe

Treat ANY COVID-related email as suspicious and do the following:

  1. Check the sending email address VERY carefully.  Remember – an official RRU email will follow our “Trusted Source” guidelines.
  2. Do NOT act immediately.  Take the time to check out the email carefully.  Time IS on your side.
  3. If you’re unsure:
    1. Check with your Cybersecurity Ambassador;
    2. Forward the suspicious email to: phishing@royalroads.ca; or
    3. Call RRU’s Computer Help Desk:

 

RRU Computer Help Desk

(250)391.2659

https://confluence.royalroads.ca/

or:

IT Security:

(250)391.2600 x4975

securityawareness@royalroads.ca

As always – STOP! THINK! CONNECT will help you stay safe.