Phishing Continues

Circulating on campus are variations of an e-mail message requesting personal information. The e-mails purport to originate from the University of Houston, and request that recipients provide some combination of the following:

Address; ID; Department; Full Name; Password; Username

The University of Houston does not ask for personal information (birth dates, passwords, Social Security numbers, etc.) in e-mail messages.

This type of e-mail is a “phishing” message, and often appear to come from trusted sources. The message induces victims to visit illegitimate web sites, open attachments, or simply have persons respond with requested information. Phishers can then install viruses, steal computer files and personal information, which can lead to identity theft.

Help Protect Yourself With Best Practices

Here are 4 best practices that will help protect you and your computers:

(1) Be wary of suspicious e-mail messages and other electronic communications from sources you do not know or recognize.

(2) Use the latest versions of your operating system (OS) and applications.

(3) Have the latest security software updates (patches) installed. This includes patches for your OS and applications.

(4) Keep your anti-virus software up to date.

To report spam or suspect messages, e-mail abuse@uh.edu .

For More Information

For information or assistance, you can contact the IT Support Center at 713.743.1411 or email support@uh.edu , or check out the related IT News stories:

Protect Your Computer

Phishing Scams

Spam

Phishing Scam Comes Back To School

Spam Message Pretends To Be From UH