October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we’re putting Spartans’ cybersecurity knowledge to the test with MSU IT Street Trivia. Join us weekly in October to see how you measure up: go.msu.edu/trivia23.
Cyber scams and phishing
As technology progresses, so does cybercriminals’ creativity. While their attempts can be tough to spot, they’re not impossible. Bad actors tend to use times or themes of uncertainty, as we’ve seen with global events, like the crisis in Ukraine or the coronavirus pandemic, or more locally, student loan reimbursements surrounding the beginning of a new semester.
Understanding standard cybersecurity practices is the best way to #SecureState and safeguard against potential cyber threats. Even if you don’t think you have sensitive information to steal, cyber attackers could use your accounts or devices as an open door to MSU.
Scammers use emails, texts, and calls to try to steal your personal info. Follow these tips to avoid their tricks:
- Beware of any request for your personal information, like your social security number, passwords, bank or credit card details, or multifactor security codes
- Unexpected offers for employment, student loans or grants, and awards winnings
- Watch out for messages with a sense of urgency, poor grammar and spelling, and strange email addresses or phone numbers
- Forward any suspicious email to your MSU account to abuse@msu.edu (don’t click the links!)
Get help
- If you suspect any of your accounts have been compromised, immediately change your password and contact MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200
- If you’re not sure if it’s spam, consider calling the source directly using the phone number from their website to verify the info (never click the links or call numbers in a suspicious email)
Learn more about phishing and the best ways to #SecureState at secureit.msu.edu.