While companies are rolling out special work from home arrangements, hackers are reportedly taking advantage of the coronavirus outbreak to launch attacks. Here are some handy tips to protect yourself and the University data when working from home.
Tip#1: Watch out for phishing scams
No matter you are using the Outlook client or OWA (Outlook on the Web) to access your mailbox from home, you need to be mindful of scammers who would trick you into giving your login credential and personal information or even making a payment.
In recent phishing attacks, scammers are taking advantage of the coronavirus fears to send out scams by impersonating health officials. Below are two email samples captured by the information security firm Trustwave:
Once the victims click on the link (in Sample 1) or open the pdf attachment (in sample 2), they will be redirected to the underlying phishing website.
If you receive similar email, stay calm and do not respond to the message. Do not click on any suspicious link or attachment and report the case to the IT HelpCentre immediately.
Tip#2: Install anti-virus software on home computer
Anti-virus software offers basic security protection against common cyberthreats to your workstation. As a PolyU staff, you are entitled to install one licensed copy of ESET NOD32 anti-virus software on your University-provided PC and one copy on a home computer provided that the two copies are not used concurrently. Please click here to download the ESET NOD32 anti-virus software on your home computer.
Tip#3: Review home Wi-Fi network
Review your home Wi-Fi environment to ensure it is reliable and secure with the following steps:
- Change the default login name and password of your Wi-Fi router
- Upgrade the router firmware to the latest version
- Confirm that password is required to connect to your Wi-Fi router
- Use WPA3 as the security protocol (use WPA2 if not available)
- Check the list of connected devices and confirm there is no suspicious devices
For further information or assistance, please contact the IT HelpCentre (Tel: 2766 5900, WhatsApp/WeChat: 6577 9669).
