Viruses & Worms are small but destructive programs that are commonly spread by e-mail. They come in the form of cleverly disguised attachments to messages that trick unsuspecting users into clicking on them. Once installed, viruses infect programs & files and can destroy your data. They can self-replicate across your network & spread by e-mailing themself to people in your address book.
A common internet scam is known as Phishing (yes, it is spelt correctly). Some e-mail messages ask for credit card numbers, network passwords or account numbers. Links in these messages actually take you to websites that, whilst legitimate looking, are in fact run by internet thieves. If you enter your data, you give those thieves the information they need to access your computers or bank accounts.
Security Policy Recommendations:
- Never open suspicious or unexpected email attachments.
- Use extreme caution when responding to messages that ask for passwords or account information. If there is any doubts about the validity of the e-mail, contact the sender by phone and verify the legitimacy of the request.
- In the event a virus-infected attachment is opened, make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date & that you’ve installed security updates for your operating system & other software.