UG-CERT Risk Intelligence 9th December 2022
The recent phishing attempt/attack on UCC Staff
There has been an attempt to maliciously obtain sensitive information from the Commission staff with the help of a phishing email. A Phishing email attack is one where a hacker or malicious actor attempts to obtain information illegally from a non-suspecting victim.
One of our staff received an email from this address allways.neil@msa.hinet.net.
This is a malicious email address since it comes from a fake domain; ‘ msa.hinet.net’. When you click on the ‘Take action’ link, it redirects to a malicious site and could potentially harvest credentials.
Take note:
· DO NOT respond to any email from this email address
· DO NOT download any attachments sent via this email address,
· DO NOT click any links sent in the email.
· SEEK help from the CERT or IT team, and report suspicious emails immediately
Phishing E-mail received by UCC Staff
How to know if it’s a phishing email.
- Phishing emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate.
- Emails threatening a negative consequence, or a loss of data unless urgent action is taken, are often phishing emails. Attackers often use this approach to rush recipients into action before they have had the opportunity to study the email for potential flaws or inconsistencies.
- Emails originating from an unexpected or unfamiliar sender that requests login credentials, payment information, or other sensitive data.
How to avoid phishing attacks
- Think Before You Click! – It’s fine to click on links when you’re on trusted sites. Clicking on links that appear in random emails and instant messages, however, isn’t such a smart move. Hover over links that you are unsure of before clicking on them.
- Do not reply to emails soliciting personal information until you are sure that it is from the right source.
- Always double-check before sharing sensitive information. Phishing emails will often have an email address or domain name that is slightly different from the purported sender’s real address.