PRIVACY RIGHTS

What is phishing and how do I avoid it?

Phishing is a type of attack carried out in order to steal user IDs, passwords, credit card information, personal health information (PHI) or personal identification information (PII) information. Phishing is most often sent in the form of malicious emails pretending to be from credible sources such as financial organizations or internal IT departments.

How can I protect myself from phishing attack?

• Check the email address. If it is not from a reliable source, delete the email.

• Do not click the link in the email unless you recognize the email.

• Do not send any password in an email.

• Check the certificate on the website before entering any sensitive data.

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How do I identify a phishing scam?

Never give your personal information in an email. No institution will ask for personal information by email. Any email that asks for personal or sensitive information should not be trusted, even if the email has recognizable logos or looks like it comes from an official source (e.g., the IRS, your employer, your financial institution, etc.).

What is Hover to Discover?

Hover to Discover is a technique to understand where a link is going to before it is clicked on. Hover your mouse cursor over the link and at the bottom of the screen, it will show where the link is going to. If it does not match where you think it should, delete the email. Look at it closely as it may just be one letter off. This technique is very helpful at thwarting phishing scammers.