Holiday Season Phishing Scams and Malware Campaigns

Since the winter holiday are quickly approaching, I would like to remind everybody to increase their awareness about phishing scams and malware campaigns out in the internet world.  Online shoppers who are making seasonal online purchases are encouraged to take care and use safe online shopping habits.  Remain cautious when receiving unsolicited email messages that could be part of a potential phishing scam or malware campaign.

These phishing scams and malware campaigns may include but are not limited to the following:

 * electronic greeting cards that may contain malware

 * requests for charitable contributions that may be phishing scams and may originate from illegitimate sources claiming to be charities

 * screensavers or other forms of media that may contain malware

 * credit card applications that may be phishing scams or identity theft attempts

 * online shopping advertisements that may be phishing scams or identity theft attempts from bogus retailers; I encourages users and administrators to use caution when encountering these types of email messages and take the following preventative measures to protect themselves from phishing scams and malware campaigns:

 * Refer to the Shopping Safely Online Cyber Security Tip for more information on online shopping safety.

 * Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages.

 * Use caution when opening email attachments. Refer to the Using Caution with Email Attachments Cyber Security Tip for more information on safely handling email attachments.

 * Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.

 * Verify charity authenticity through a trusted contact number. Trusted contact information can be found on the Better Business 

Relevant URL(s) from US-CERT, a government organization:

<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-014.html>

<http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/emailscams_0905.pdf>

<http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel01.shtm>

<http://charityreports.bbb.org/public/All.aspx?bureauID=9999>

<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-010.html>