A request for money from a foreign prince isn’t the only trick in the book anymore. Phishing emails that are intended to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or divulging personal information are evolving and becoming harder to detect. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself from scams even as they become more sophisticated.
Here are a few things to remember when checking your email:
n Read emails carefully. Due to recent large-scale breaches (e.g., Equifax), scammers have access to large amounts of personally identifiable information. Even if an email seems personalized to you, look it over carefully to make sure it’s legitimate.
n Know the common phishing signs. In 2018, phishing attacks are expected to increase. Be aware of the basic indicators, which include urgent-sounding messages and unsolicited requests for personal information. For more information, check out the anti-phishing tips on Blue at blue.usps.gov/cyber/avoid-phishing-scams.htm.
n Report suspicious emails. If you receive a suspicious message in your USPS® email inbox, immediately report it by clicking the “Report to CyberSafe” button on your Outlook toolbar. Just one click helps protect the organization, our employees, and our customers.
You are the best defense against a cyber-attack. To help employees identify and report phishing scams, the CyberSafe at USPS® team distributes mock phishing emails to those with USPS email accounts. All employees must treat these as legitimate cyber-attacks and report them using the “Report to CyberSafe” button in Outlook. Remember — we have a shared responsibility to keep our networks and information safe.
For more information on cybersecurity or how to report suspected threats, visit the CyberSafe at USPS websites on Blue (blue.usps.gov/cyber/) and LiteBlue (liteblue.usps.gov/cyber), or the public-facing website at uspscybersafe.com.
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Security Officer
and Digital Solutions, 2-15-18
