There are a handful of important actions you should take, or refrain from taking, once you’ve identified a phishing message.
- Do not open attachments to verify their contents
- Never open any attachments found in a suspicious message! They can introduce malware into your system.
- Do not reply to the message to see who it’s from
- You should never reply to a suspected phishing email. A response lets the phisher know they’ve reached a valid account.
- Do report the message to IT using our processes (forward the email to itsupport@advantus.com)
- It’s a good idea to notify us if you receive a suspicious message. It could help prevent the spread of malware.
- If it’s from a person you know, ask for clarification in a new message
- If the sender is known to you, you can ask for clarification but in a separate message. Never reply directly to a phishing email.
- Do not click on a link to investigate a website
- Never click any links contained in a suspicious message!
- Do not provide sensitive information
- Never provide any personal or organization information, including your username and password.
- Delete the message
- You can never go wrong by deleting suspicious messages.
With the right knowledge you have the power to stop phishing attacks.