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Mount Allison’s Computing Services department is taking advantage of October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month to launch an ongoing campaign to help students, faculty, and staff stay safer online.

“Cyber criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated in their attacks and it is getting more difficult to tell the difference between a fake and real e-mail message,” says John Gills, Mount Allison’s director of information technology. “The key to neutralizing these attacks is a high degree of cybersecurity awareness within our campus community.”

Computing Services will highlight a specific theme each month over the academic year and offer advice and tips to help people avoid common pitfalls and make safer choices online. More information about each month’s theme, as well as general online safety tips can be found at mta.ca/cybersecurity.

Gillis says they chose phishing as the first theme as it is one of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats.

“We have seen a significant increase in phishing attempts as well as cleverness in the way they have been crafting their e-mails,” he says. “Essentially they have been trying to fool people by impersonating senior members of the administration.”

Phishing includes fake e-mails, text messages, and even websites made to look as if they are from real companies or organizations. The aim is to have you share personal and financial information that can be used to access your online banking accounts, shopping accounts, and other online accounts and steal your credit card numbers.

Gillis says you should be suspicious of any e-mail urging you to take immediate action, particularly if the tone is intimidating or promises dire consequences if you don’t act now.

He says if you receive an e-mail that seems suspicious you should first check to see who the e-mail is from. You can also hover your mouse over any links to see where it is directing you. If you are at all unsure about the e-mail, don’t click on anything and report it to the Computing Services Helpdesk at helpdesk@mta.ca or 364-2473. If you’re concerned you really do need to take action, call the sender to verify the message actually came from them and the requested action is needed.

Gillis says if you realize you have replied to or clicked on a link in a phishing e-mail, you should change your password immediately and contact the Helpdesk.

Additional tips about other common cybersecurity issues will be posted online at mta.ca/cybersecurity throughout the year and advice and information will also be shared through Mount Allison’s social media channels and on screens across campus.