Colleagues,
Recent news articles have reported a coordinated, crippling ransomware attack against over 20 Texas local government entities. The goal of this attack is likely to hold information hostage and interrupt normal operations unless the attackers are paid. While the sources of the attack and the methods used by the attacker are under investigation, these situations can often be traced back to someone responding to a malicious email.
While Rice has not been affected, this is a stark reminder of the importance of carefully evaluating emails, especially those that ask for private information, have unexpected attachments or provide links to unfamiliar places. Here are some basic guidelines to follow:
- Do not download or open unexpected email attachments. Call the original sender of the email to ensure they actually sent it and ask what it should contain. If you are unsure, contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Help Desk.
- Do not click on links in unsolicited or unexpected emails. If you are on a computer, you can use your mouse to hover over the link to see where it actually intends to send you. If you are on a phone, long press (or hold) the link and the phone will show you the link before actually visiting the site.
- Never provide private information, even about yourself or your password via email. If you need to share private information as part of your role at Rice, only use Rice's Box.com or our Google Drive. The OIT Help Desk can help you with this.
If you open an attachment or visit a link from a suspicious email please contact the OIT Help Desk at 713-348-HELP or helpdesk@rice.edu immediately!
While our antispam Proofpoint system catches many of these email attacks, some may still make it through. We need your continued help to catch these attacks. If you receive an email that you have questions about, please ask the OIT Help Desk at 713-348-HELP or helpdesk@rice.edu.
Thank you for your continued vigilance in protecting yourself and the Rice community.
Marc Scarborough
Chief Information Security Officer