Email and other forms of messaging are prime tools for social engineering attacks.
It's important to remember the following about phishing attempts:
- We will never ask for your password! If a message asks you to validate, reauthenticate, or repair your computer or account, it is likely a phishing message.
- Don't take the appearance of an email or web-site as a mark of legitimacy. Phishing emails can copy images, logos, and text to try to fool you.
- The 'From' field in email messages can easily be faked. Don't assume that an email is legitimate based on the sender in the ‘From’ field.
- If you receive a phishing message, send it to phish@appstate.edu for direct review. We publish Appalachian phishing attempts at: http://security.appstate.edu/phishing
Need to exchange confidential data?
- Instead of email, use the campus FileShare service.
- More information can be found in our Knowledgebase Articles for FileShare and you can use FileShare with your Appalachian username and password at https://fileshare.appstate.edu/.
Be Careful When Sending Email
Gmail provides a handy Global Address List (GAL) that suggests recipients (auto-completes) from a list of all Appalachian faculty/staff/students. When you first email someone with with a common name, make sure you are emailing the correct person by checking their username in our campus directory at the top of the appstate.edu homepage.
- More information can be found at security.appstate.edu.
- Enter a tech support request at support.appstate.edu.
- For additional assistance, contact the Help Desk at (828) 262-6266, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm.