Beware of email phishing scam
There have been a large number of reports of Phishing emails containing malware infected attachments. The malicious email messages appear to have been sent by the recipient; i.e., it looks like you have sent this to yourself!
The malicious emails have the following attributes:
- SUBJECT: “CCE29032016_000xx” ç where “xx” is a number
- ATTACHMENT: “ CCE29032016.rar” ç where “xx” is a number
The attachment contains a crypto-variant ransomware named “Locky”. This type of malware encrypts all of the files on your hard drive, as well as the network drives to which you connect, rendering them all useless. The criminals behind this scheme hold the keys to unlock the files ransom, usually charging between $300 – $1500 to retrieve them.
If you receive a message like this please delete it immediately.
If you have inadvertently opened the attachment, please do the following:
- DO NOT power off your computer
- Immediately disconnect your computer from the network
- Contact the UTS service desk for assistance
Whatever you do, DO NOT pay the ransom!
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Contact McMaster IT Security for more information about this and other internet threats, and how we are working to keep you safe:
email: c-it-security@mcmaster.ca
Web: http://itsecurity.mcmaster.ca/
Twitter: @McMaster_ITSec (https://twitter.com/McMaster_ITSec)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcmaster.itsec
Telephone: x28299
University Technology Services thanks you for your cooperation and understanding.
If you have any questions or concerns, or experience any problems
later, please contact the UTS Service Desk at
uts@mcmaster.ca or ext. 2-HELP (24357).
