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Communication

MTN warns of new sim swap scam

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

MTN South Africa has warned clients of a new sim card swap scam doing the rounds at the moment. This scam makes use of warning sms’s sent by MTN to their clients.

The syndicate attempts to get their hands on MTN clients’ personal banking details by sending an e-mail similar to the one below:

“Dear Client, We have discovered a suspected Sim swap attempt on your no. The swap will be processed within the next hour. If you did not initiate this Sim swap, please Cancel here.”

The “cancel” link diverts the user to a website where he submits his banking details. This harvested information can then be used to commit fraud from the account.

MTN warns cellphone users not to adhere to these e-mails. If a sim card switch takes place, communication will not take place by e-mail. MTN has blocked access to the site on their network, but clients of other providers should also look out for this scam.

If you are a MTN user, you can report incidents like these at 083 123 7867.

[SOURCE: www.techcentral.co.za]

Posted in Communication, Security | Comments Off on MTN warns of new sim swap scam

Telkom data deals for staff introduced

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014

A few weeks back we told you about a newly launched promotion by Cell C where staff and students could buy data packages at a special price.

The Cell C offer has come and gone, but luckily Telkom has their own one on offer. For R99-00 per month you can now get 6 gigs of data and this offer is open to staff as well. (Don’t be deceived by the ad!)

Another phishing scam – this time from an university account

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Below is an example of an phishing scam that has been sent out seemingly by a legitimate University-based e-mail account. Unfortunately this time, the e-mail message has been sent to other institution’s addresses and the university is being wrongly criticised for “allowing” this.

Remember: The only purpose of a phishing scam is to get victims to provide their personal information and thereby gain access and control of passwords, bank account numbers and personal details.

Information Technology will be investigating this incident but keep this in mind:

Many times an automatic program is used to “spoof” or forge a phony e-mail address to disguise the real sender The address is often pulled from a database of “stolen addresses”.
This university e-mail account owner might be a victim themselves of a phishing scam, and have provided their details to scammers, resulting in their address or computer being “hijacked” by the phishers.
In some cases an e-mail address owner is employed by the phishers to operate and send out phishing mails on their behalf with the promise of earning money for their services. (Earn $10 000 per month and work from home) in this case it is unlikely, but nevertheless a risk.

In the screen grab below note the “honeypot”:

…There is no Subject line

…It seems to come from a university employee but the reply to address is some other address

…It promises that you have won a large amount of money. That always attracts people.

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

Posted in Communication, E-mail, Security | Comments Off on Another phishing scam – this time from an university account

Need network access after 31 March?

Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

It may seem far away, but in a little more than 2 months it’s April already. This also means that your network access will no longer be working if you forgot to activate it by 31 March.

Unfortunately network reactivation is a requirement for network usage, but also a fairly fast and painless process.

All network users will receive an e-mail from HELPINFO@SUN.AC.ZA well in advance with the warning that your username will expire shortly if you do not reactivate. To save yourself unnecessary frustration, immediately log on to HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM and reactivate your username.

Make sure you select the correct option. Reactivation is not the same process as changing your password, so don’t click on “Change password”.

The moment your reactivation is submitted, your cost centre manager be e-mailed and able to approve your application. A daily e-mail will also remind the responsible manager of the request and he/she will be able to approve it by logging on at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM, selecting ”Cost Centre Admin” and view and approve all applications.

Make sure you submit your request early, as cost centre managers still have to approve it before 30 March and only then will your access be reactivated.

If you have been caught off guard and without network access on 1 April, first try the self help option at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM. (from someone else’s device of course) Select “Reactivate Expired Username” and your username and ID number will be requested to verify it’s you.

You can also contact the IT Service Centre. However, keep in mind that this is usually one of the busiest days of the year at the Service Desk so you’ll have to practice a bit of patience and wait longer than usual.

We also compiled a few FAQ’s to try and answer most of your questions (see below). For any additional enquiries, contact HELP@SUN.AC.ZA

FAQ’S

1. Why do I have to reactivate each year?
To ensure access to network services.

2. To what services will reactivation give me access?
Personal network space (H-drive), departemental shared space (G-drive), e-mail and internet

3. What is the cost of reactivation?
R200-00

4. Are the costs for the different network services billed seperately?
No, but take note that internet usage is levied as it’s generated.

5. What is the procedure for reactivation?
Log on at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM and select “Reactivate username for 2015″, familiarise yourself with the ECP’s content, select the network services you require, make sure the cost point is correct and click on “Submit”.

6. What is the ECP and do I really have to read and understand it before I reactivate?
The Electronic Communication Policy contains important imformation regarding staff member’s responsibilities when using the SU network. It’s essential that you read and understand it’s contents before reactivation.

7. Can cost centres be changed during the reactivation process?
Yes, changes can be made while reactivating.

8. When will my current network access expire?
31 March 2015

9. I can’t reactivate! What now?
Send an e-mail to HELP@SUN.AC.ZA with a clear explanation of your problem.

10. What happens after I submitted my reactivation application?
The cost centre manager receives and e-mail with the request and processes the application.

11. Should students also reactivate?
No. There are however exceptions if undergraduate students have HR rolls.

12. Can postgraduate Masters and Doctoral students reactivate if they work in departments and have a roll at HR?
Yes.

13. What is the responsibility of the cost centre manager?
Managers have to regularly log in to HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM and use the “Cost Centre Admin” option to go through and process applications.

14. What happens if the cost centre manager isn’t available to approve applications?
Another temporary cost point manager can be assigned by the person responsible for the cost centre.

15. How does a cost centre manager know there are pending applications?
Managers receive a daily e-mail reminding them or they can log in at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM and select the “Cost Centre Admin” option.

16. What is the difference between a cost centre manager and the person responsible for the cost centre? (according to the financial system)?
The responsible person for a cost centre and the cost centre manager can both approve applications for SU network services.

17. How are staff reminded to reactivate?
E-mails are sent from HELPINFO@SUN.AC.ZA to remind staff of annual reregistration expiry dates.

18. It’s April 1st and I have’t reactivated. Can I still reregister?
Sign on at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM and select “Reactivate Expired Username”. Take note: The application still has to be processed by a responsible cost centre manager before network registration is activated.

19. Who can I contact to establish if my application was successful?
Your cost centre mangager.

20. What do I do if my cost centre manager rejected my application?
Log in at HTTP://WWW.SUN.AC.ZA/USERADM, select ”Reactivate username for 2014″ and make sure you entered the correct cost centre.

Posted in Communication, Connectivity, E-mail | Comments Off on Need network access after 31 March?

Travelling without unnecessary costs

Friday, November 15th, 2013

IF you travel abroad on a regular basis, you’ve probably learnt the hard way how expensive cell phone expenses can become once crossing South African borders.

Still, there are ways to save yourself a staggering phone bill if you really need to stay connected when travelling.

Buy a local SIM card

Most travelers don’t realise how easy it is to replace a phone’s SIM card with a local one. Prepaid SIM cards are cheap and it’s easy to load data. Incoming calls are generally free and outgoing calls (local and international) are substantially cheaper as well.

Keep in mind a new SIM card also means a new phone number. If friends and family need to get hold of you, let them know what your new, temporary number while travelling is.

Unfortunately, just like in South Africa, you need to go through the tedious RICA process. To save yourself time and effort, make sure you have the necessary documentation at hand for a painless registration.

Buy a SIM card before leaving

Execmobile or Flyconnected allows you to buy a SIM card before you even board the plane – less hassles when you’re in a foreign land.

Maxroam also provides a prepaid SIM service which can be used in more than 200 countries.

Skype or TruPhone

Register as a Skype user before leaving and buy call credits. Because it’s a data call and not a traditional phone call, calls can cost as little as 2 cent per minute.

Skype is dependent on your internet connection and unfortunately this influences the quality and stability of your calls.

International call cards

Call cards give travelers the opportunity to use land lines, phone booths and in some cases, even cell phones.

Most airports and convenience stores sell these cards which provide relatively cheap international tariffs. You can also purchase an international call card in South Africa.

Switch off your data services!

The easiest, cheapest and simplest solution still remains switching off your data services before you travel overseas.

Even though you’re not intentionally using data, applications could still be downloading updates in the background or try to establish a connection.

More information on service providers’ roaming services:

Cell C
Vodacom
MTN

[BRON: www.about.com en www.moneyweb.co.za]

Posted in Communication, Connectivity | Comments Off on Travelling without unnecessary costs

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