%PDF-1.3 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 25 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 24 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Creator (DOMPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250701055147+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250701055147+00'00') /Title (Report 07-2025) >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 12 0 R 14 0 R 16 0 R 18 0 R 20 0 R 22 0 R ] /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Length 7931 >> stream 0.702 0.800 0.816 rg 34.016 34.016 543.969 723.969 re f 1.000 1.000 1.000 rg 45.266 80.351 521.469 666.383 re f 0.773 0.773 0.773 rg 0.773 0.773 0.773 RG 45.266 746.734 m 566.734 746.734 l 565.984 745.984 l 46.016 745.984 l f 566.734 746.734 m 566.734 80.351 l 565.984 80.351 l 565.984 745.984 l f 45.266 746.734 m 45.266 80.351 l 46.016 80.351 l 46.016 745.984 l f 0.200 0.200 0.200 rg BT 61.016 693.716 Td /F1 14.4 Tf [(SARS PHISHING SCAM FROM SUN EMAIL)] TJ ET 0.400 0.400 0.400 rg BT 61.016 664.909 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [(Posted on )] TJ ET BT 104.045 664.909 Td /F3 9.0 Tf [(January 01,1970)] TJ ET BT 173.588 664.909 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [( by )] TJ ET BT 188.096 664.909 Td /F3 9.0 Tf [(IT Communications)] TJ ET 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 61.016 637.420 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(If you receive an email with the subject SARS eFilings from any university email account, do not respond or click on the )] TJ ET BT 61.016 626.431 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(link. This is not a legitimate email from SARS.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 606.442 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The suspicious email is being sent from compromised staff email accounts informing users that "An EMP Statement of )] TJ ET BT 61.016 595.453 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Account for the tax payer listed below has been issued by SARS" and you "need to log into the google doc with your )] TJ ET BT 61.016 584.464 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(correct details to view the document". \(as shown in example below\):)] TJ ET BT 61.016 564.475 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(It is important that you help us by spreading the word, informing us about suspicious mails and letting your colleagues and )] TJ ET BT 61.016 553.486 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(friends know about the scams. You are our eyes and ears, and your input, information and questions are extremely )] TJ ET BT 61.016 542.497 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(valuable.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 522.508 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(When you click on links and provide your information on phishing emails, criminals will be able to gain access to your )] TJ ET BT 61.016 511.519 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(personal information. If you clicked on the link of this phishing email, immediately go to the www.sun.ac.za/useradm )] TJ ET BT 61.016 500.530 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(website and change the passwords on all your university accounts.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 480.541 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Remember that once the phishers lose control of one compromised account they might simply move over to another )] TJ ET BT 61.016 469.552 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(account and they might also close the website they were using once it is blocked by us and would use another one that )] TJ ET BT 61.016 458.563 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(looks and acts in the same way.Currently, the phishers are servers in Europe to launch their attacks.This is a common )] TJ ET BT 61.016 447.574 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(tactic with a spear-phishing attack such as this.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 425.785 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(To help us, please:)] TJ ET 0.153 0.153 0.153 RG 85.866 408.612 m 85.866 409.024 85.696 409.434 85.404 409.726 c 85.113 410.017 84.703 410.187 84.291 410.187 c 83.878 410.187 83.469 410.017 83.177 409.726 c 82.885 409.434 82.716 409.024 82.716 408.612 c 82.716 408.200 82.885 407.790 83.177 407.498 c 83.469 407.207 83.878 407.037 84.291 407.037 c 84.703 407.037 85.113 407.207 85.404 407.498 c 85.696 407.790 85.866 408.200 85.866 408.612 c f BT 91.016 405.796 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(continue to watch out for mail like or similar to this and do NOT respond to it, click on links or provide your email )] TJ ET BT 91.016 394.807 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(address username or password)] TJ ET 85.866 386.634 m 85.866 387.046 85.696 387.456 85.404 387.748 c 85.113 388.039 84.703 388.209 84.291 388.209 c 83.878 388.209 83.469 388.039 83.177 387.748 c 82.885 387.456 82.716 387.046 82.716 386.634 c 82.716 386.222 82.885 385.812 83.177 385.520 c 83.469 385.229 83.878 385.059 84.291 385.059 c 84.703 385.059 85.113 385.229 85.404 385.520 c 85.696 385.812 85.866 386.222 85.866 386.634 c f BT 91.016 383.818 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(report the new phishing mail to the correct e-mail addresses of Information Technology Cyber Security using the )] TJ ET BT 91.016 372.829 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(method added to the bottom of this post)] TJ ET 85.866 364.656 m 85.866 365.068 85.696 365.478 85.404 365.770 c 85.113 366.061 84.703 366.231 84.291 366.231 c 83.878 366.231 83.469 366.061 83.177 365.770 c 82.885 365.478 82.716 365.068 82.716 364.656 c 82.716 364.244 82.885 363.834 83.177 363.542 c 83.469 363.251 83.878 363.081 84.291 363.081 c 84.703 363.081 85.113 363.251 85.404 363.542 c 85.696 363.834 85.866 364.244 85.866 364.656 c f BT 91.016 361.840 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(remember, just because a mail comes from a student or a personnel e-mail address and has university )] TJ ET BT 91.016 350.851 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(branding does not mean in any way that it is legitimate)] TJ ET BT 61.016 330.862 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(If you have received mail that looks like this please immediately report it to the Information Technology Security Team )] TJ ET BT 61.016 319.873 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(using the following method: \(especially if it comes from a university address\))] TJ ET BT 78.360 299.900 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(1.)] TJ ET BT 91.016 299.884 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Start up a new mail addressed to )] TJ ET 0.373 0.169 0.255 rg BT 225.080 299.884 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(sysadm@sun.ac.za)] TJ ET 0.373 0.169 0.255 RG 0.18 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 225.080 298.733 m 303.740 298.733 l S 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 303.740 299.884 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [( \(CC: )] TJ ET 0.373 0.169 0.255 rg BT 327.239 299.884 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(help@sun.ac.za)] TJ ET 0.18 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 327.239 298.733 m 391.904 298.733 l S 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 391.904 299.884 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(\))] TJ ET BT 78.360 288.911 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(2.)] TJ ET BT 91.016 288.895 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Use the Title SPAM \(without quotes\) in the Subject.)] TJ ET BT 78.360 277.922 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(3.)] TJ ET BT 91.016 277.906 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(With this New Mail window open, drag the suspicious spam/phishing mail from your Inbox into the New Mail )] TJ ET BT 91.016 266.917 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Window. It will attach the mail as an enclosure and a small icon with a light yellow envelope will appear in the )] TJ ET BT 91.016 255.928 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(attachments section of the New Mail.)] TJ ET BT 78.360 244.955 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(4.)] TJ ET BT 91.016 244.939 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Send the mail.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 224.950 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(IF YOU HAVE FALLEN FOR THE SCAM:)] TJ ET BT 61.016 204.961 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(If you did click on the link of this phishing spam and unwittingly give the scammers your username, e-mail address and )] TJ ET BT 61.016 193.972 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(password you should immediately go to )] TJ ET 0.373 0.169 0.255 rg BT 221.081 193.972 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(http://www.sun.ac.za/useradm)] TJ ET 0.18 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 221.081 192.821 m 341.627 192.821 l S 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 341.627 193.972 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [( and change the passwords on ALL your university )] TJ ET BT 61.016 182.983 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(accounts \(making sure the new password is completely different, and is a strong password that will not be easily )] TJ ET BT 61.016 171.994 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(guessed.\) as well as changing the passwords on your social media and private e-mail accounts \(especially if you use the )] TJ ET BT 61.016 161.005 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(same passwords on these accounts.\))] TJ ET BT 61.016 141.016 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(For more information on reporting and combating phishing and spam:)] TJ ET 0.373 0.169 0.255 rg BT 339.638 141.016 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(http://blogs.sun.ac.za/it/en/2017/11/reporting-spam-)] TJ ET 0.18 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 339.638 139.865 m 545.243 139.865 l S BT 61.016 130.027 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(malware-and-phishing/)] TJ ET 0.18 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 61.016 128.876 m 152.042 128.876 l S 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 402.934 110.038 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [([Information supplied by David Wiles])] TJ ET BT 61.016 90.049 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [()] TJ ET q 225.000 0 0 145.500 61.016 427.766 cm /I1 Do Q endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Helvetica-BoldOblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 13 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 61.0157 427.7659 286.0157 573.2659 ] >> endobj 13 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (http://blogs.sun.ac.za/it/files/2018/08/burden.jpg) >> endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 15 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 225.0797 299.0512 303.7397 308.2087 ] >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (mailto:sysadm@sun.ac.za) >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 17 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 327.2387 299.0512 391.9037 308.2087 ] >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (mailto:help@sun.ac.za) >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 19 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 221.0807 193.1392 341.6267 202.2967 ] >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (http://www.sun.ac.za/useradm) >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 21 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 339.6377 140.1832 545.2427 149.3407 ] >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (http://blogs.sun.ac.za/it/en/2017/11/reporting-spam-malware-and-phishing/) >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 23 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 61.0157 129.1942 152.0417 138.3517 ] >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (http://blogs.sun.ac.za/it/en/2017/11/reporting-spam-malware-and-phishing/) >> endobj 24 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 300 /Height 194 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 10899>> stream JFIF;CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 82 C    !'"#%%%),($+!$%$C   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$," }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?K^tAm챷̹dwӿ% O<km:+YG'1RYjpYlPAS(QF(1F(1@b(b (QEQE% O𿄭 27Opr9Kڕ>st+Y,tKyWl p{֕72(ʿfYDj$+_'mYz"0W ]k3vr5մ GQrH Vf<09dGm>e l% @9}Əg=ᴙLs{\x?IJFb+Tbp}Ǡ8MFI2 ۙUQ~i qQv"xlYBHdv nr{ }hKl6bg/'j)옷Xϻ8}jZʶ6O"ó`0n˵Z{,Wlp9݌ӚBvdW=,&XXmj&8 ۛ$|zS vP>b=:`=k7^-[pѤɸg88݃Oo&vq:+x\A*Epf91qĭ'}fl(m vۥtTW:.P,c+1 1Sj;EʖH{h:\4PSzd0Oüw>%Y\<|7NI<~Ess>&2ٶqm'`9hhwz vpP!9sy J()i{, *违UdXgv ǀ>S󬮡;w}8|L|(_Ώ:8AvTzE qks:H<YR,{Ev ] *?vܰiOfdծ?ypLc=ԔEx L,7; 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Remember to check your Junk Email folder

Monday, August 30th, 2021

To ensure that staff and students aren’t exposed to malicious phishing or spam emails our system administrators and security team had to enable a stricter spam filter earlier this year as added protection.

A spam filter assigns every message, received and sent, a spam confidence level based on the likelihood that the message is spam. Depending on its level an inbound message may be relayed directly to the user’s Junk Email folder. The filter looks at certain criteria contained in the email it rates, for example too many hyperlinks or a suspicious file attached. Tweaking the filter can be tricky – we don’t want you to miss important emails, but at the same time it’s our responsibility to protect you and all our staff from harmful attacks. 

For this reason, it’s important that you regularly look in your Junk Email folder in case the spam filter might have relayed it there. 

The main purpose of Microsoft Outlook’s Junk Email Filter helps is to reduce unwanted email messages in your Inbox. Junk email, also known as spam, is moved by the filter away to the Junk Email folder. This is done at an institutional level by Microsoft (as mentioned above), but you can also flag or “un”flag messages from a person or company as Junk email.

How to change your spam filter’s preferences.
How to tag an email as junk mail.
How to report spam or junk email to Microsoft. (downloadable PDF-document) 

If you have any questions, please log a request on the ICT Partner Portal.

Phishing scam: “Proof of Payment”

Friday, August 27th, 2021

Over 2 billion people worldwide have purchased goods or services online during the pandemic. The danger of all this convenient shopping with Takealot, Checkers or any online store is that people provide their credit card number without diligence.

One of the most prevalent scams NOW is called POP or Proof of Payment Receipt. There are a number of new phishing scams with the subject “Proof of Payment” or “Suspicious Bank transaction” at the moment. 

Here is one such scam that is currently being reported by personnel and students at Tygerberg. 

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

The way that this scam works is that the scammers are trying to get their victims to click on the link and go to a specially engineered site to steal passwords and login credentials. Often bank account details and cell phone numbers are asked for, and this is how the scammers get access to bank accounts and can do SIM swaps, to steal money and personal details.

Notice how the mail details have been forged to make the sender and the recipient the same. This is to disguise the true sender and to bypass the mail filters which would normally accept mail from within an organisation. In this case this sender used a “throw-away” Outlook.com e-mail address and then forged the headers to change the sender. In this case there is a possibility that the government address has been compromised.

If you get one of these e-mails or one similar looking (scammers change tactics very quickly) please report it to IT on the ICT Partner Portal. Fill in your information and add the email as an attachment. Your request will automatically be logged on the system.​​

Secondly blacklist the sender under Junk mail, and perhaps even block the entire domain. You can do this by using the Report Message add-in on Outlook (available on your toolbar on the far right) More about the add-in on our blog or you can find the instructions on this .PDF

 

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

Careful of Reply All

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021

Last month some university staff’s mailboxes were flooded with an email advertising services in what we call an email storm. Apart from being disruptive, these emails weren’t harmful, but we would like to remind you of a five important things to keep in mind before you send email to large groups:

1. ALWAYS use the BCC field, NOT the CC field.
If you use the BCC field instead of the CC field the Reply All option is disabled. Therefore recipients won’t be able to Reply All and cause a flood of inconvenient emails.

2. DO NOT Reply All when you receive an email sent to multiple people.
If you receive an email that has been sent to a large number of people, please by default don’t Reply All. You will only be causing an unnecessary surge of emails and annoy your colleagues. If you need to comment only email the sender or the relevant people.

3. Advertising services or products on the SU network is not allowed.
No staff or student member is allowed to advertise any services on the SU network. This is stipulated in the Electronic Communications Policy which staff and students agree to when reactivating their network access every year.

4. If you need to send official mass communication, consult the Digital Communications Office.
The Digital Communications Office, a division of Corporate Communications, are responsible for campus-wide electronic communication. They use specific platforms to distribute information and will be able to advise you on the most efficient way of sending out your email.

5. Use SYMPA
If you regularly need to send out emails, you can use the SYMPA mailing solution. More information on SYMPA.

 

Change your password online

Thursday, February 25th, 2021

In the past, the IT Service Desk was your first stop when you forgot your password (we know, it happens to us too!) or had to change your password. Unfortunately, due to various security risks, as well as the very strict new data protection acts, the Service Desk is no longer allowed to change or reset your password for you. (You can read more about the university’s own Data Privacy Regulation here)

We would like to encourage staff and students to use the Password Selfhelp website in future. We realise that this might be inconvenient, but for your and our own protection, we will have to follow this procedure. 

 The Password Selfhelp website (www.sun.ac.za/password) offers two options: 

  1. Change Password for users who know what their password is and want to change it. 
  2. Reset Password for users who forgot their password. 

To use the online Password Selfhelp, your cellphone number or an alternative email address has to be on the HR records, otherwise, you will not be able to change your password. You can update this information by logging onto SUN-e-HR though the staff portal,  http://my.sun.ac.za or contacting your department’s HR contact person. 

Select the My Profile link – Personal Information

Log on to SUN-e-HR.

Select Basic Details – Update, Other, Personal Email Address 

or

Select  Phone Numbers – Update

During the password change process a PIN code, consisting of 8 numbers, will be SMSed or emailed to the user (depending on which option he/she selected) Please use this PIN to change your password on the self help website. As soon as the password has been changed, the user will be notified by means of SMS or email.

If you have not requested a password change, please notify the IT Service Desk immediately at 808 4367.

IMPORTANT!

If you are working from home you will also need to follow these instructions after you’ve changed your password to ensure that it sync properly across devices and accounts.

“PLEASE SUPPORT STIAS…” email causes a mail storm

Friday, February 19th, 2021

There is no reason to be worried or concerned about a mail that is being circulated with the subject line starting with “PLEASE SUPPORT STIAS…”

Although it is definitely spam (defined as unsolicited commercial e-mail) it does not appear have any dangerous content and was sent out by a university user to over 300 addresses one of which was the general IT Service Desk email address. Because it was sent to the address which automatically logs service requests the account automatically emailed all the recipients with “Cancellation” e-mails, who then replied, etc. This was no fault on the side of the IT Service desk as it is an automatic process of the Jira logging software that IT uses to track its calls.

This is known as a mail storm in IT jargon when somebody replies to a single e-mail sent to a mailing list and inadvertently replies with a personal message to the entire mailing list leading to a snowball effect or a mail storm. It is like a dog chasing its own tail!

If you receive a mail with the subject line ICT-338035 FW: PLEASE SUPPORT STIAS – PLAN YOUR NEXT MEETING, WORKSHOP AND OR CONFERENCE WITH US”  or “PLEASE SUPPORT STIAS – PLAN YOUR NEXT MEETING, WORKSHOP AND OR CONFERENCE WITH US” just delete it. 

If you want to take it further and set up a mail filter to delete all mails with that particular Subject, then you can do so. However do not blacklist the sender or report it to the help@sun.ac.za address or it will just perpetuate the spam, and you could block legitimate e-mails from IT or the original sender.

Stay safe out there and thank you to everyone who flagged this email. It is encouraging when we have such observant and enthusiastic users.

[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]

 

 

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