%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 ] /Count 1 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 12 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:20250707112006+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250707112006+00'00') /Title (Report 07-2025) >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Length 9633 >> 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 45.266 123.368 521.469 623.366 re f 0.773 0.773 0.773 RG 0.75 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 45.641 123.743 520.719 622.616 re S 0.773 0.773 0.773 rg 61.016 139.118 m 550.984 139.118 l 550.984 139.868 l 61.016 139.868 l f 0.200 0.200 0.200 rg BT 61.016 693.716 Td /F1 14.4 Tf [(BEWARE OF SIM CARD SWAP FRAUD)] 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 [()] TJ ET BT 61.016 617.431 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Although it is a known scam, when it hits one of your colleagues, it makes you aware that there are very real dangers out )] TJ ET BT 61.016 606.442 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(there. A SIM card swap fraud occurs when criminals obtain and utilise a replacement SIM card to acquire security )] TJ ET BT 61.016 595.453 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(messages and one-time passwords \(OTP\) sent to you by the bank. Using the OTP, criminals are able to change, add )] TJ ET BT 61.016 584.464 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(beneficiaries and transfer money out of your account using your personal information that they would have obtained )] TJ ET BT 61.016 573.475 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(through phishing. One of our colleagues lost R20 000 over the holidays and asked us to warn other staff as well:)] TJ ET BT 61.016 553.486 Td /F1 9.0 Tf [(How does a SIM swap scam work?)] TJ ET 0.153 0.153 0.153 RG 85.866 536.313 m 85.866 536.725 85.696 537.135 85.404 537.427 c 85.113 537.718 84.703 537.888 84.291 537.888 c 83.878 537.888 83.469 537.718 83.177 537.427 c 82.885 537.135 82.716 536.725 82.716 536.313 c 82.716 535.901 82.885 535.491 83.177 535.199 c 83.469 534.908 83.878 534.738 84.291 534.738 c 84.703 534.738 85.113 534.908 85.404 535.199 c 85.696 535.491 85.866 535.901 85.866 536.313 c f BT 91.016 533.497 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The SIM swap takes place after the fraudsters have received a your bank logon details as a result of the you )] TJ ET BT 91.016 522.508 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(responding to, for example, a Phishing e-mail. \(this is why phishing e-mails are so dangerous and you should )] TJ ET BT 91.016 511.519 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(never ever respond or click on links contained in these phishing e-mails.\))] TJ ET 85.866 503.346 m 85.866 503.758 85.696 504.168 85.404 504.460 c 85.113 504.751 84.703 504.921 84.291 504.921 c 83.878 504.921 83.469 504.751 83.177 504.460 c 82.885 504.168 82.716 503.758 82.716 503.346 c 82.716 502.934 82.885 502.524 83.177 502.232 c 83.469 501.941 83.878 501.771 84.291 501.771 c 84.703 501.771 85.113 501.941 85.404 502.232 c 85.696 502.524 85.866 502.934 85.866 503.346 c f BT 91.016 500.530 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Once the fraudsters have the your cell phone number and other personal information, the fraudster can pose as )] TJ ET BT 91.016 489.541 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(you, requesting a new SIM card from a cellular service provider.)] TJ ET 85.866 481.368 m 85.866 481.780 85.696 482.190 85.404 482.482 c 85.113 482.773 84.703 482.943 84.291 482.943 c 83.878 482.943 83.469 482.773 83.177 482.482 c 82.885 482.190 82.716 481.780 82.716 481.368 c 82.716 480.956 82.885 480.546 83.177 480.254 c 83.469 479.963 83.878 479.793 84.291 479.793 c 84.703 479.793 85.113 479.963 85.404 480.254 c 85.696 480.546 85.866 480.956 85.866 481.368 c f BT 91.016 478.552 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The cellular service provider transfers the your SIM card identity to the new SIM card, cancelling your old SIM card )] TJ ET BT 91.016 467.563 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(in the process.)] TJ ET 85.866 459.390 m 85.866 459.802 85.696 460.212 85.404 460.504 c 85.113 460.795 84.703 460.965 84.291 460.965 c 83.878 460.965 83.469 460.795 83.177 460.504 c 82.885 460.212 82.716 459.802 82.716 459.390 c 82.716 458.978 82.885 458.568 83.177 458.276 c 83.469 457.985 83.878 457.815 84.291 457.815 c 84.703 457.815 85.113 457.985 85.404 458.276 c 85.696 458.568 85.866 458.978 85.866 459.390 c f BT 91.016 456.574 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The result is that there is no signal on the old SIM card, which means the you cannot receive / make phone calls or )] TJ ET BT 91.016 445.585 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(send SMS messages. \(This ought to be the first sign of something wrong, so if you get SIMCARD INVALID error )] TJ ET BT 91.016 434.596 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(on your cell phone\))] TJ ET 85.866 426.423 m 85.866 426.835 85.696 427.245 85.404 427.537 c 85.113 427.828 84.703 427.998 84.291 427.998 c 83.878 427.998 83.469 427.828 83.177 427.537 c 82.885 427.245 82.716 426.835 82.716 426.423 c 82.716 426.011 82.885 425.601 83.177 425.309 c 83.469 425.018 83.878 424.848 84.291 424.848 c 84.703 424.848 85.113 425.018 85.404 425.309 c 85.696 425.601 85.866 426.011 85.866 426.423 c f BT 91.016 423.607 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The SMS authorisation reference number, which is normally sent to the client, reaches the fraudster instead of )] TJ ET BT 91.016 412.618 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(you, the legitimate owner, and the fraudster is able to make once-off payments and create beneficiaries fraudulently)] TJ ET BT 61.016 392.629 Td /F1 9.0 Tf [(What should I do if I suspect an unlawful SIM swap?)] TJ ET 85.866 375.456 m 85.866 375.868 85.696 376.278 85.404 376.570 c 85.113 376.861 84.703 377.031 84.291 377.031 c 83.878 377.031 83.469 376.861 83.177 376.570 c 82.885 376.278 82.716 375.868 82.716 375.456 c 82.716 375.044 82.885 374.634 83.177 374.342 c 83.469 374.051 83.878 373.881 84.291 373.881 c 84.703 373.881 85.113 374.051 85.404 374.342 c 85.696 374.634 85.866 375.044 85.866 375.456 c f BT 91.016 372.640 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(If you fall prey to an unlawful SIM swap, or suspect that you have, contact your cellular service provider for )] TJ ET BT 91.016 361.651 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(assistance.)] TJ ET 85.866 353.478 m 85.866 353.890 85.696 354.300 85.404 354.592 c 85.113 354.883 84.703 355.053 84.291 355.053 c 83.878 355.053 83.469 354.883 83.177 354.592 c 82.885 354.300 82.716 353.890 82.716 353.478 c 82.716 353.066 82.885 352.656 83.177 352.364 c 83.469 352.073 83.878 351.903 84.291 351.903 c 84.703 351.903 85.113 352.073 85.404 352.364 c 85.696 352.656 85.866 353.066 85.866 353.478 c f BT 91.016 350.662 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Also contact the internet banking helpdesk to request that your internet banking access be suspended with )] TJ ET BT 91.016 339.673 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(immediate effect. This will prevent fraudsters from gaining access and transacting on your accounts.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 319.684 Td /F1 9.0 Tf [(What can I do to prevent SIM swap fraud?)] TJ ET 85.866 302.511 m 85.866 302.923 85.696 303.333 85.404 303.625 c 85.113 303.916 84.703 304.086 84.291 304.086 c 83.878 304.086 83.469 303.916 83.177 303.625 c 82.885 303.333 82.716 302.923 82.716 302.511 c 82.716 302.099 82.885 301.689 83.177 301.397 c 83.469 301.106 83.878 300.936 84.291 300.936 c 84.703 300.936 85.113 301.106 85.404 301.397 c 85.696 301.689 85.866 302.099 85.866 302.511 c f BT 91.016 299.695 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Protect your information all your information.)] TJ ET 85.866 291.522 m 85.866 291.934 85.696 292.344 85.404 292.636 c 85.113 292.927 84.703 293.097 84.291 293.097 c 83.878 293.097 83.469 292.927 83.177 292.636 c 82.885 292.344 82.716 291.934 82.716 291.522 c 82.716 291.110 82.885 290.700 83.177 290.408 c 83.469 290.117 83.878 289.947 84.291 289.947 c 84.703 289.947 85.113 290.117 85.404 290.408 c 85.696 290.700 85.866 291.110 85.866 291.522 c f BT 91.016 288.706 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Do not disclose your ID number on websites unless you have verified the legitimacy of the site. The bank already )] TJ ET BT 91.016 277.717 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(knows your ID number and will not require you to give it to us again.)] TJ ET 85.866 269.544 m 85.866 269.956 85.696 270.366 85.404 270.658 c 85.113 270.949 84.703 271.119 84.291 271.119 c 83.878 271.119 83.469 270.949 83.177 270.658 c 82.885 270.366 82.716 269.956 82.716 269.544 c 82.716 269.132 82.885 268.722 83.177 268.430 c 83.469 268.139 83.878 267.969 84.291 267.969 c 84.703 267.969 85.113 268.139 85.404 268.430 c 85.696 268.722 85.866 269.132 85.866 269.544 c f BT 91.016 266.728 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Do not disclose your cell number on websites unless you have verified the legitimacy of the site. Phishing sites )] TJ ET BT 91.016 255.739 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(often request for information such as ID Number, email address and email address password, physical address, )] TJ ET BT 91.016 244.750 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(etc.)] TJ ET 85.866 236.577 m 85.866 236.989 85.696 237.399 85.404 237.691 c 85.113 237.982 84.703 238.152 84.291 238.152 c 83.878 238.152 83.469 237.982 83.177 237.691 c 82.885 237.399 82.716 236.989 82.716 236.577 c 82.716 236.165 82.885 235.755 83.177 235.463 c 83.469 235.172 83.878 235.002 84.291 235.002 c 84.703 235.002 85.113 235.172 85.404 235.463 c 85.696 235.755 85.866 236.165 85.866 236.577 c f BT 91.016 233.761 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Always make sure that your contact details on Internet banking are valid and correct. You know when your details )] TJ ET BT 91.016 222.772 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(have changed, so when you are ready, you can update the information on Internet banking or at a local bank )] TJ ET BT 91.016 211.783 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(branch.)] TJ ET BT 360.940 191.794 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [([INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY DAVID WILES])] TJ ET BT 61.016 171.805 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [()] TJ ET 0.400 0.400 0.400 rg BT 61.016 153.316 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [(Posted in:Communication,Security | Tagged:Cell Phone,Phishing,Security | With 0 comments)] TJ ET q 225.000 0 0 156.000 61.016 406.277 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 /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 300 /Height 208 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 7784>> stream JFIF;CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 80 C   %# , #&')*)-0-(0%()(C   (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((," }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?((((((((((h2JTW=y&VDK Mocu.EU "+ oS18z袊`QEQEQEQEQEQEQEQEf(Q@Q@hP3EQEPU.ⴄ)S5謢˜:d3d_{.}U8#/3 XW=7H)ɝB7$cInq#fƺC!,Pε5Z|8 q5*9(E]*I $c'sӥ|ow[ xS7Z=U OjiM{w> b!AT>.cY֙rz<#5~4ԕ󲌠dfE2C4f((3KEfE%-PIKEPQKEQEQE%-PQKE%P5M 1/}UmA 4篢뙑G,Y'&YyZIXni6{9f>Ukv=2fK(S9>{\>U$_bkލU^'U5$mQwZ$ F[': zէZ\gNiD$ $_;=h0!,C߻?ʽM-5;D'2c_Eºw|;.-EFTWA%PQKE%-PEPEPEPEPEPEPEdMcVAjFOCaz3°[I$ϾD;{#銳js=XJ?[r-nm19kE(gu֭ʏ.Xd7|Qzsu$=e$wsXD,Tްķ:s !cЀiB<Ó}`^-4} ?z/SҶcv Ĝ|қoj"%=jKF\AOYz܉~EO4,2A֢&{-4"5X}۷zak\ Nv9gnǹ' h3QNg^YU KԻPkc9AK kp͍(&b{eQUg;xGF:.߼hO VЖ828"6)RQ1 >x=ZlQS$ӷaԛvi|sxeԶxֺ\ȷ&hݑT|S{8F^da#Apk ~]ss./a]N4TWp_Zsg2M*rN.N(QEQEQEQEQEQEQQ*CI+E@vTRBzW3rLPw=Qj6@ k79ԭ}cAMi3ڢ͖u9?=E+&f~dܱ*:[ȶ@VHt5Z+vᰣcӅMttՑh-v'Qncv#};bTF8}jvطu͍{a3nn4]:}KaRF.d’}NV1&_Sִ4M 2"IaE3eq}GZZ }k@gԖFVReҪZY"1l=0-ޱoX.O4ekr桨Ecg 9IHހTZ}qy{D*}OEcgWkBA5 A~_&qҥǾzs~Sj䧍nO!tͼ :|'ªlv0s+ .i{)lUB^V2̕S$dç@=j4E2U~h̳*jws.vv]߇, '!t{W>ڌwKV?{}]>B#;wZ( ( ( ( ( (y[9'hKa2LQ /e|^mQjCw=}sb\VUԭVOʅE&1y:M];,y'5|X4YH5m>@c |&FRpMWknT5-D[2An{?L{(Q^9E \d)9=[+id=j-eE7G] u\,**>Rq5w-wVKy$@*=J|[i)lU}qRM5/$,q3(2\S o++2I:B*sfVI, )@0p{VcդUԕbI_}Sw5g Y5ɵVރXbtҳK' srz?ߡJ+NbH@9HI5m"(П|Gk4㷾c g8`pF@Sp[;ϐGө' J+cBMOGV##\(jdUzGEZXy1F$*9$CKVjo K3Yp5t=@Jy'޸Ha@wbqd_U{e+I;x sܤdq([ڗPY#̍yt]. *C˞^B9sps$_+ӲO[Zœ'V|JR' .٧#AO>՛ok6:^jqC SսoIik-^Kly}[߷oZs7_JOFkEx!b“ $?;S+ݴ: 2`\1סʇ.sz-Lҭ6sjW ( ( ( ( ( ( W䑷3]۝ff}-RP!k3]lV@`Dėl>HW7}ܭ$ܓq^~/_9$vWH~4dω*<正;dj83f%Tr6 gqjSX^F1'wǡOeמ;NHHQQ+HMˉSS娵/]W䤣xD19jh9-٠ "AW\ų8"kw{SpS6>_w6g.Mshvt?o~ZЋ]CmT^:OsP!HmQaUz Pśgdպ_4RIWXf:Tj00Pֵ83m*cIEVUّu: YpX@ =ҫT:Ąat VDCk8O[9*zGzvXj~ E*.~K  ~g>/5[#/^קAڤɵ'ף[;ý:t4U0=XE,QEQEQERR ( ( (/18JAJ9&r(\c`>՛o}?{ל#%Į$`ԓ+~ΖϨ2/j|Jz.C/.%i/#c?+7j`nS@_b=g$hm8]*֧lBQDTrIƷl'm}PZv#5l $WQL$*ʖViԐIV2oP+cpV3xuHkܒ%c<I(P.A1/_AVJwcԛ^`' |SuR\oŕ)R.k|u\$H ^?VYR8NG3ׂO6_L}=Oh @@?ֽ\ߩYˬ6X$5}MX ( ( ( ))h(((( k8D?:u=wԌ53*p|Xܡ`p~YңCkԇg7 8S*Ӽ|coC}ϵ|+*WC2KIv/Zn\c 31Nj؁flSqlTE,WNyMM"iKx.E <>lv~}ROu19i.}.I;OJ] Imuq*IAo?%K (A_v: Gz-HmPvbrIɩ!-u?3J<$@֧8"v֒yA?Z-p)vc i=${"֗8PkԼq4gB~)CM6d`+hcGj8DSssדEYۤ$TQ^aEPEPE%-QI@ EPEPEPEPEPEPX:m8+~c\e=}zM&ƛ>z.4.D6-9\DvfKęc)_Wzt[e\8:y% rp,ּ|^4}VY{?rvCˎqOJ[;YnXBǀ(IJJ7 $dH$:fSV~x'|qOt1 W׭CAE *F 0t ѣb[) 4U(Th((((()(h((((+Z):7PjZ(˼oH-wn +ȐW )^!f<$8澯QmU pi#PƬ. V׈|9w $Y#89Q\: ti#0 ],Q]ӡ\I*E$OsM翜Gd=m#jTӜ,Y؛[{WW$s9\o`nn? }O|;4K \ܩOVe޽YcEH*(P0T|oK*O4XTB uW|QEQIK@QEQEQE%-PE%-Q@Q@RPEQEQEQEVeq7kU> startxref 18662 %%EOF security « Informasietegnologie
Language:
SEARCH
  • Recent Posts

  • Categories

  • Archives

security

Keep your cell phone secure

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

These days your smartphone is just as powerful as your laptop or pc a few years back. You store more personal and work information on your device and it’s always connected to the internet.

It’s exactly this convenience that puts you as a smartphone user at risk. Cooltech, iAfrica’s tech section, has a few ideas to minimise risk and ensure your personal information stays, well, personal and safe from malware and cybercriminals and other security risks.

Set up a password

Your first line of defense is to simply set up a password on your phone. Most cellphone providers allow you to type in a pin number each time you switch on your phone or after a period on inactivity.

Install security software

Since smart phones are no longer just for storing phone numbers and sms’s, but also bankdetails, they’re also an easy and perfect target for cybercriminals.

Consider installing anti virus software to protect your device against malware. F-Secure, Norton and other large security software vendors each have their own version for the main smartphone platforms.

Activate the remote wipe function

The biggest risk is the the theft or loss of your device. Rather than worry about a stranger snooping through your information, activate the remore wipe function.

This function will allow you, by means of an internet connection, to delete your photos, business contacts and e-mails when you suspect you might not be able to recover your phone.

Some manufacturers like BlackBerry and Apple offer the remote wipe function and location applications for their latest devices, while third party applications are available for other platforms.

Download safe and approved applications

The temptation to download a free, unofficial application on your iPhone or Android instead of purchasing one through iStore, is big, but do you really want to take the risk and expose your phone to malware.  Rather stick legitimate sources where proper quality control is done and applications don’t come with added nasty surprises.

Backup your data

As we’ve already established, a substantial amount of your life is on your smart phone – e-mail, phone contacts, documents, photos and much more. Just as you back up your computer (hopefully!), do the same with your cell phone so you won’t lose everything if you lose your phone.  Many smartphones allow you to make a thorough backup from your device to your pc or at least sync the most important data and settings to an online service.  Many smartphones allow you to make a comprehensive backup of your device to a computer, or to sync your most critical data and settings to an online service.

Tygerberg users victim of phone scam

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

A new phone scam on Tygerberg attracted our attention this week and the possibility exists that it might spread other campusses. Please be aware of this scam that has left some victims hundreds of rands out of pocket.

Scammers are using several well-known brands, including Microsoft, to fool people into believing that something is wrong with their computers, and now they seem to be phoning university numbers.

The scam typically works as follows:

Somebody, claiming to be a representative of Microsoft, one of its brands or a third party contracted by Microsoft, tells the victim they are checking into a computer problem, infection or virus that has been detected by Microsoft. They will trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge them for the removal of this software.

The victim is directed to help and connect their computer  to a website that then allows the scammers to take control of the computer remotely, adjusting the settings and leaving the computer vulnerable.

These callers claim to be from Windows Helpdesk, Windows Service Centre, Microsoft Tech Support, Microsoft Support, Windows Technical Department Support Group and even Microsoft’s Research and Development Team.

(INFORMATION BY DAVID WILES)

Twitter targeted by cybercriminals

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

As no doubt some of you are aware, within the last few weeks, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in the United States have had breaches of their systems by Chinese-based hackers. Also recently Twitter reported that approximately 250 000 Twitter accounts were compromised by the same attackers. 

The attackers may have gained access to some user information, including usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.

As a precautionary security measure, Twitter has reset passwords for these accounts. If your account was one of them, you will have recently received (or will shortly) an email from Twitter at the address associated with your Twitter account, notifying you that you will need to create a new password. Your old password will not work when you try to log in to Twitter. 

No doubt, Facebook will also be the target of this new Chinese-based attack next, as users often use the same password for both Twitter and Facebook. 

This attack was not the work of amateurs, and experts not believe this was an isolated incident. The attack is extremely sophisticated, and it is possible that other companies and organizations have also been recently similarly attacked. 

However it is very important that you do NOT access Twitter by clicking on ANY links contained in ANY e-mail sent to you Twitter (or by an e-mail looking like it comes from Twitter), as often hackers forge e-mail to make it look like it is from Twitter to trick you into divulging your password to the hackers. 

Instead it is always best, if you get such a mail from Twitter, to go directly to your Internet Browser and to type in the Twitter address directly to reset your password.

(INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY DAVID WILES)

* Zendesk also announced today that they have been hacked and three of their social clients, Pinterest, Twitter and Tumblr were affected. More on this.

New phishing e-mail causes confusion

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

If you receive an email claiming to be from the SU IT department (see example below), do not open it or click on any of the links or reply to the e-mail. The e-mail attempts to gain access to the university accounts using the sun.ac.za details that looks initially genuine.

This is a phishing email attempting to acquire your passwords and other information. Immediately delete the email and do not reply to it.

There are just a few of the obvious signs that this is a phishing e-mail designed to steal personal information from you. You should never respond to mail like this both at work and at home, and you should never reveal any personal details especially your username and password in an e-mail form or on a webpage that you access via an e-mail link.

IT will never request your username, password or other personal information by means of an e-mail.

  1. If it were a genuine message from Information Technology, there would be branding, and it would be in English and Afrikaans. This one has nothing like that in this e-mail.
  2. The grammar is particularly bad. (what is a “strong virus”?)
  3. We are university personnel and students or “users” we are not “subscribers”.
  4. Why would you have to enter your password in readable form in an insecure e-mail?
  5. There is no support@sun.ac.za e-mail address.
  6. If you do reply, you’ll see the default reply address is an unknown one and not a sun address.
  7. The links and the actual sender/server originate in Korea.

More information on phishing.

 

EXAMPLE OF “PHISHING” E-MAIL:

Dear sun.ac.za subscriber,

We are currently carrying out an upgrade on our system due to the fact that it has come to our notice that one or more of our subscribers are introducing a very strong virus into our system and it is affecting our network.We are trying to find out the specific person.

For this reason all subscribers are to provide their USER NAME AND PASSWORD for us to verify and have them cleared against this virus. Failure to comply will lead to the termination of your Account in the next 48 hours.

Information Required:
* User name: (…………….. )(Compulsory)
* Password: (……………………..)(Compulsory)
* Date of Birth: (……………………..) (optional)
* Country Or Territory: (………………) (optional)

http://webmail.sun.ac.za/owa/auth/logon.aspx

Hoping to serve you better.
Sincerely, Universiteit Stellenbosch University
********************************************************
This is an Administrative Message from sun.ac.za server. It is not spam.
From time to time, sun.ac.za server will send you such messages in
order to communicate important information about your subscription. *********************************************************

 

 

 

 

 

Vaccinate your pc

Friday, November 9th, 2012

Every year you have to go to your doctor to get an anti-flu injection. You have to get one every year because the influenza virus mutates and adapts every year into a new strain. Computer viruses are exactly the same! Here are a few handy tips and hints to ensure the whole process is as painless as possible. But first things first –

  • Use an AntiVirus Software – It is very important that your computer has an antivirus software running on your machine. By having an antivirus program running, files and emails will be scanned as you use them, download them, or open them. If a virus is found in one of the items you are about to use, the antivirus program will stop you from being able to run that program and therefore infect yourself.

See this link for a listing of some online/stand-alone antivirus programs: Virus, Spyware, and Malware Protection and Removal Resources

  • Update your AntiVirus Software –  There is no point running an antivirus program if you do not make sure it has all the latest updates available to it. If you do not update the software, it will not know about any new viruses, trojans, worms, etc that have been released into the wild since you installed the program. Then if a new infection appears in your computer, the antivirus program will not know that it is bad, and not alert you when you run it and become infected. Therefore it is imperative that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish) so that you are protected from all the latest threats. If you are lucky then you will have an anti-virus product that will update itself automatically via the internet, but never blindly trust this. A large number of the more virulent viruses and trojans can deactivate your anti-virus software’s updating functions.
  • Install an Anti-Spyware Program – Just as you installed and use an antivirus program, it is essential these days to use a Spyware protection and removal program. These programs can be used to scan your computer for spyware, dialers, browser hijackers, and other programs that are malicious in nature. The 4 program that I recommend are SuperAnti-SpywareSpybot – Search and Destroy, andLavasoft’s Ad-Aware, and Windows Defender.A tutorial on using some of these programs can be found below:

Using Spybot – Search & Destroy to remove Spyware , Malware, and Hijackers

Using Ad-aware to remove Spyware, Malware, & Hijackers from Your Computer

  • Commercial Spyware Removal/Protection Programs – If you feel more comfortable installing a commercial Spyware removal program then I recommend WebRoot’s Spysweeper or Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware Professional. Both are fair products and a worthy addition to the arsenal of software protecting your computer.

Spysweeper Product Information

  • Occasionally Run Online Virus Scans – Unfortunately not all antivirus programs are created equal. Each program may find infections that other antivirus programs do not and vice-versa. It is therefore recommended that you occasionally run some free online antivirus scanners to make sure that you are not infected with items that your particular antivirus program does not know how to find. Three online scanners that we recommend are:

Every once in a while, maybe once every 2 weeks, run one or both of these scanners to see if they find anything that may have been missed by your locally installed antivirus software. Believe me, you will not regret it!

ARTICLE BY David Wiles, GERGA

For regular updates on the latest spam, malware and ransomware threats, please check or blog regularly.

 

© 2013-2025 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author(s) and content contributor(s). The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Stellenbosch University.