UniSA, along with other Australian universities, are seeing a large number of malicious emails being sent to staff mailboxes. These messages are intended to trick you into opening an attached file or clicking an included link in order to compromise your computer, lock your files for ransom and steal your logon credentials.

Recent malicious messages have been disguised as:

• Warnings about changes to the university email system or storage that requires an immediate action or response.
• Scanned documents sent from university printers.
• Australia Post package collection and tracking notifications.
• Invoices for services and goods.

If you receive an unexpected email with an attached document or included link then the best course of action is to not open the attached document and not click the link.

To make it easier to recognise suspicious email, ISTS have published examples with information and pointers that show the email is not legitimate. This information is available here: https://i.unisa.edu.au/askit/staff/email/nuisance/

Example suspicious emails can be found on the IT Security Alerts page.

To protect yourself against fraudulent activity:

• DO NOT enter your UniSA username and password into an external website or use your UniSA email address and password for non-university accounts
• DO NOT reply to an email requesting your username and password. UniSA will never request your username and password via email
• DO NOT click on any links or open any attachments contained within a suspicious email.

Social engineering attacks are designed to convince you to perform actions that result in the release of sensitive data such as UniSA login credentials, bank account details or other personal and confidential information.

As UniSA staff are often subjected to these types of attack, this list of common social engineering techniques is provided to increase your awareness and help you to avoid being tricked:

• A phone call or face to face contact is made by someone claiming to be a staff member or student requesting their own personal information or changes to their passwords and contact information. Staff should follow established procedures for releasing or changing credentials and contact information.
• The most prevalent social engineering method seen at UniSA are attempts to trick a large number of staff into revealing information or taking action through emails that claim to be from the IT unit, Helpdesk or external organisations (banks, energy providers and social media). Users are urged to open attachments or click on links that lead to a compromise of the user’s workstation or UniSA credentials. Staff should not open attachments or click on links in unsolicited email.
• Targeted emails are sent to specific staff members who have privileged roles in an organisation. These are usually crafted to appear to be from senior staff or colleagues and often request confidential information or actions to be undertaken such as the transfer of funds, copy of exam papers, password changes, etc. Staff should follow established procedures for authorising changes and transactions or releasing information.
• USB drives are dropped for employees to find or are handed in as found. This technique relies on people plugging the item into their workstation to see if they can identify the owner and in the process infecting the workstation. Staff should not attach unknown devices to their workstation.

If you think you have been subjected to any of these attempts please report them to and seek advice from the IT Help Desk.

The targeting of electronic devices used by personnel during overseas travel is a real and persistent threat. Electronic devices likely to be targeted include, but are not limited to, corporate and personal laptops, phones, tablets and removable media such as USB drives and SD cards. The compromise of electronic devices could impact the ongoing operation and security of any organisation.

Generally, the risks associated with electronic device usage during overseas travel involve compromise of electronic devices that will allow attackers to:

• Gain access to personal data (including user credentials)
• Gain unauthorised access to the University network
• Gain intelligence on sensitive University and research information 

If Staff are travelling overseas on University business, contact IT Help Desk for options on increasing security while travelling including use of temporary mobile devices and laptops.

Additional tips to consider while travelling include:

• Always secure your mobile devices or laptops when not in your possession such as locked safes or cupboards.
• Avoid travelling with confidential or sensitive data on laptops or portable storage devices. 
• Utilise encryption on laptops and devices when able for further protection.