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Protecting Personal and GW Data from Email Phishing

Compromise Prevention Tips

Prevention tips from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Public Service Announcement Business Email Compromise (BEC) the $55 Billion Scan

  • Use secondary channels and/or two-factor authentication to verify requests for changes in account information.
  • Use unique passwords/passphrases. Make sure to use a unique password for every online service you use and try to change your passwords/passphrases periodically.
  • Ensure the URL in emails is associated with the business/individual it claims to be from.
  • Be alert to hyperlinks that may contain misspellings of the actual domain name.
  • Refrain from supplying login credentials or personal identifiable information (PII) of any sort via email. Be aware that many emails requesting your PII may appear to be legitimate.
  • Verify the email address used to send emails, especially when using a mobile or handheld device, by ensuring the sender's address appears to match who it is coming from.
  • Monitor your personal financial accounts on a regular basis for irregularities, such as missing deposits.

unofficial GW hippo mascot holding a lockThis content is presented by the GW IT Cybersecurity Risk and Assurance team. #SecuringGW is a shared responsibility, if you see something, say something. Report suspicious digital activities, including phishing emails, to abuse[@]gwu.edu.


IT Support Questions? For IT support, please contact the Information Technology Support Center at 202-994-GWIT (4948), ithelp[@]gwu.edu, or visit ithelp.gwu.edu