We are writing about an important security topic that you may have seen in the news, such as in this ZDNet article. It is important to realize that this may be a very targeted attack confined to a small number of media outlets, but as we have seen repeatedly, this will result in others copying such techniques, so we are writing to inform you to be diligent.
A cybercrime group has been mailing USB drives infected with ransomware, hoping people will plug them into their computers. The packages have impersonated the Department of Health and Human Services providing Covid-19 information, or as a gift card from Amazon.
The USB drives are designed to act as a keyboard and will attempt to install malware on your computer, which includes ransomware to make your personal data inaccessible, malware and other attack tools to gain information and access to your computers and other systems.
If you receive any package unexpectedly, treat it with extreme caution, and if it contains any electronic devices, contact the Help Desk for further assistance.
To: Everyone
From: Doug Chudzik, LTS, x2124
More info: Computing Help Desk, x3333 (faculty/staff), x7777 (students)
