Identity theft, damage to hardware and software, and hours of frustration are waiting for Texas Tech students in their inboxes.
Sam Segran, associate vice president for Information Technology and the Tech chief information officer, said spam e-mails, or junk e-mails, are non-solicited e-mails send to large groups of people. These may include e-mail hoaxes, e-mail scams, e-mails with attachments or links intended to infect or take over your computer
“Last year the Information and Technology Division stopped 21 million spam messages from reaching Tech students and staff,” Segran said, “and IT goes through about half a million spam e-mails a day.”
According the Tech safe computing Web site, there is a recent increase in spam e-mails with attachments claiming to provide information about the H1N1 virus.
“Anytime you have an event get vast media attention, you see an increase in spam e-mails related to that event,” Segran said.
Along with the rise in H1N1 related e-mails there is also an increase in e-mails coming from the address “Texas Tech University Help Desk” with a subject of “Texas Tech University System Administration.”
Segran said the e-mails are not from Tech and anyone receiving such an e-mail should not reply to it or click on any links in the message. It also is important for students to remember no e-mail should ask for an eRaider password because sharing an eRaider password with anyone is a violation of the Tech Information and Technology Security Policies.
Recent enhancements were made to the TechMail filtering system, and most spam messages circulating automatically will be routed to the “Junk E-mail folder,” he said.
However, no filtering system is perfect and division officials recommend following safe computing practices.
The Tech Information and Technology Division also recommends all Tech students update their virus software. Symantec AntiVirus is available for download free of charge at eraider.ttu.edu.
Tech information technology division, as part of its safe computing practices campaign, lists the following as common characteristics of e-mail scams: Requests for financial information, promises of financial gain, high pressure sales tactics, prize notifications, “free” goods, services and opportunities and internet auctions that require prepayment.
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