SPPS Employees: Beware of Suspicious ‘Phishing’ Emails

There has been a recent increase in “phishing” emails targeting spps.org email.

Phishing emails are malicious emails designed to acquire a recipient’s personal data, information or credentials. While phishing is not a typical bulk email “spam” or advertisement, it does represent a serious data security concern to SPPS students and staff.

Phishing emails usually convey some type of urgency in the subject line or email body, such as warnings about disk space overage or the imminent deactivation of an account.

These emails will then typically ask the recipient to click a link, download a file, or read an attachment. Sometimes these emails can appear to come from an address or name you recognize.

If you receive a suspicious email that requests your login information or any personal data, or an uncharacteristic request from a sender you recognize, please follow this advice from Technology Services:
  • DO NOT click the links in the email, or log in to a link using your credentials. This could inadvertently compromise private data belonging to you or SPPS.
  • DO NOT reply and share your account data or other personal information.
  • DO REPORT the email, using the “Phish Alert” button at the top of any Office 365 email, which will alert our SPPS Technology Services team.

SPPS Technology Services and Microsoft Office 365 will never do the following:
  • Warn you of mailbox space overages.
  • Require you to confirm your account.
  • Request your password.
  • Ask you to fill in sensitive or personal information relating to accounts.
Technology Services will send out notifications about such topics either in The Bridge or in an announcement from Technology Services.
 
Additional resources:

If you have concerns or questions, contact Technology Services by calling the Help Desk at 651-603-HELP, or email Service.Desk@spps.org.