If you received a message on Friday, July 12th that looks like the one below, it was a phishing attempt.  This was obviously a fake message just by looking at the email address it originated from and the language that was used.  We received 123 of these messages and blocked the address after that.

Please remain skeptical when receiving emails from high level officials or colleagues that don’t quite make sense or match a typical conversation you might have with them.  We will definitely see more scams like this in the future, so be on the lookout.

FAKE EMAIL FROM FRIDAY:

From: Robert H. Sandel <president79779@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2019 3:10 PM
To: HelpDesk <helpdesk@virginiawestern.edu>
Subject:

Good day,

I’m stuck in a seminar right now and I need your assistance which I will appreciate your help a lot. Kindly drop your cell phone number to send you a text message.
Thanks

Dr. Robert H. Sandel
President
Virginia Western Community College

END FAKE EMAIL

There has been a significant increase in cyber-attacks in and around the Commonwealth of Virginia and some VCCS institutions have recently suffered security breaches.  These most recent attacks target tax information, W2s, banking information, and direct deposit payroll information.

The IRS has issued the following warning which contains some good information about steps you can take to prevent becoming a victim of these types of attacks.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-partners-warn-tax-professionals-of-fake-payroll-direct-deposit-and-wire-transfer-emails

Due to large student and email user populations, higher education institutions are often targets for of online attacks.  Although we have many protection mechanisms in place to keep our email and other systems secure, please do keep yourself safe by following our secure password instructions.  If you feel, for any reason, that your account has been compromised, immediately reset your password and contact the Help Desk.

VWCC Faculty/staff can reset their password using our Self-Service Portal. In order to use the Self-Service portal to reset your password or unlock your account, you must first enroll in the system. This must be done before your password expires and instructions can be found here.

Students can reset their password by using the “Forgot Password” link on the MyVWCC login page or by calling the Help Desk at (540) 857-7354.

As always, carefully scrutinize any email, link, or attachment before opening or responding to it and remember that the IET Help Desk or any valid organization like the IRS or any of your financial institutions will never ask you to click on a link to verify your user ID, password or account information.  Contact the IET Help Desk or your supervisor if you are concerned about any suspicious emails or if you have clicked on a questionable link.

More information about known scams and cyber-attacks can be found at the following links.

• https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/180611.aspx
• https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/180712.aspx
• https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/181024.aspx

Be safe on the internet!!

The Help Desk will be open the following hours during the holiday season:

• Dec. 17-18: 7:45 AM – 5:00 PM
• Dec. 19: 7:45 AM – 12:00 PM
• Dec. 20 – Jan. 1: VWCC Campus is closed.
• Jan. 2-11: 7:45 AM – 5:00 PM
• Jan. 14: Resume regular schedule

The flooring in the First floor of Business Science building will be replaced over Friday and Saturday so there will be no walkup access to the IET Help Desk on Friday, August 10, 2018.  The Help Desk will, however, be operational and will be accessible by phone, chat and email.  Please contact IET Help Desk at (540) 857-7354 if you have any questions.

In an effort to better support our students with evening classes the Help Desk will remain open until 6:00pm Monday through Thursday and until 5:00pm on Fridays once the summer session starts on May 21st.  Hours are listed below.

May 7-18

Mon-Fri: 7:45am – 5:00pm

Starting May 21

Mon-Thr: 7:45am – 6:00pm

Fri: 7:45am – 5:00pm