Swine Flu Phishing Attacks and Email Scams
The US-CERT is aware of public reports of email scams circulating related to the Swine Flu. The attacks arrive via an unsolicited email message typically containing a subject line related to the Swine Flu. These email messages may contain a link or an attachment. If users click on this link or open the attachment, they may be directed to a phishing website or exposed to malicious code.
The US-CERT encourages users to take the following measures to protect themselves:
- Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages.
- Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
- Refer to the Avoiding Email Scams article.
- Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks article.
- UPDATE: Due to these potential phishing attacks and email scams, the US-CERT encourages users to visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for trusted information regarding the Swine Flu.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation’s Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.
