To further strengthen the College’s security, Information Technology will be implementing a Phish Alert Button (PAB) in Outlook. This will make it easier for you to report those emails you suspect are malicious, like phishing or spear phishing emails.
How do I know what to report?
You should only report messages you suspect are malicious or are an attempt to manipulate or otherwise deceive you or your colleagues. Spam and other unsolicited emails that do not seem suspicious can be labeled as "Spam" in Outlook.
- Spam is unsolicited and unwanted email, typically sent to try to sell you something. While it is often annoying and misleading, it is rarely malicious. Delete or label as Spam in the Outlook app.
- Phishing is a technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data, through a fraudulent solicitation in email in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person. These messages are malicious. Report them with the PAB.
- Social engineering is when an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise information about an organization or its computer systems. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, support person, or researcher and may even offering credentials to support that identity. Report it with the PAB.
Where do I find the PAB in Outlook?
This button will allow users to report possible phishing emails that they have received to IT personnel, who will then be able to further investigate the email. By using this button, we all will be able to help mitigate the risk of cyberattacks to our college.