14 October 2021

You hear it in the news almost every day: big organisations or educational institutions that have been hacked. This can be because someone has unwittingly clicked on a phishing mail. Phishing is a method used by hackers to gain access to personal and work data by luring you to a seemingly familiar login page via a link in an email. The mail and pages often look reliable. A safe digital environment is everyone’s responsibility. During European Cybersecurity Month, we will be sharing tips, facts and fables every week to help you work ‘cybersafely’. 

True or false: ‘To check if I’ve received a phishing mail, all I need to do is look at the link in the mail.’

 
This statement is false. With phishing it’s important to check the link, the sender’s address, the salutation and the message itself as well as looking for spelling and grammar errors and at any attachments. And don’t forget to use your common sense. The University, a bank or the government will never ask for your personal account details via a mail or the phone. Be alert!  

Want to make sure you don’t click on the wrong link? Follow the e-Learning course (10 minutes) at and visit the Phishing webpage.