An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

Defense Logistics AgencyThe Nation's Combat Logistics Support Agency

Search
Search

Search

-  Home		 
-  What DLA Offers    -  Excess Property Disposal             
  -  Document Services             
  -  Products             
  -  Services             
  -  Programs 
-  Working With DLA    -  Applications             
  -  Small Business             
  -  Federal and International Cataloging             
  -  Defense Data Standards             
  -  Events             
  -  Procurement Policies             
  -  Government Programs             
  -  Forms 
-  Organizations    -  DLA Headquarters             
  -  DLA Aviation             
  -  DLA Disposition Services             
  -  DLA Distribution             
  -  DLA Energy             
  -  DLA Land and Maritime             
  -  DLA Troop Support             
  -  DLA CENTCOM & SOCOM             
  -  DLA Europe & Africa             
  -  DLA Indo-Pacific 
-  Customer Support    -  Self Help Tools             
  -  How to Order             
  -  Find Your Order             
  -  Customer Facing Offices             
  -  Training             
  -  Brochures             
  -  Warfighter Support             
  -  Customer Service Management 
-  Careers		 
-  About DLA    -  Contact Us             
  -  Locations             
  -  Leaders             
  -  News             
  -  History             
  -  Media Gallery             
  -  DLA Campaigns 

HomeAbout DLANewsNews Article View

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

# Cybersecurity in the Workplace is Everyone’s Business

By Eric IgnashDLA CERT

                COLUMBUS, Ohio  –              
With recent hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes, there is no downtime from adversaries when donations are sent for relief work due to a natural disaster.  Adversaries will design malicious emails that are used in social engineering attacks. The emails, also known as phishing attacks, are a form of social engineering. 

What exactly is a social engineering attack? This variety of attack is based on human interaction to obtain or compromise information from an organization or its network. The attacker would seem legitimate or unaware of a process and request assistance. When asking questions, the attacker may be able to gather enough information to access an organization’s network either physically or remotely.

What is a phishing attack? Phishing is a method of social engineering. Phishing attacks utilize email and/or malicious websites to solicit personal information while acting as a trustworthy organization. Phishing attacks could be disguised to come from many other types of organizations. Depending on the event or time of year, different themes of phishing attacks are based on natural disasters, political events, holidays, health and viral incidents, etc.

Recently, there have been themed phishing campaigns designed for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on interest in Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Organizations are recommended to exercise caution in handling any email subjects, attachments, hyperlinks or social media related to hurricane relief. Themed emails often contain links or attachments that once clicked will redirect users to credential harvesting or a malware-compromised website.

**What can you do to protect yourself?**
                              - **Be vigilant** of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or emails from individuals asking about your organization’s internal information.    
                              - **Don’t provide** personal or financial information or organizational information such as the network layout unless you’re able to confirm the individual.    
                              - **Review the URL** of a website. Malicious websites often contain spelling errors or a different domain (.com vs .org).    

**Can email be dangerous?**
                              - Email is easily distributed. Forwarding email is the simplest way that a virus can quickly infect many machines. 
                              - Email programs streamline users needs. Email clients support almost any type of file that can be attached to an email message.    
                              - Keep software up to date. This will deter attackers so that they can’t take advantage of known vulnerabilities.    

**How can I safely donate to a charity?**
                              - Donate to charities you know and trust with a proven history.    
                              - Don’t assume that charity messages posted on social media are legitimate.    
                              - Be watchful for charities created during a current event. Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or GuideStar.    
                              - In Ohio, a charity or fundraiser must be registered and verified through the National Association of State Charity Officials.    

**References:**
                              - https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2017/08/28/Potential-Hurricane-Harvey-Phishing-Scams 
                              - https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-010
                              -  https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-014 
                              - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/08/wise-giving-wake-hurricane-harvey 

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT                

## Related Stories

Simple Steps to Online Safety

Today’s Predictions for Tomorrow’s Internet

The Internet Wants YOU: Consider a Career in Cybersecurity 

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats information technology systems

cyber securityCyber Security Awareness MonthCulture L&MSafety L&MTraining L&MDLA L&MPAL