Phishing Attacks

Always Be On Alert For Phishing Attacks

What is a Phishing Attack?

A phishing attack is a scam and an effort to steal your personal information.
Phishing attacks typically come in the form of fraudulent email messages that appear to have come from a legitimate source, such as your doctor or bank.
Phishing emails will usually direct to a spoofed website or trick the receiver into divulging personal information like account passwords, credit card information, etc.

How to Detect and Handle Phishing Messages

Step 1: Identify the message as a phishing scam

Some red flags include:

Urgent requests. Phishing attacks attempt to induce panic in the receiver and cause the person to act before investigating the authenticity of the request.
Bad spelling or grammar. Phishing messages are notorious for containing misspelled words or poor grammar.
Mismatched email address information. Make sure the email address displayed in the From: field matches address listed in behind mailto:.
Generic signature line. Make sure the user has credible contact information.
Unexpected requests regarding personal information. Be extremely wary of following links or answering questions from contacts you did not initiate.

Step 2: Check out links and attachments before you click.

Links can direct you to spoofed web pages or download harmful files on your system.
- You can hover the cursor over the link before you click on it to ensure that the address matches the link that was typed. You can always check the legitimacy of a message by going directly to the company or organization website or contacting them via phone.
Hover over an attachment to verify that the title matches the file type.
- A document that looks like it has a name "something.pdf" might actually be a file "something.exe." An .exe extension means the attachment is actually a software program that you execute and is extremely dangerous; it can cause computer infection and data loss.

Step 3: Report and delete

If you suspect that the email is a phishing message, forward it to itsupport@centerlinelogistics.com. Then delete the message from your inbox.

Security Service Update

Centerline has enabled Advance Threat Protection (ATP) on all Centerline email services. ATP provides protection against malicious links and unsafe attachments.

However, continue to exercise caution and do not click on suspicious links. No detection method can provide complete protection.

How to Report a Phishing Attack

When you recognize a phishing attack, you should report it to IT in order to protect yourself and others. To submit a phishing message to IT, forward the phishing email to itsupport@centerlinelogistics.com.

What to do if you clicked on the link

If you have clicked on a link in a phishing email or given personal account logins or information be sure to take the following steps immediately.

Change your password directly through your application or request IT perform a password reset.
Review account statements and activity.
Run a virus scan on your computer to detect and remove any potentially harmful software downloaded on your system after clicking on a link.

Open Windows Security settings

For additional assistance, contact IT Support at 206-829-7514 or itsupport@centerlinelogistics.com.