This document provides tips for physicians on keeping their email secure. It warns that phishing emails have become more sophisticated and aim to steal sensitive information or install malware. Attackers gather personal details to appear credible and use emotional triggers to elicit quick responses. The document advises physicians to critically evaluate any unexpected emails and hover over links to check for spoofing before clicking. It also recommends avoiding copying links, forwarding suspicious emails, or opening emails on mobile devices.

1. WHAT EVERY PHYSICIAN
NEEDS TO KNOW:
KEEPING YOUR EMAIL SECURE

2. THE PROBLEM
Phishing emails and other social engineering schemes
have become increasingly sophisticated and harder to
recognize.
These attacks are designed to trick people into
revealing sensitive information, downloading malware, or
committing financial fraud.

3. Cyber thieves often gather background information
on their targets from social media, blogs, and other
websites to appear more credible. Attackers then play on
emotional triggers such as fear, urgency, and authority to
trick their target into making impulsive decisions.
THE PROBLEM

4. Don’t take everything at face value. Before you open
and click an email, ask yourself these questions:
CRITICAL THINKING

5. CRITICAL THINKING
• Is the email from someone I recognize?
• Am I expecting the email?
• Are the requests in the email reasonable?
• Is the email using an emotional appeal (such as
causing fear or creating a sense of urgency) to entice
an action?

6. ALWAYS HOVER
Before clicking any links in the email, hover your mouse
over the link and the actual web address or URL will
appear. Do they match? If not, this may be a deceptive
link.
For example, you don’t want to click a link to ju-spandoo.
de/82359/index.html.

7. ALWAYS HOVER
Hackers will also try to spoof the URL to look like the
legitimate address. Investigate to make sure the domain
is the same as the sender of the email.

8. AVOID
• Never copy and paste the link into the URL section of
your browser to check it. That’s the same as clicking the
link.
• Never forward a suspected malicious email to other
people. You don’t want to further the potential damage,
especially within your organization.

9. AVOID
• Do not open the malicious email on your mobile device.
These devices are not immune to malware and viruses.
• Do not solely rely on antivirus (AV) software. AVs protect
against viruses with known signatures, but are susceptible
to new malware that goes undetected.
Source: NAS cyberNET from ePlace Solutions.

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