The Texas Department of Information Resources Security Office has advised state agencies and higher education institutions to be on heightened alert for cyber-attacks from nation-states and Internet-based special interest groups (hacktivists). The TTU IT Division would like to share this alert with the Lubbock community to be vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on the political tension between Russia and Ukraine. Historically, any international conflict, natural disaster, or media event has resulted in an increase in email scams and other cyber threats.

Examples of common email scams:

• "Breaking News" stories – Scams may appear to come from a reputable news source, directing recipients to a fake site for breaking news on a situation.
• Requests to respond/register for a "political" issue or cause – Many Internet criminals leverage political topics of the day to elicit an emotional response, such as a war in the global theatre, domestic issues, or special interest legislation.
• Requests for donations to individuals in "dire" circumstances or charitable organizations – Many of these schemes may also masquerade as a reputable charitable organization assisting with a current national or international crisis. The message may request that you donate online by providing your personal banking information or credit card information.

Criminals often use these topics to lure people into opening a malicious attachment, clicking on a link, or copying and pasting a web address into their browser.

Specific Recommendations:

• If you receive one of these messages, delete it and do not respond to it.
• If you are uncertain of a message's legitimacy, please contact your IT support staff for further assistance.

We encourage you to be vigilant in practicing cybersecurity. For additional information regarding these cyber threats, please visit https://www.cisa.gov/shields-up.