Montana will be the target of a deliberate hacking campaign over the next two weeks and computer users are urged to be very vigilant. The publically announced effort zeroing in on Montana has been declared for July 1 through July 15, 2018... State officials have determined the threat is legitimate and should be taken very seriously.
In at late June Montana State Universityand Montana State University-Billings information technology offices sent the notices to faculty and staff, warning them to be especially wary of unsolicited and suspicious emails.
Michael Becker, MSU news service director, says these notices were reminders about those bad emails we’ve been told to avoid.
“Be suspicious of links and emails that come from people you don’t recognize,” said Becker. “And be very careful of attachments on those emails. Be doubly sure before you click on something.”
People are also warned to be careful about phone calls.
“One of the things we have been warned about we could see an increase in the number of phishing phone calls, trying to extract personal or confidential information,” Becker said.
The State Information Technology Services Division of the Department of Administration said in an email:
"The State of Montana has a robust cybersecurity program in place to mitigate cyber threats. The Department of Administration also works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement to constantly monitor security issues and potential threats to state government, and takes appropriate action to minimize risk to public safety and to state property."
Advice on handling a suspicious email at this time or any time, delete it and contact your company’s or division’s information technology department.
