A CYBERSECURITY expert has warned that a dangerous email could be lurking in your inbox at this time of year.
The message is part of a vacation scam that seems legitimate but could get you fired.
Spam analysis expert Roman Dedenok explained on the Kaspersky blog how cybercriminals are sending out fake HR emails.
He explained: “The aim is to get the phishing link clicked.
“To achieve this, the attackers need to shut down the critical-thinking side of the victim’s brain, usually by scaring or intriguing them.
“Chances are, in early summer, mentioning the vacation schedule will do the job.”
Scammers hope to get workers who are dreaming of a getaway to click on malicious links without thinking.
Clicking the link risks giving important information away to cybercriminals or downloading dangerous malware.
You may even risk company secrets, and this could get you in trouble at work – even if clicking the link was an accident.
There are a few things you can do to spot the scam.
Before clicking any links, confirm whether the person who sent the email actually works at your company.
Also, check the email signature and the message for any abnormalities.
If you do click on any links, check that it takes you to your company server and not a random one.
Report any suspicious behavior to your HR department.
Resist the urge to click on links about your own vacation dates without first checking with your company about the email.
Dedenok said: “The main thing is to resist the urge to instantly click the link to see your revised vacation dates.”
