Seven in ten UK Universities have admitted falling victim to a phishing attack in which an individual has been tricked into disclosing personal details via an email purporting to be from a trusted source.
The figure comes from a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Duo Security to 70 universities across the UK, of which 51 responded. Seven Universities, including those with GCHQ-certified degree courses – Oxford and Cranfield University – reported they had been targeted more than 50 times in the 12 months prior to November 2016.
The findings, released Wednesday, follow a recent warning from Action Fraud, the UK’s fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, about a phishing scam specifically targeting UK University staff. The bogus email claims the recipient is due for a pay increase, before directing them to click on a link and enter financial details and University logins.
