Scam of the Week: Dangerous Office Attachments Bypassing Email Security

As always, you must be suspicious of all email attachments, because attackers are finding new ways to get around email security filters. The latest attack includes Microsoft Office attachments containing hyperlinks to dangerous websites.

If you unknowingly download one of these attachments and click on a link from within the document, you will be brought to a malicious website that steals your sensitive information. This particular attack is usually carried out with Microsoft Word attachments, but dangerous links are certainly not limited to files with .docx file extensions. This attack could occur with almost any file type.

Always remember the following to prevent this type of attack from happening to you:

• Never open attachments from people you don’t know.
• Don’t open any attachment unless you have asked for it, or have verified with the sender (through a channel other than email) that it is legitimate.
• Before clicking any link within an email or an email attachment, hover over it to see where it will take you.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don't be fooled.