Cyber security

When the University can help:

• If you receive phishing or even junk email in your UWA inbox, please use the Report Message add-in (If using Microsoft Outlook, this is accessible from the Home tab) to flag and quarantine the message, and to help protect others from the same scam.
• For other issues concerning your University accounts and devices please contact the University IT Service Desk by calling +61 8 6488 1234 or emailing IT-[email protected].

In any other cases:

• If you feel you have been a victim of a phishing scam outside of the university, you should immediately report the scam to the company involved, like your bank. If you are unsure how to contact the company, visit the company's website to get the correct contact information.  The company may have a special email address to report such abuse.  Remember not to follow any links in the phishing email you received.  You should type the known website address for the company directly into the address bar in your internet browser.
• If you feel you have been a victim of other scams or cyberbullying, report it to the eSafety Commissioner and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
• If there is an immediate threat to life or risk of harm, call 000.

Important steps that you must consider when reporting a cybersecurity incident:

• Close or freeze affected account;
• Reset all account passwords;
• Contact your bank or financial provider;
• Inform family and friends;
• Scan your computer system and remove any devious programs;
• Steer clear of phishing emails.

Some of the warning signs that you might have been hacked include:

• You are signed out of your online accounts (social media, email, online banking, etc.), or you try to login and discover your passwords no longer work.
• You receive emails or text messages about login attempts, password resets, or multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes that you didn’t request.
• You notice strange emails in your 'Sent' folder.
• You receive more spam emails — especially ones that specifically threaten or try to extort you.
• Friends or family members tell you they’ve received strange messages from your email or social media accounts.
• You receive a data breach notification from a company or service that you use. 
• You suddenly receive pop-ups that claim your device is infected with a virus. 
• Your devices slow down, heat up, or start to crash more often.
• You notice browser plugins, add-ons, or toolbars that you didn’t install. 
• You get redirected to unwanted websites, or they open automatically behind your browser window.
• Your cursor starts moving by itself — when you haven’t touched the mouse or trackpad. 
• There are suspicious charges on your credit card or bank statements. 
• Your web camera light is on, even when you’re not using it for video calls or recordings. 
• Your antivirus software is disabled when you haven’t changed anything. 
• Google “Have I Been Pwned” and check if your email has been involved in known data breaches. If so, change the password of all the accounts affected.