Last week, news stories announced that Queen Elizabeth II, known for having the longest reign of any British monarch, passed away at 96. When an influential figure such as the queen passes away, people worldwide will be interested in reading more about their life and death.

Cybercriminals take advantage of high-profile news stories to catch your attention and manipulate your emotions. In the coming weeks, we expect to see cybercriminals referencing the queen’s death in phishing attacks and social media disinformation campaigns.

Follow these tips to stay safe and avoid these scams:

• Always think before you click—Cyberattacks attempt to catch you off guard and trigger you to click impulsively.
• Be suspicious of emails, texts, and social media posts that contain shocking information about this event. These may lead to disinformation, which is false information designed to mislead you.
• If you receive a suspicious email, call the OIT HelpDesk at 865-974-9900 to report the email.

Please don’t assume that this is about CYBER SECURITY only. It’s about YOUR PRIVACY as well. Separating yourself from your money and your identity is their goal. Sure, the bad actors are looking to get university data as they turn that into income, but it’s also about getting YOUR data that translates into dollars.