Information Management and Services (IMS) is implementing an external warning banner in email messages that originate from outside UT Health San Antonio. This is part of an ongoing effort to protect our campus from electronic threats.
This banner is a reminder to use caution when opening attachments or clicking links in emails from outside our institution. It should be noted that the presence of this banner does not necessarily indicate a malicious message, it is merely a reminder to remain diligent.
Certain trusted external systems such as Office 365 or My Service Center (TeamDynamix app) will be exempted from having this banner applied. The list of trusted external sites and applications will grow over time.
A common practice in spam, hacking and phishing is to “spoof” or impersonate a legitimate sender, making a message appear legitimate and fooling an individual into opening an attachment or clicking on a link. This new banner will help identify that a sender is external to our institution and due diligence should be exercised before continuing with the email.
Best practice tips include:
- Use high caution with unexpected emails containing links and/or attachments.
- Preview any URL/links in an email by hovering over the link and viewing the full URL to make sure the site is what is intended.
- Go to your favorite list instead of clicking an email link.
- Attachments should only be opened from a confirmed trusted sender.
A sample view of the banner content:
***EXTERNAL EMAIL***
This message originated outside of UT Health San Antonio. Please exercise caution when clicking on links or opening attachments.