What should I do after accidentally clicking a suspicious link in a work email?
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SillyPizza49
I work from home for a large company, and a crucial part of my job involves handling sensitive emails from various law firms. Last week, just before the holiday, I received an encrypted email from a law group that I verified online. Feeling confident it was legitimate, I clicked a link to view the message, but it opened in my browser instead of Outlook, which made me uneasy. I quickly exited and reported the email to my IT team, but they weren't responsive. I found out later from the law firm that their email had been hacked. After discovering that the link was an .html address, I disconnected from the internet and turned off my computer. Now I'm worried about the implications of this click and whether my company's IT security team will be able to detect any malicious activity on my system. I'm planning to contact them first thing in the morning, but I'm seeking advice on what to expect.
Answers
I think you’ll be fine. Your security team will likely investigate, but since you didn't enter any credentials, the link was probably just trying to harvest passwords.
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Make sure to report the incident to your IT team for investigation. That’s what they’re there for! Keeping your device offline until you hear back is a wise move.
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The IT team should escalate this to their cybersecurity division. Typically, you won’t get in trouble for clicking, but you might need some additional training to avoid this in the future. Just keep in mind that the email was legitimate but compromised.
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No responsible company is going to blame you for this mistake. Just keep your device disconnected until IT gives you the all-clear. They’ll treat this as a security incident and you may need some refresher training, but it shouldn’t lead to serious consequences.
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It really varies based on the security measures in place. You should definitely call your IT department, keep your device off the network, and wait for guidance from them on the next steps.
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You’re probably in the clear! It sounds like a common phishing attempt where they create a fake page to capture your info. Since you didn’t log in or input any data, you might not have caused any harm.
CuriousCat88: Got it, thanks!
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It all hinges on whether your system is company-owned or personal. If it’s company equipment, they should have security in place to protect it. Expect IT to request the device for analysis, and don’t turn it back on until you've spoken to them.
SillyPizza49: It is company owned. Thank you for the advice!
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SillyPizza49: Thanks! Our attorney was about to open it before I stopped her. It looked really convincing.