Update: Email issues

This weekend a utpa.edu email account was compromised and thousands of spam emails were sent from this address.  The outgoing spam email slowed down the legitimate incoming and outgoing email over the past three business days.

After carefully reviewing the email situation today, we can say with confidence that our email is now stabilized.   

Please be aware that malicious emails and web sites can compromise the security of your accounts (including your personal information such as credit cards) and can have devastating effects on others and the entire University community as it did this week. 

In order to protect your University accounts and computers please take the following precautions:

• Never provide your username and password to anyone.
• Use caution when opening unfamiliar web links and attachments.
• Avoid visiting unfamiliar web sites.
  
• Ensure your office and home have the latest Windows and antivirus updates. 

As a faculty or staff member, you are entitled to McAfee Anti-virus for your office and home computer.  This can be downloaded by visiting this website:http://download.utpa.edu/

If you have questions or problems installing McAfee on your computer, you may visit this website:http://www.utpa.edu/helpdesk/tutorials/dtutorial.asp?id=42, contact the Computer Support Desk staff in person at ASB 1.102, or calling our staff at 956.381.2020. 

We would like to thank everyone for their understanding this week. The Computer Center staff dedicated over a hundred man-hours in their effort to alleviate the effects of the compromise.  

Thank you again for your patience this week.