The time has come for everyone to take a well-deserved break and spend time with friends and family. From 22 December until 2 January Information Technology offices will be closed and no user support will be provided.

However, just because we're on holiday it doesn't mean fraudsters, opportunists and cybercriminals will also take a break. On the contrary, this is the ideal time for them to scam you out of your hard-earned money.

We'd like to remind you to be especially vigilant over the holiday season by following these guidelines when receiving emails or conducting online transactions:

• We will never ask for your username and password. Don't divulge your username and/or password if being asked via email. By doing this, you are giving someone access to all your confidential SU information, including salary details.
• Do not click on any attachments, even if the address is a sun email address. If you are unsure, contact the person first to confirm.
• Do not click on a website address given in an email. Rather go to your browser and type the correct address in the address bar.
• Never conduct any transactions on a public, unprotected WiFi connection.
• If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an email, contact the institution or person it was sent from directly by phone to confirm.

For further assistance email help@sun.ac.za or call our Service Desk at 808 4367. More information on cybersecurity can be found on our blog and Twitter account.