Junkmail, spam and malware

Mail is sometimes received by students and staff from fraudulent sources trying to extract private information. We already take action to reduce the number of these, but you still need to be vigilant.

If you are not expecting an email, or are suspicious of its content, do not click on any links. Check with the sender separately to make sure it is a genuine message.

Advice regarding suspect mail: 

  • Never send your ucreative password via email: we will never request you to do so.
  • Do not click links in emails unless you are 100% sure they are legitimate.
  • Delete suspect messages immediately: never reply to mail from unknown sources or suspected malicious mail.
  • Do not expand an email: If an email asks you to click on a link to expand the view, do not click on the link and delete the email.

If you have accidently clicked on any suspicious email link, change your password immediately and scan your device for malware.

UCA have an automated detection system, which will flag any suspicious behaviour on accounts, such as Spam emails, multiple sign-in attempts in different locations or Malware detection. If your account is flagged by this system, it will be locked, and you will be contacted by your campus Gateway. Please follow the instructions on this email to reactivate your account. 

Recommended Antivirus Software: 

It is recommended that Antivirus software is installed on your computer, UCA recommends either Sophos Home or Malware Bytes.

Both have free versions available that provide basic protection.

Sophos Home: https://home.sophos.com/en-us

Malware Bytes: http://www.malwarebytes.com

FAQs

  • Some of my emails are going into my Junk Folder

    There are filters in place on the email system to weed out junk mail and spam, but sometimes these can pick up genuine emails.

    To mark an email address as not junk:

    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Junk Email".
    • To add safe senders (can be email addresses or domains) click on "Add" within the “Safe Senders and Domains section”. Make sure you add domains ucreative.ac.uk and students.ucreative.ac.uk.
  • How can I block a sender?
    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Junk Email".
    • To block senders (can be email addresses or domains) click on "Add" within the “Block Senders and Domains” section.
  • All of my emails are going to my Deleted Items folder

    You may have a Rule set to put all emails straight into your deleted items. If this is the case, you have probably clicked on a suspect link. Make sure you change your UCA password as soon as possible and scan your device for malware in case your account has been compromised.

    To turn the Rule off:

    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Rules".
    • Delete any rules you see that you have not created yourself.
  • I received an email from the ‘gateway’ saying my account was compromised, is this genuine?

    This email is likely to be genuine, but if you are unsure, please contact your campus IT Advisers for confirmation.

    Canterbury

    Tel: 01227 817 314

    gatewaycanterbury@uca.ac.uk

    Epsom

    Tel: 01372 202 551

    gatewayepsom@uca.ac.uk

    Farnham

    Tel: 01252 892 710

    gatewayfarnham@uca.ac.uk
  • My friends have said that I am emailing them from my Uni account when I’m not, what should I do?
    • Make sure you change your UCA password as soon as possible in case your account has been compromised.
    • Run a virus scan on all devices on which you have used your UCA account.
    • Check you have no Rules set up in your email (see All of my Emails are going to my Deleted Items folder).
    • Tell your friends not to open any of these emails and to delete them. If they have opened the emails and clicked on a link, they will need to follow the steps above.