[ExtendedVassarCommunity] [All Accounts] From CIS (Action Required): Reducing Spam and Unsolicited Emails in GMail

[CIS Service Desk]

Recently, Vassar Computing and Information Services has received increased
reports of the number and frequency of spam and phishing attempts ending up
in email across campus.

WHAT CIS IS DOING:

We have changed our Google Mail settings to make the Spam Filter more
aggressive. This should reduce the number of unsolicited emails you will
see in your inbox, but, carries the risk of catching some messages that are
not spam.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

   - Check Spam Label: You should regularly check your spam label to make
   sure nothing was mistakenly labeled. If you find something important If you
   can't find your Spam label, click more at the bottom of your list of
   labels.
   - Identify Important Senders and Messages: If you find something
   important, you can remove the Spam label by clicking the NOT SPAM button
   at the top of your mail window.
      - Whitelist Important Senders! You can "whitelist" a sender by adding
      them to your contacts, which is available from the message drop
down. This
      will prevent their messages from being sent to spam in the future.
   - Identify Spam: Identify spam and phishing that makes it past the
   filter to your inbox easily from the message drop down. Google learns
   from your actions! Therefore, the more you identify messages as spam or
   important, the better google mail will get at categorizing your messages.
   - Create Filters: You can create a filter to make sure that no messages
   from any Vassar senders get misfiled. You can apply the same filter
   strategy to all types of messages you'd like to whitelist. Google
   Support: Creating Filters in Gmail.
   <https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6579?hl=en>
   - Matches:(@vassar.edu)
      - Do This: Never Send It To Spam


It's important to remember that, although some spam is simply annoying,
phishing attempts are downright dangerous. Phishing attempts strive to get
you to supply personal and confidential information or download malicious
software. These actions lead to identity theft, virus, malware and more.
The best defense against phishing attempts is education. Learn more about
identifying and protecting yourself from spam and phishing attempts.
<http://computing.vassar.edu/safecomputing/spam.html>

If you require assistance please contact the CIS service desk at
servicedesk at vassar.edu or 437-7224 (x7224 from a campus phone) during
normal business hours.

Thank you,

Vassar Computing and Information Services
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