Don’t Bank On Your Coworkers
(My coworker has a good grasp on technology, and knows how to avoid spam. She has recently had her computer upgraded and does not yet have most programs to run the basics.)
Coworker: “Hey [name]? Can you open up ZIP files?”
Me: “Sure. Send it over.”
(I open the zip, and it’s an executable file from a known bank.)
Coworker: “Hmm. I still can’t open it. What kind of file is it?”
Me: “It’s an executable.”
Coworker: “I don’t know. I don’t even know this guy at [bank] who sent it.”
Me: “…do you bank with them?”
Coworker: “No.”
Me: “Delete it. Delete it now. Remove it from your trash bin. Start running scans.”
Coworker: “I shouldn’t have opened it, should I?”
Me: “No. But at least you didn’t run the executable file, unlike others in this building.”
(10 minutes later, another coworker approaches us.)
Other Coworker: “Hey guys. Did you get something from [bank]? I opened it, and now I can’t get onto my computer.”
Me: “Do you bank with them?”
Other Coworker: “No. But it seemed important! It was about my account!”
(I spent that entire afternoon running scans on every computer in the building to clean out the virus and keylogger.)
