One of New Zealand’s oldest universities, Victoria University has been hit by computer hackers known as “Spear Phishers”.

Spear phishing is a highly targeted phishing attack where Spear phishers send emails that look bona fide to all the members or employees within a certain organization, government agency, organization, company or group.

It is the latest in a number of attacks carried out on South Island universities where the hackers aim to steal student and staff login details.

Victoria University E-government expert Miriam Lips, who is the Victoria University E-government expert, says the problem is getting more common in New Zealand and that a number of staff at Victoria University have been targeted by emails which ask for their passwords and login details.

Ms Lips says it is crucial that when universities learn that when any such campaign is happening that they immediately warn their staff.

She adds that people are often very trusting of emails that appear to be from valid organizations and that there is not enough awareness of the issue yet.

source: nzherald