Gmail Phishing Attack

US-CERT is aware of public reports of a phishing attack that specifically targets US government and military officials' Gmail accounts. The attack arrives via an email sent from a spoofed address of an individual or agency known to the targeted user. The email contains a "view download" link that leads to a fake Gmail login page. The login information is then sent to an attacker. Google has indicated that this phishing campaign has been disrupted and that affected parties have been notified.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to do the following to help mitigate the risks:

• Review the Google blog entry Ensuring your information is safe online.
• Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages.
• Use caution when providing personal information online.
• Verify the legitimacy of the email by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact method.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.
• Refer to the Using Caution with Email Attachments document for more information on safely handling email attachments.