A recent cyberattack incident involved four large law firms where employees were contacted by individuals impersonating internal IT personnel through Microsoft Teams and phone calls. The attackers used a technique known as vishing, or voice phishing, to convince employees to follow instructions and access fraudulent pages, ultimately gaining unauthorized access to confidential information.

For example, an individual may impersonate an IT service provider and request remote access to a computer to install antivirus software, apply an update, or configure a security feature. Unless this work has been arranged or communicated in advance, a request of this nature should be treated with caution.

These incidents demonstrate that precautionary measures such as multifactor authentication, complex passwords, and other security safeguards, while important, are not always enough to prevent unauthorized access. Cybercriminals may also exploit human behaviour rather than simply targeting technology.

Please consider the following practical tips to help recognize and avoid cyber incidents:

• Verify unexpected communications. If you receive an unexpected phone call, Microsoft Teams message, or email from someone claiming to represent your IT department or service provider, independently confirm that the communication is legitimate before following any instructions.
• Be cautious of requests for remote access. Do not allow someone to connect remotely to your computer, share your screen, or install software unless you have independently verified the request.
• Do not rely solely on caller ID or contact information. A call or message may appear to come from a legitimate number, familiar contact, or trusted organization without actually being genuine.
• Be mindful of urgency. Be particularly cautious of anyone pressuring you to act quickly to resolve an alleged technical issue, reset a password, or address an account problem.
• Never share passwords or approve unexpected MFA requests. Do not disclose login credentials or approve authentication requests that you did not initiate yourself.
• Report suspicious activity promptly. If you receive a suspicious communication or believe you may have inadvertently provided information or access, contact your IT department or service provider immediately.

Remember: If you are unsure whether a communication or request is legitimate, stop and verify it before proceeding. Taking the time to double-check could help prevent unauthorized access to confidential or organizational information.

Posted: 5 November 2026