SANS Assessment of Student Learning Plan (ASLP) Security Awareness Training

What should you do if you receive an email requesting your password from help desk?

1. Change your password immediately

2. Report the suspicious email

3. Reply to the email for clarification

4. Delete the email without reading

The correct answer is: Report the suspicious email

When you receive an email requesting your password from the help desk, it is crucial to recognize this as a potential phishing attempt. Reporting the suspicious email is the most appropriate action because it helps your organization take necessary precautions to protect sensitive information and inform other employees of potential threats. By reporting the email, you not only contribute to the security posture of your workplace but also enable the IT or security team to investigate and take further action, such as alerting others or blocking similar attempts. Other responses do not effectively address the potential security risk. Changing your password immediately could be unnecessary unless you have confirmed your account may be compromised. Replying to the email for clarification might inadvertently provide sensitive information to a malicious actor. Simply deleting the email without reading it may prevent you from recognizing potential patterns of phishing attempts that could help raise awareness among your colleagues. Thus, reporting the email stands out as the safest and most proactive option.