Wired recently wrote about a new phishing scam in which the bad guys try a new way into your computer: through your Google Calendar. Google’s default settings allow it to pull all invitations that come into your inbox to your calendar, at least if you use Gmail or you’ve connected your inbox to your calendar. So, in this scam the phishers send you an invite via email, which then shows up automatically in your Google Calendar. If your settings aren’t properly set to block them, you could be in for a world of hurt. Travelers are especially susceptible to this sort of thing as in my experience they tend to add a lot of events to their calendars without thinking.
So how do you protect yourself against unwanted invites through Google Calendar? For starters, be aware of the fact that your calendar may be vulnerable to attacks, and so if you see a suspicious invite or link, think before clicking or accepting it. And then, via the Wired story: “Open Google Calendar’s settings on a desktop browser and go to Event Settings > Automatically Add Invitations, and then select the option ‘No, only show invitations to which I’ve responded.’ Also, under View Options, make sure that ‘Show declined events’ is unchecked, so malicious events don’t haunt you even after you decline them.”
Related:
- How to Protect Yourself Against the Airbnb Scam That Got My Friend
- The New Phone Scam That Displays the Apple Logo on Your Phone
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