Posting Emails on Public Profile Pages

Note: It is important to note that listing your email address on a public website may increase the likelihood of spam. Please follow these steps from OU IT to protect yourself from spam and phishing attempts:  

• Only use your @ou.edu email address for University business, not personal business such as banking, online purchases, social media, etc. 

• OU IT will NEVER ask for your log in information via email. 

• Financial institutions will NEVER ask for your information through email. If you receive an email from them soliciting information, call them directly or visit their website through your browser (do not click any links in the email). 

• Attempt to call and verify with the sender. Especially if you receive an email with an attachment you were not expecting. Be cautious of attachments. 

• Be sure to check the sender’s address –  if expecting an OU address be sure that it is a valid @ou.edu email address. 

• Be careful when giving personal information. 

• Always check the web address and make sure it is correct. 

• Be aware that websites beginning with “http” are not encrypting your information, while those beginning with “https” are encrypting it. 

• Investigate the validity of a website if you receive a security warning through your browser. 

• Use free, downloadable phishing filters, which can help recognize whether or not you are visiting a legitimate website. 

• Change your password immediately if you have accidentally responded to a phishing email. You can change your OUNet ID password by visiting one.ou.edu – and see when it was last changed. 

• Use the Report Message in Microsoft Outlook if you receive spam. See this article for more information. 

• If you receive an email asking you to purchase a gift card or something similar, always call the sender and verify that they really sent it. 

• Be alert when reading emails, especially when information is requested.