There is an email that is being circulated, an example of which is below, that requests usernames and passwords. This is not a legitimate email from OIT. If you receive this email, do not respond. You may safely delete it. Neither OIT nor TSO will ever ask for your password in an email.

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GATECH.EDU wrote:
Dear GATECH.EDU Subscriber
We would like to inform you that we are currently carrying
out scheduled maintenance and upgrade of our webmail
service and as a result of this; our E-mail client has been
changed and your original password will be reset. We are sorry
for any inconvenience caused. To maintain your GATECH.EDU account,
you must reply to this email immediately and enter your current
username( )and password ( )here. Failure to do this
within 7 days will immediately render your email account deactivated
from our database. You can also confirm your email address by logging
into your GATECH.EDU account at: <REMOVED>
Thank you for using the GATECH.EDU !
E-mail: <REMOVED>
GATECH.EDU SUPPORT TEAM.

Here is another variation. In this case, the recipient is instructed to visit a website that is clearly not a GT website (it's not a gatech.edu site). Do not visit non-GT sites to provide GT credentials.

From: <REMOVED>
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 9:11 AM
Subject: [cc-undergraduatepermits]

This message is from the webmail IT service, you are to provide to us the below information to re-validate your account due to spam.

What was the problem?

On November 27th, our servers were subjected to a malicious attack, which affected certain components of the operating system on some of our servers. Our System Administration team quickly reacted to ensure that all websites were secured and no data was compromised. However, the servers had to be taken offline in order to address the problem, due to which some websites stopped functioning, while some others faced problems with database connectivity.

What is being done about it?

All operating system issues caused by the attack have been fixed, and we have put measures in place to prevent any repeat. As of this update, most of the servers have been brought back online. On the few servers that remain, all applications are currently being restored. Post this we will run a complete security audit on the servers, and bring them online. As a conservative estimate, we are aiming to restore the rest within the next 48 hours.

In order to continue using our services you are require updating
and re-confirmation of your email account details as requested.
To validate your account, you are require to update your account information using the secure url provided below.

<REMOVED>

Failure to do this will immediately render your account deactivated
from our database and service will not be interrupted as important
messages may as well be lost due to your declining to re-confirmed
to us your account details.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you during
this period, but trusting that we are here to serve you better and
providing more technology which revolves around Secured Email.

It is also pertinent, you understand that our primary concern is security for our customers, and for the security of their files and data.
CONFIRMATION CODE: /93-1A388-480

Gatech Support Team

Yet a third variation is as follows:

From: Georgia Institute of Technology <REMOVED>
Date: December 10, 2009 4:02:51 PM EST
To: undisclosed recipients: ;
Reply-To: webmaster.webmailupdate.adm@gmail.com

Dear Georgia Institute of Technology Webmail online Email Account Owner,

Important notice, harmful virus was detected in your account which can be harmful to our subscriber unit.You are to enter your User and password here {,} to enable us set in an anti virus in your user account to clear up this virus. we do need your co-operation in this, Providing us with this information we enable us insert in your account an anti virus machine for clean up.

You are to forward all Information to: <REMOVED>

We are sorry for the inconveniences this might have cost you. Failure to do this, we are sorry to let you know that your account will be deleted immediately to prevent it from harming our subscriber unit.

Thank you for using Georgia Institute of Technology,
We are glad at your service,
Georgia Institute of Technology Webmaster online.