Published on 30 October 2026 · Cybersecurity
A phone call, a friendly voice, your first name and a small IT emergency. Sometimes that is enough to gain your trust. Before letting someone control your computer, one question is worth asking: who are they, exactly?
Fake support, real access
A Help Net Security article published on 30 October discusses Cisco Talos findings on criminals impersonating IT support to obtain remote access. Talos’s Q3 2026 report, released on 29 October, describes a phone scam in which a victim started Microsoft Quick Assist. That access paved the way for an attack involving VYPR ransomware.
The software itself need not be suspicious: a legitimate assistance tool can also be used by the wrong person.
“They knew my name, so it must have been genuine…”
Your name, email address or employer’s name do not prove a caller’s identity. Neither does a reassuring conversation. Scammers can be polite too. Some even say hello before ruining your day :-)
The trick is to make you act before checking: accept a connection, open a link or install a tool to fix an allegedly urgent problem.
Hang up, check, call back
- Not expecting support? Verify the request before allowing access.
- Call your support team using a number you already trust. Use saved contacts or the official website, rather than contact details supplied by the caller.
- Keep authentication codes to yourself. Do not share a password or login code, or approve an authentication request you did not initiate.
- Do not let urgency make the decision. Pressure to act immediately or disable protection deserves an extra check.
Already accepted? Report it.
If you allowed a suspicious person to access your computer, contact your support team immediately through a trusted channel. If the session is still active, disconnect the device from the network to interrupt that access, then use your phone to ask for help. Keep messages and call details for the support team.
You do not need to be certain you were tricked before reporting it. There is no shame in asking: these scenarios are designed to be convincing. Prompt reporting helps the incident be assessed sooner.
Unsure? Contact the real MYCIO.
To check an intervention request, contact your usual helpdesk at +32 2 899 67 67 or help@mycio.eu. Our contact options are also available on our website.
We would much rather take a quick verification call than spend a long day repairing the damage :-)
AI-generated illustration depicting a fictional scene. MYCIO’s article draws on the sources below. The incidents were studied by Cisco Talos; this is not a report of an attack against MYCIO or its clients.