IT Announcements

Dear Butte-Glenn Community College members,

Data breaches are happening more frequently, affecting millions of people and exposing sensitive personal information like usernames, passwords, and financial details. It’s crucial to stay informed and take immediate action if your information has been compromised.

How to Check If You’ve Been Affected by Recent Breaches:

Use HaveIBeenPwned:

• Visit the website HaveIBeenPwned (http://haveibeenpwned.com) to check if your email address or phone number has been involved in a recent data breach.
• This site gathers information from known breaches and lets you know if your personal details have been leaked.

Review Your Accounts for Suspicious Activity:

•  Regularly monitor your bank accounts, credit card statements, and any online accounts for unusual transactions or activity.
• Contact your financial institution or account provider immediately If you notice anything suspicious.

Beware of Phishing Scams:

•  After a breach, cybercriminals may target you with phishing emails pretending to be from legitimate companies asking for further information. Always verify the source before responding or clicking any links.

Enable Breach Alerts:

•  Sign up for alerts on breach notification services. This will notify you when your information is found in a new breach.
• Most password managers also offer breach detection, helping you change compromised passwords quickly.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself:

Change Compromised Passwords Immediately:

•  If your account was part of a breach, change the password immediately. Remember to use a strong, unique passphrase for each account.
• Avoid reusing passwords across different accounts to minimize risk.

Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

•  Add an extra layer of security by enabling MFA for your accounts, especially those related to banking, email, and social media.
• Even if a password is compromised, MFA will protect your account with an additional verification step.

Monitor Your Credit:

• Request a free credit report from major credit bureaus like Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian to ensure no unauthorized credit activity has occurred in your name.
• Sign up for credit monitoring services to receive alerts for any suspicious activity or changes in your credit report, such as new accounts or hard inquiries. This helps detect potential fraud or identity theft early.

Stay Vigilant:

While we can’t always prevent breaches, we can take steps to mitigate the damage. Stay proactive in checking your accounts, updating your passwords, and monitoring for any signs of suspicious activity.

Stay safe, stay secure!

User Support Services 
http://dcsn.big5vn.com/its/ 
UserSupportServices@big5vn.com 
530-895-2888 (Faculty & Staff) 
530-895-2925 (Students) 

Dear Butte-Glenn Community College members,

Social media is a great tool for staying connected, but it also comes with risks. Oversharing personal information can make you vulnerable to cybercriminals, identity theft, and even phishing attacks. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we want to remind everyone to think before they post and safeguard their online presence.

Key Tips to Protect Yourself on Social Media:

Be Aware of Social Engineering:

• Cybercriminals often use information shared on social media to craft personalized phishing emails or trick you into giving up more information. Be mindful of what you reveal publicly, and always verify requests for information.

Limit Personal Information:

• Avoid sharing details like your full address, phone number, birthdate, or daily routines. These details can be used by attackers to guess security questions, steal your identity, or target you with phishing scams.
• We’ve all seen fun quizzes, polls, or games on social media that ask for details like your first pet’s name, favorite color, or the year you graduated high school. While these seem harmless, cybercriminals often use them to gather information they can exploit for hacking or identity theft. Over time, your responses can give hackers enough information to reset passwords, gain access to your accounts, or even steal your identity.

Review Your Privacy Settings:

• Make sure your social media profiles are set to private, so only trusted friends or contacts can see your posts.
• Periodically check privacy policies and settings as they change frequently.

Be Careful with Location Sharing:.

• Avoid posting when you are away from home, especially during vacations, as this can signal that your home is unoccupied.

Watch What You Share About Others:

• Before posting about friends or family, make sure they are comfortable with the information being shared. Oversharing details about others can also put their security at risk.

Final Thought:

In today’s connected world, being cautious about what you share on social media can go a long way in protecting your privacy and security. Keep your personal information secure and think twice before hitting "post."

Stay safe, stay secure

For questions or guidance please reach out to

User Support Services 
http://dcsn.big5vn.com/its/ 
UserSupportServices@big5vn.com 
530-895-2888 (Faculty & Staff) 

Dear Butte-Glenn Community College members,

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and this year we’re highlighting a critical approach: Zero Trust. In today’s digital world, threats are constantly evolving, and the traditional mindset of trusting anything inside your network is no longer enough. Zero Trust means that we don’t automatically trust anything—whether it’s inside or outside our network—without verification.

With Zero Trust, every email, file, and login is treated with caution. Before clicking on a link, downloading an attachment, or sharing sensitive information, stop and confirm its legitimacy. This mindset ensures that we are always validating identities and access, reducing the risk of a cyberattack

Remember, in a Zero Trust world, always verify before you trust. Stay vigilant, protect yourself, and safeguard our digital environment.

Verify Email Requests:

• If you receive an email asking for sensitive information don’t rush, take a moment to verify the sender by contacting the person or organization directly using known contact details, not the ones provided in the suspicious email.
• Look out for inconsistencies in the email address, strange wording, or urgent requests. If something feels off, it probably is.

Be Wary of Phone Calls:

• Phone-based scams are on the rise. If you receive a call asking for sensitive information, hang up and call the official number of the company or institution to verify.
• Never give out personal or financial information over the phone unless you’ve initiated the call and are sure who you’re speaking with.

In-Person Verification:

• Even face-to-face interactions can be risky if the person is unfamiliar and is requesting sensitive information or access to computing equipment. Ask for identification or verify the person’s role with your organization before sharing anything.
• Don’t hesitate to involve others or check with User Support Services if you’re unsure.

Trust Your Instincts:

• Your intuition is your best defense. If something feels wrong, don’t hesitate to pause and verify before taking action.
• Whether it’s an email, phone call, or request in person, a little caution goes a long way in protecting your information.

Final Thought:

Verifying everything is a simple, yet powerful way to protect yourself from fraud and scams. Trust your instincts and take action to confirm before providing any information.

Stay safe, stay secure!

For questions or guidance please reach out to

User Support Services 
http://dcsn.big5vn.com/its/ 
UserSupportServices@big5vn.com 
530-895-2888 (Faculty & Staff) 
530-895-2925 (Students)

Dear Butte-Glenn Community College members,

October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a critical time to focus on protecting ourselves and our institution from the growing threats in the digital world. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics of cybercriminals. From phishing attacks to ransomware, the risks we face are constantly changing, making cybersecurity more important than ever.

Throughout this month, we’ll be sharing valuable tips, best practices, and resources to help you stay safe online—whether you're working, studying, or browsing from campus or home. Our goal is to empower everyone to recognize cyber threats and understand how to respond to them effectively.

Passwords are the first line of defense against cyber threats, reusing the same password across multiple accounts can leave you vulnerable to serious risks. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we want to highlight why it’s crucial to keep your passwords unique and secure.

One Breach Can Lead to Many:

•  By reusing passwords, you give attackers an easy way to compromise multiple accounts in a single breach.

Password Leaks Are Common:

• Data breaches happen frequently, exposing millions of passwords online. If your password gets leaked, cybercriminals can try using it across various services.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

• If available, always enable MFA to add an extra layer of protection. Even if your password is compromised, MFA requires a second step to verify your identity, keeping your accounts safer.

Increase Your Security with Unique Passphrases:

• Instead of using short, complex passwords, try using unique passphrases (we recommend a minimum of 12 characters) —combinations of words, numbers, symbols and spaces that are easier to remember but hard for attackers to guess.
• Use a different passphrase for each account, especially for sensitive accounts like email, banking, or educational portals.
• Example of a passphrase – “Frog @nd t0ad “

Use a Password Manager:

• Managing multiple unique passwords can be challenging. A password manager can securely store all your passwords and even generate strong, random passwords for you. With a password manager, you only need to remember one master password, ensuring that each account remains secure.

http://cybersecuritynews.com/best-password-managers/

Final Thought:

Your passwords are key to your digital life. Don’t let convenience put you at risk. Keep them unique, strong, and secure to prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your accounts.

Stay safe, stay secure

User Support Services 
http://dcsn.big5vn.com/its/ 
UserSupportServices@big5vn.com 
530-895-2888 (Faculty & Staff) 
530-895-2925 (Students)

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyber-attack where attackers impersonate legitimate institutions or individuals to trick you into providing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or financial details. These attacks often come in the form of emails, but they can also appear as text messages, phone calls, or even social media messages.

How to Identify a Phishing Attempt:

• Unexpected Requests: Be cautious of emails that request personal information, login credentials, or payment details, especially if they come from an unfamiliar source.
• Urgency and Threats: Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency, such as claiming your account will be suspended unless you act immediately.
• Suspicious Links or Attachments: Hover over links to check the actual URL before clicking. If the email has attachments, only open them if you're sure they're safe.
• Unusual Sender Address: Verify the sender’s email address. Phishing emails may come from addresses that are similar but not identical to the legitimate source.
• Generic Greetings: Phishing emails often use generic greetings like "Dear User" instead of your name.

What to Do if You Suspect a Phishing Attempt:

1. Do Not Click or Reply: If you receive a suspicious email, do not click any links or reply to the message.
2. Report It: Forward the email to User Support Services UserSupportServices@big5vn.com so we can investigate further.
3. Delete the Email: After reporting, delete the suspicious email from your inbox.

Protect Yourself:

• Always use strong, unique passwords for your accounts and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
• Keep your software and devices up to date with the latest security patches.
• Be cautious of unsolicited emails, even if they appear to come from someone you know.
• Keep your passwords safe: Never share your passwords. Butte IT Services will never ask for your password.

Butte IT Services is constantly working to protect our network, but your awareness and caution are vital in preventing these attacks. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the IT Services department. Thank you for your attention with this important matter.

Review this blog post for more tips on avoiding phishing attacks. 

Lastly, report any suspicious activity. It's better to be safe than sorry. Contact User Support Services at UserSupportServices@big5vn.com.