CyberSecurity Updates

Welcome to PCC’s Cybersecurity Update Hub

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION UPDATE FOR STUDENTS

We’ve noticed an increase in phishing scams targeting users like you. To help keep your account secure, we’re making a small adjustment to the frequency of our two-factor authentication process. Read more

15M RECORDS FROM THE ONLINE FLORIST BLOOMS TODAY WERE LISTED FOR SALE ON A POPULAR HACKING FORUM

3.2M unique email addresses, names, phone numbers physical addresses and partial credit card data (card type, 4 digits of the number and expiry date) were listed for sale on a hacking forum. Read more

IRAN-BASED CYBER ACTORS ENABLING RANSOMWARE ATTACKS ON U.S. ORGANIZATIONS

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center published joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) “Iran- based Cyber Actors Enabling Ransomware Attacks on U.S. Organizations” that warns of Iran-based cyber actors targeting and exploiting U.S. and foreign organizations across several sectors in the U.S. Read more

COAEMSP COMPROMISED EMAIL ACCOUNT NOTIFICATIONS AND FAKE BILLS

CoAEMSP.org (Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions) is sending out notices to individuals informing them of compromised email and messages with a subject of “FW: August Billing From CoAEMSP”. Read more

MULTIPLE VULNERABILITIES IN GOOGLE CHROME COULD ALLOW FOR ARBITRARY CODE EXECUTION

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Chrome, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights. Read more

RESTRICTED USE OF THIRD-PARTY AI ASSISTANTS WITH ZOOM AT PCC

We want to bring to your attention an important issue regarding the use of third-party AI assistants, such as Otter.AI and Read.ai, with Zoom. While these tools can enhance productivity and convenience, they also present significant privacy and security risks that have not been vetted by our IT division. Read more

STUDENT IDENTITY THEFT

We have been alerted to an increase in identity theft targeting students to fraudulently access Pell grants. It’s crucial to protect your personal information and be vigilant about suspicious activity. For more information on how to safeguard your identity, please visit  this resource. Stay informed and take steps to protect yourself.