June 29, 2023

You may have recently seen in the news a major internet hack of a company called MOVEit. TIAA, the University’s retirement administrator, informed the University that they have experienced a MOVEit breach and are presently working to discover what data was impacted. If your data was impacted, TIAA will directly notify you of your options. 

In addition, the University has been inundated with phishing attacks, which are emails, text messages, or phone calls that aim to trick you into sharing your passwords, account numbers, or other sensitive information. If that happens, fraudsters may be able to access and control your accounts. Don’t open or respond to suspicious or unsolicited phone calls, emails or texts.

If you receive suspicious emails to your @cedarville.edu address or from another @cedarville.edu address, please immediately forward it to phishing@cedarville.edu.

These types of events are good reminders to practice these simple steps to protect your sensitive data: 

1. Consider placing a temporary credit freeze at no cost, as described in this US Government alert:
<https://www.usa.gov/credit-freeze.>](https://www.usa.gov/credit-freeze.) This will protect you in the event of any potential fraudulent attempts to open credit in your name.

2. Use multifactor authentication (MFA) everywhere it is available. Using multiple factors to authenticate  into an account makes it much more difficult for hackers to access your accounts.

3. Use a different password for every site and create complex passphrases with 12 or more characters. NEVER USE YOUR CedarNet PASSWORD ON ANY OTHER SITE. Doing so puts our community in danger.

4. Do not share your CedarNet password with anyone. Spousal accounts can be requested through the Courtesy Account process. https://selfservice.cedarville.edu/cedarinfo/courtesyaccount

5. Be wary of oversharing information online. Fraudsters use overshared data on social media channels for social engineering attacks.

6. Keep personal contact information current with all of your financial institutions so you can be reached if suspicious activity occurs.

7. Monitor your credit score and online accounts regularly. Close and delete unused accounts.

8. Use antivirus software and update software, hardware, and applications. Updates include security upgrades to keep your devices safe. Place a unique password on your home Wi-Fi network.

9. Immediately report identity theft and cybersecurity incidents.
– If you are the victim of online or internet-enabled crime, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
– Phishing and identity theft concerns can be reported through FTC.gov.
– If you suspect your Cedarville University account or computer may be stolen, notify IT immediately at 937.766.7905.

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