{"id":48529,"date":"2024-10-03T09:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T14:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=48529"},"modified":"2024-10-02T09:43:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T14:43:00","slug":"stay-safe-online-october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/10\/03\/stay-safe-online-october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay safe online! October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">October is <a href=\"https:\/\/it.austincc.edu\/departments\/information-security\/cyber-security-awareness-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Cybersecurity Awareness Month<\/strong><\/a>! To participate, all ACC faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to follow simple steps to stay safe online.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The College offers support year-round to protect you when you\u2019re online \u2014 from updating your software and using strong authenticators to recognizing phishing attempts and identifying key indicators.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest things to focus on: Passwords and Being Alert.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Passwords<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always use multi-factor authentication where you can, and change those passwords regularly.<\/li>\n<li>Make passwords unique and strong by using different symbols, numbers, and characters.<\/li>\n<li>Use a password manager to store your passwords securely and generate strong passwords.<\/li>\n<li>Force a lock screen whenever you are not using your computer, laptop, phone, or tablet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Be Alert<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set your screen timeout to a short period of time to minimize unauthorized access.<\/li>\n<li>Be cautious of emails or websites that claim to provide information, pictures, or videos. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.<\/li>\n<li>Watch for malicious websites. They often imitate legitimate sites, but their URLs may have slight spelling differences or use unfamiliar domains.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t click on links or download attachments from unknown or suspicious emails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Additional Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Software Updates: Keep your software and apps up to date. These updates often contain security patches that protect against vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n<li>Secure Networks: Avoid using public Wi-Fi for tasks that involve sensitive information, like banking or online shopping. If you must use public Wi-Fi, use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic.<\/li>\n<li>Backup Data: Regularly back up important files to a secure location, like a cloud service or external hard drive, to protect against data loss in case of a cyberattack.<\/li>\n<li>Phishing Attacks: There\u2019s an increase in spear phishing (targeted phishing attacks) during financial aid disbursement seasons. Be cautious of any communication requesting personal information; neither ACC nor the federal government will ask for personal information via email. Always verify the sender\u2019s email address and reach out to official sources directly if you\u2019re unsure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/austincc.edu\/itsecurity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">austincc.edu\/itsecurity<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ACC provides training for students looking to get in the field of cybersecurity, from credentials through the Continuing Education Department, to an associate degree, all the way to a bachelor\u2019s degree. ACC\u2019s Cybersecurity bachelor\u2019s degree program is uniquely designed for professionals with a related associate degree, including those transitioning directly to a four-year degree or those in the workforce. The program offers flexible learning options with face-to-face, hybrid, and distance education classes across the district.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April, ACC announced a new partnership with the <a href=\"https:\/\/dir.texas.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR)<\/a> for a first-of-its-kind technology and cybersecurity apprenticeship to reimagine apprenticeship programs for higher education and state agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/austincc.edu\/cybersecurity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">austincc.edu\/cybersecurity<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! To participate, all ACC faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to follow simple steps to stay safe online. The College offers support year-round to protect you when you\u2019re online \u2014 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/10\/03\/stay-safe-online-october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3930,"featured_media":48530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13,15,17,19],"tags":[2140,3041,429],"class_list":["post-48529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-and-community","category-current-students","category-facstaff-news","category-news-and-announcements","category-students-and-alumni","tag-cybersecurity","tag-cybersecurity-awareness-month","tag-it"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3930"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}