Information
As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is pertinent that our cybersecurity awareness levels remain heightened both while working in the office and working remotely.
It is important to be mindful of your work environment, the potential risks, and how to mitigate those risks. Please use the tips below to help keep your personal and work-related data secure.
Process
GRCC Device
- Be sure only YOU are using your GRCC work device(s)
- Keep your GRCC (and personal) laptops and mobile devices UPDATED
- Reminder: Must be on campus when updating your GRCC device(s). Always good to check when you are working on campus for pending updates.
Secure Home Wi-Fi
The following are some ways you can secure your home network.
- Change the default administrator credentials for the admin account on your router
- Ensure your router has a strong password (this is the password you and your family use to connect to the home Wi-Fi)
- Check your admin account for updates on your router's firmware to ensure it has the latest patches. You can typically set these to update automatically.
Clean Desk Policy
Wherever your workspace may be, papers with student information should be secured and locked. This is to help prevent any potential breach of student information.
Alexa, Google Home, Wi-Fi security cameras, and Baby Monitors
Be mindful of the devices around you. We advise that you do not hold private meetings in the same room as such devices. These are devices that connect to Wi-Fi or communicate over frequencies that can be eavesdropped. They are not managed by your IT department and can have vulnerabilities which make them susceptible to various attacks. It is good practice to disconnect these devices from Wi-Fi whenever they are not being used.
Video Conferencing Software
Zoom and Google Meet are two options GRCC Faculty/Staff/Students have for meeting virtually.
Business related Zoom meetings should be private and the meeting settings should reflect this.
All invitees should either:
- be required to register
- be required to enter a password
The GRCC managed Zoom can be found at https://grcc.zoom.us/.
Additional Best Practices for Securing Your Virtual Classroom/Meeting can be found at: https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/27/best-practices-for-securing-your-virtual-classroom/
Google Meet is a great tool for private video conferencing. It keeps the invitees to only those in our organization or other users that also have a Google account. This is because you are inviting based on the Google verified user, rather than a public link that anyone can use to join the meeting.
Click with Caution
Just like you shouldn’t trust all the links sent to your email inbox or randomly found across the Internet, the same is true for links posted in video conference rooms that may be public such as webinars. Please implement the same protections regarding these links by verifying the source, copying and pasting the link (rather than clicking on it), and hovering over the link for more details when possible. If you are Faculty, please advise your students to also take these precautions when conducting work online.
What to do if you are a victim of cybercrime?
If the incident is GRCC related email itsecurity@grcc.edu otherwise visit the Homeland Security Investigations webpage or the Internet Crime Complaint Center for more information.