National MOVEit Data Breach

As recently reported in the news, a major data breach is affecting millions of people. The breach involved exploiting a security vulnerability with the file transfer tool “MOVEit” used by third-party organizations that have a relationship with many corporations and institutions of higher education across the country, including Trocaire College.

What this means for Trocaire College

No systems operated or maintained by Trocaire College were breached. We are providing this information so everyone in our community can take steps to protect their personal information.

Trocaire College takes data privacy and information security very seriously and this matter is of utmost and vital importance to the college.

The College has been assured that the third-party National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) system has been secured.

Individuals whose data was exposed in this breach will be contacted by mail, on behalf of the NSC through Kroll, a risk advisory firm, who has been subcontracted by the NSC. The notice will include more information about the data impacted and will offer two years of complimentary credit monitoring services, at no cost, through Kroll.

Suggestions to protect yourself

1. Monitor credit cards and bank accounts: Regularly review your accounts and promptly report any suspicious activity to your financial institution. Be vigilant for unexplained payments, unexpected notifications from your bank, or calls claiming to be your bank. Additionally, consider setting up email notifications for credit card purchases and monitor your credit report for unusual activity.
2. Place fraud alerts and credit freeze: Take proactive measures by requesting fraud alerts and a credit freeze with major credit bureaus. This can help safeguard against identity theft or further misuse of your personal information if it is compromised. Further information on these measures can be found at the following link: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-fraud-alerts.
3. Be extra vigilant against phishing attacks: Phishing scams can contain personal information sent via text, email, phone call or other mode of communication. Verify the source of a message before responding. Take note of how to protect yourself against phishing. 
4. Update passwords: Never give someone your password even if they claim to be from a trusted organization. Use strong passwords. It is advisable to create longer passwords, preferably with a minimum of 12 characters. Always use unique passwords for each website or application you access. Whenever possible, enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for an added layer of security.

Additional information about the MOVEit security issue update can be found on the NSC website.