Notice of Data Incident
What Happened?
On March 9, 2026, The Community College of Beaver County (“CCBC” or “we”) discovered suspicious activity on our computer systems that involved the encryption of some of our data. Upon discovery, we immediately took steps to investigate and remediate the situation, including reporting the incident to federal law enforcement and federal regulators, changing passwords, deploying advanced monitoring software, restoring systems from backups, and engaging experienced cybersecurity professionals to assist in our response. The investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to our systems between January 16, 2026, and March 9, 2026. During this period, we identified that information was obtained by an unauthorized party. Thanks to our existing protections, we were able to restore our systems and information from existing backups.
Due to the nature of the incident, the investigation is still ongoing into what data pertaining to individuals was potentially affected (“Information”). There is currently no evidence that any Information has been misused for identity theft or fraud in connection with the Incident, but we are taking the steps below out of an abundance of caution.
What Information Was Involved?
Based on the current findings of the investigation, the following types of Information may have been impacted: name, Social Security number, passport number, and financial account information in combination with credentials.
Note that this describes general categories of Information identified as present within the affected systems during the Incident and includes categories that are not relevant to each individual whose Information may have been present. Relatedly, if we identify additional types of impacted Information, we will update our notification accordingly.
What We Are Doing.
We take the security of information in our care seriously. Upon identifying this incident, we immediately implemented additional measures to further improve the security of our systems and practices. We worked with leading cybersecurity professionals to aid in our investigation and response, and after determining unauthorized activity occurred on our systems, we immediately began analyzing the information involved to confirm the identities of potentially affected individuals to notify them. Given the potential scope of Information impacted, we are providing this notice to notify potentially affected individuals while our investigation continues.
What Can Impacted Individuals Do?
While there is no evidence that any Information has been misused for identity theft or fraud in connection with the Incident, out of an abundance of caution, we encourage individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud. Additional monitoring can be conducted by checking free credit reports for suspicious activity and errors. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one (1) free credit report annually from each of the three (3) major credit reporting bureaus. Additional information and resources are outlined below.
We take this Incident and the security of information in our care seriously. If you have additional questions, you may contact us at (724) 480-3368, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET. If you are unable to reach us, please leave a message and we will return your call promptly.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Personal Information
To obtain a free credit report, individuals may visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.
Alternatively, affected individuals can contact the three (3) major credit reporting bureaus directly at the addresses below:
Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374, www.equifax.com, 1-800-685-1111
Experian, PO Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com, 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022, www.transunion.com, 1-800-888-4213
Free Credit Report. It is recommended that you remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by reviewing account statements and monitoring your credit report for unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every twelve (12) months from each of the three (3) nationwide credit reporting agencies.
To order your annual free credit report please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228.
You can also order your annual free credit report by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form (available from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) website at www.consumer.ftc.gov) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Fraud Alert. You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling one of the three (3) nationwide credit reporting agencies above. A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures, including contacting you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. For that reason, placing a fraud alert can protect you, but also may delay you when you seek to obtain credit.
Security Freeze. You may obtain a security freeze on your credit report, free of charge, to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge. You may also submit a declaration of removal to remove information placed in your credit report as a result of being a victim of identity theft. You have a right to place a security freeze on your credit report, free of charge, or submit a declaration of removal pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.
The security freeze will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing any information in your credit report without your express authorization or approval. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, you will be provided with a personal identification number, password, or similar device to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report to a specific party or parties or for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place.
To place a security freeze on your credit report, you may be able to use an online process, an automated telephone line, or a written request to any of the three credit reporting agencies listed above. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are requesting a credit report for your spouse, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, and display your name, current mailing address, and the date of issue.
Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General Offices. If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General’s office in your home state. You may also contact these agencies for information on how to prevent or avoid identity theft. Contact information for the Consumer Response Center of the Federal Trade Commission is 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ or 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).
