Experts estimate that in 2017 there were close to a billion people worldwide who were victims of cybercrime. The
cost of cyber attacks in the United States alone is staggering. Knowing how to respond to this type of emergency is critical.
There are specific resources you can employ in response after an attack.
If you are harassed, victimized, or just need advice about cyber crimes, here's a
great set of tools from
StaySafeOnline.org.
Despite our best efforts, our increasingly digital lives may put us in harm’s way. The fact remains that the bad guys continue to find new uses for ever-expanding—but easily accessible—online technologies to steal, harass, and commit all sorts of crime.
If cybercrime happens to you, you need to know what to do and how to respond quickly.
Cybercrime in all its many forms (e.g., online identity theft, financial fraud, stalking, bullying, hacking, e-mail spoofing, information piracy and forgery, intellectual property crime, and more) can, at best, wreak havoc in victims’ lives through major inconvenience and annoyance. At worst, cybercrime can lead to financial ruin and potentially threaten a victim’s reputation and personal safety.
Here is a specific set of tools that you can use if you are a victim of a cybercrime:
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If your identity or personal information is stolen, immediately contact
IdentityTheft.gov. This single resource is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and
sample letters to guide you through the recovery process.
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If you are the victim of a cybercrime contact the
FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 accepts online Internet crime complaints from either the actual victim or from a third party to the complainant.
•
If your computer is held hostage by ransomware, experts say don’t pay, try
NoMoreRansom.org. This conglomerate of European law enforcement agencies may be able to provide you with the decoding key to your malware. This “Crypto-Sheriff” is a powerful resource.
October is
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Each Tuesday in October, the HUB will publish a cybersecurity story. Each will contain a "Golden Key;" this is the central message for that story. At the end of the month, submit all four keys into a random drawing to be eligible to win a $25 gift card. Details to follow.