CYBERATTACKS
Your actions online can unwittingly put you, your family and even your country at risk for cyberattack.  Learning about the dangers online and taking action to protect yourself is the first step in cybersecurity.

The following are actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your property before a cyber incident occurs.  
Only connect to the Internet over secure, password-protected networks.  
  • Do not click on links or pop-ups, open attachments or respond to e-mails from strangers.  
  • Always enter a Web address by hand instead of following links if the sender is unknown to you.Do not respond to online requests for PII (Personally Identificable Information); most organizations - banks, universities, companies, etc. - do not ask for your personal information by e-mail.
    • PII - PII is information than can be used to uniquely identify, contact or locate a single person. PII includes but is not limited to:
      • Full name
      • Social Security number
      • Address
      • Date of birth
      • Place of birth           
      • Driver's license number           
      • Vehicle registration and license plate number
      • Credit card numbers           
      • Physical appearance           
      • Gender or race
    • COMPROMISED PII - If you believe your PII has been compromised:           
      • Immediately change all passwords; financial passwords first. If you used the same password for multiple sites, make sure to change it for each account, and do not use that password in the future.
    • If you believe the compromise was caused by malicious code:
      • Disconnect your computer from the Internet.           
      • Restart your computer in safe mode and perform a full system restore.          
      • Contact organizations you do business with, including your banks, as well as credit reporting companies.           
      • Watch for any unexplained or unauthorized charges to your accounts.           
      • Close any account that may have been compromised.           
      • File a report with the local police so there is an official record of the incident.        
Report online crime or fraud to either of the following:              
            United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force        
            Internet Crime Complaint Center

Report identify theft to:   
            Federal Trade Commission

If your PII was compromised, consider other information that may be at risk. Depending on what information was stolen, you may need to contact other agencies; for example, if someone has gained access to your Social Security number, contact the Social Security Administration, or if your driver's license or car registration has been stolen, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles. 
  • Control who you share information with by using the privacy settings on your social media accounts.  
  • Trust your gut; if you think an offer is too good to be true, then it probably is.       
  • Password-protect all user accounts and devices that connect to the Internet.       
  • Do not use the same password twice; choose a password that means something to you and only you; change your passwords on a regular basis.      
  • If you see something suspicious, report it to the proper authorities.
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