How to Respond to a Cyberattack

Cyberattacks in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2021. The nation saw 1,862 data breaches last year, 23% higher than the previous record (1,506) set in 2017.

Many consumers have suffered from high-profile cyberattacks, such as Twitter’s massive data breach in 2018, which affected 330 million users. In fact, we’re at the point where 43% of Americans say they’ve personally experienced a cybercrime.

And cybercrime isn’t going away. Hackers are always looking for new ways to steal your identity and financial assets. That’s why it’s important to not only take steps to protect yourself from cyberattacks but to also know how to respond when you become a victim.

Suspect your sensitive information has been compromised by a cyberattack? Take the following steps to regain control.

Check your credit card and bank statements for suspicious charges. Report unrecognizable charges to your bank or credit card company immediately.

Check your credit report for new activity. Notify the credit bureaus if you spot any new accounts or loans that you didn’t open. Initiate a fraud alert. Ask one of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax) to add a fraud alert to your credit report, which will be replayed to the other agencies. This will require lenders to contact you before granting any new line of credit in your name. (A fraud alert lasts for 90 days, but you can renew it.)

Disconnect the effected device(s) from the Internet. Bring your smartphone, computer, tablet, or other effected device to a professional to scan for and remove viruses.

Change your passwords. It’s a good idea to reset your passwords for all exposed accounts. This may seem like a no-brainer, but a recent study found that 64% of consumers with multiple compromised accounts reused similar passwords, making them more vulnerable to another hack. Choose a long password with upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, such as “Pattern2baseball#4mYmiemale!” Make sure each account has a unique password.

Sign up for two-factor authentication. In addition to changing passwords, you can reduce your exposure by turning on two-factor or multi-factor authentication, whenever possible. This measure will make it harder for hackers to access your account, even if they get their hands on your passcode.

File a crime report. Even if the crime seems minor, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The FBI uses these reports to investigate cyberattacks, meaning you’ll help make the Internet safer for everyone by simply filing a report.

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