Cyberattacks are occurring at alarming rates with a new one happening every 39 seconds according to one study. Security experts have predicted that within the next five years, cybercrime will be one of the top three threats to global security alongside natural disasters and extreme weather events.
Data from 2018 revealed that more than 6 million online accounts were hacked per day, approximately 158 every second. These numbers have grown exponentially over the past three years so it is more important than ever that we all take measures to protect our data. Here are seven steps you should take if you become victim of a cyber attack:
Reset Your Passwords
Avoid using predictable passwords and reusing the same passwords for all your accounts. If one is hacked, all of your others using the same password are vulnerable too. Passwords should be sufficiently complex with numbers, letters, spaces, special characters and lower/upper case. You can use a password manager to securely store your passwords.
Verify accounts
Once you've reset your passwords, check that the shipping information stored in your online accounts are correct where applicable. Check if your credit card details were stored by any compromised websites and delete the information. If third-party apps were used to gain access to your hacked account, check your settings and permissions and delete any apps you do not remember installing.
Alert Your Network
Alert your contacts, friends and family that you’ve been hacked. They may see suspicious posts coming from your social media accounts or receive emails and messages from hackers posing as you seeking to gain access to their personal informaton.
Enhance Your Security
If a company holding your data wasn’t the source of the cyber attack, it is most likely that your personal computer or devices were targeted. Run a scan of your computer for malware and viruses and install/update security/anti-virus software. You may need to backup data and reinstall your operating system.
Review Your Financial Account Activity
Check for any fraudlent purchases that may have been made with stolen credit card/online payment information.
Check for New Accounts Created
Check your inbox, sent and trash folders for suspicious emails confirming the creation of new accounts with your compromised email address. If you receive notification of a data breach by an organization, before clicking on any emailed links to restore your account/reset passwords, ensure that there has been a publicly documented attack and the email sent to you is legitimate.
Contact Your Insurance Broker
A CapriCMW Insurance Advisor can help ensure you are adequately covered against any financial or personal harm caused by a cyber attack.
Buy Personal Cyber Insurance Online
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