|
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, the FBI is
offering tips on how to protect yourself from cybercrimes.
Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Van Hoff with the Cyber Crime
Unit told The Center Square the purpose is not to pinpoint new
attacks but to start a dialogue with the community about the
ongoing threat.
“We try to do a lot of community outreach to inform individuals
and businesses and organizations of what cyber threats look like
and what to be aware of,” he said. “It’s just a way for us to
get the word out there.”
When it comes to cybercrime, he said Illinois is one of the top
states on the radar, according to 2022 figures.
“We ranked about fifth in crime victims at just a little under
15,000 individuals,” Van Hoff said, adding the state ranked
seventh in losses from cybercrime estimated at $266 million in
that same year. The problem is so intense it’s been called a
barrage of cyberattacks by the Springfield office.
Cyberattacks are prevalent among those older than 60, although
technology users of all ages can fall victim.
“They usually target those who have the potential of having the
most wealth,” Van Hoff said.
As technology becomes more and more a part of daily life, from
doorbells to nanny cams, laptops to smartphones, the
opportunities expand for thieves to try to use these devices in
a cyberattack. But there are steps that consumers can take to
protect themselves.
On a computer or smartphone, the first line of defense is
antivirus software.
“You have to make sure that the antivirus is updating itself all
the time,” Van Hoff said.
Other tips are to change passwords regularly, resist opening
unexpected emails or links and utilize multi-factor
authentication.
Once the victim of such a crime, cyberattacks can be reported to
the FBI Springfield at 217-522- 9675, through its Internet Crime
Complaint Center.
|
|
