By looking at the statistics, Cyber crimes are on the rise with little signs of slowing down, making it ever so important to be aware of the preventative practices along with what to do if you are attacked and how you can report the attack.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of cyber crimes go unreported for a number of reasons. Possibly the biggest factor being the lack of awareness people have on where to report the cyber crime. Many victims also don’t find it’s necessary to report a cyber crime because they know a reimbursement is unlikely. Whether the authorities catch the cybercriminal or not, reporting the crime will help them better understand the ways in which criminals are orchestrating their attacks. This will allow the authorities to better inform the public of the warning signs of a cyber crime and how to better protect against them.
If you fall victim to a cyber crime, listed below are resources for you to report the attack.
United States
File a complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3).
Contact or visit your nearest FBI Field Office
The FBI will ask you for the following information when reporting a ransomware attack:
- Date of Infection
- Ransomware Variant (identified on the ransom page or by the encrypted file extension)
- Victim Company Information (industry type, business size, etc.)
- How the Infection Occurred (link in e-mail, browsing the Internet, etc.)
- Requested Ransom Amount
- Actor’s Bitcoin Wallet Address (may be listed on the ransom page)
- Ransom Amount Paid (if any)
- Overall Losses Associated with a Ransomware Infection (including the ransom amount)
- Victim Impact Statement
We hope this isn’t something you will have to experience, but if you do, contact a professional company, like Kraft, that knows how to mitigate these risks for the future.
