Be on the Alert for Holiday Cybercrime, Urges Professor

It’s that time of year -- holiday season. That also means cybercrime season. Black hat hackers are on the prowl as we approach the busiest shopping season of the year.

Many companies make as much as one quarter of their annual revenue during the last three months of the year, according to Symantec. Cyber criminals – always on the lookout for opportunities to exploit vulnerable systems and unsuspecting users – often have extra leverage during these critical shopping days.

As hackers continue to perpetrate spectacular data breaches, striking government agencies, corporations, cities, and private citizens with alarming regularity, companies are spending millions to defend themselves and rapidly recover from such attacks. But what can you do to protect yourself from cyber attacks?

According to the chair of Capitol Technology University’s cybersecurity program, Dr. William Butler, there are steps each of us can take in order to avoid becoming a victim.

“Make sure your anti-virus software (AV) software is up to date, use only strong passwords and vary them across websites, make sure you are using your browser in secure mode only, and back up your data regularly and store in a safe place (for example on a cloud drive),” Butler recommends.

But what if you take precautions and are successfully targeted anyway? According to Butler, it’s important to get in touch right away with the proper authorities so that they can investigate.

“If you fall victim to ransomware attacks and other cybercrimes such as identity theft you should immediately contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).” Butler says.

The IC3 is co-sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).  For additional information, check out the FBI Page for holiday scams warnings: http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams.

“Remember your personal data or computer should be considered your personal critical infrastructure and should be guarded accordingly,” Butler says. “Shop safe, shop smart, and happy holidays!”