You've Been Scammed—Now What?

Introduction

You’re a cybersecurity superstar. You’re always careful—except this once.

The email looked like a scam and you knew you shouldn’t have clicked that link. But, the headline and copy were so compelling. Against your better judgement, you clicked on it. At first, nothing. Then BAM! Your PC went crazy.

But, it gets worse. You were using your personal computer while connected to your employer’s network.

Immediately, After You Clicked The Link

Stop entering any information or login credentials.
If you’re connected to your company’s network, disconnect from the internet and contact IT.
If you’re on a personal device, disconnect from the internet.
On personal devices, run trusted and updated anti-malware programs.
Change your credentials.
Make sure you have a recent backup of your files.
For personal devices, if ransomware has gotten a hold, find out the type, and look for a key online. If you’re lucky, a key is available.

Afterwards And Going Forward

Update passwords. Make sure you DO NOT use the same one more than once.
Notify credit agencies, credit card companies, and your bank.
Update anti-malware programs, and run deep scans.
Update your Operating System and third-party applications.
Encrypt the data on your drives.
Back up your files, and check if backups are viable.
Check credit card and bank statements for unusual activity.
Set alerts on your financial accounts.
Think about using a credit freeze.

Conclusion

Hey—it happens. You can be careful 99.999% of the time, but that one time your guard is down, they strike! Don’t keep beating yourself up over it. Instead, Use this incident as a learning experience to increase your security.

XSolutions is an IT Services Provider serving New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), and Connecticut (CT). We provide Managed IT Services | Managed IT Security | Backup & Disaster Recovery| Cloud Data Protection | Security Awareness Training. Call (845) 362-9675 for a free consultation.