Would You Know If You’ve Been Hacked?
The ability to identify a data breach is just as important as being able to defend against one. Many users fail to see the signs that they’ve been hacked, allowing cybercriminals to cause damage and steal data without having to worry about being caught.
Cybercriminals are very good at causing trouble and making it difficult for businesses to detect that they have been hacked until long after the fact. That’s why proactive, preventative measures are the best approach to keeping an organization’s data, networks, and systems secure.
Regular monitoring is the most effective way to detect a potential cyber attack. However, there are certain common tactics cybercriminals employ that are easy to spot if a business remains alert to their signs.
5 Signs That May Have Been Hacked
- Increased Rate Of Pop-Ups: A clear sign that some foreign software has infected your computer is the appearance of unexpected pop-ups on websites that don’t normally generate them.
- Your Antivirus Is Disabled: Some malware will automatically turn off your antivirus software. If you see that it’s been disabled without you doing so, that’s a sign that something is wrong.
- New Programs Appear: If you start seeing programs in your app folder (or running on their own) that you don’t recognize, it could be the work of a virus or malware.
- Your Passwords Stop Working: If you’ve been locked out of your accounts and your passwords aren’t working, it’s likely that you’re the victim of a phishing scam.
- Fake Emails & Messages Are Coming From Your Accounts: Whether it’s private messages on social media or emails from personal and business accounts, any fraudulent activity is a clear sign that someone else is using your accounts.
What Should You Do If You Think You’ve Been Hacked?
If you think you may have been the victim of ransomware, phishing, or another type of cybercrime, your first step is to get in touch with your IT support immediately.
Beyond that, make sure to follow these three steps:
- Isolate The Damage: Your first move when an attack occurs is to isolate the computer from the network to prevent further access. Remove the network cable from the tower or laptop and turn off your networking functions (the Wi-Fi settings). Do this manually even if you have security software that claims to shut down the connection for you.
- Power Down: You also need to shut down your computer to prevent damage to your hard drive. Ideally, your anti-virus and anti-spyware will prevent the attacker from getting that far, but you still need to remove it from the computer to protect it fully.
- Control Access: Resetting your passwords is also critical. You should be sure to create entirely new passwords and avoid re-using them at any point. Don’t forget to check any accounts linked to your computer, including social media profiles, email accounts, online banking, and any other potential targets.
Go Concepts Will Help You Prevent And Respond To Cyber Attacks
This is a lot to handle on your own right?
You’ve got your work to handle already, after all, so you likely don’t have the time to see to all of this, and it’s not necessarily something you should trust to an employee that doesn’t have any experience with IT or cybersecurity.
GO Concepts can help – we offer robust cybersecurity services that manage the plans, procedures, and guidelines in the handling of data breach events. Get in touch to develop your breach response plan today.
