This is Two Minute Tech Tips, I’m your host Lester Steward. In this series we are discussing Business cybersecurity and what you need to know to protect your business.
So you got hacked. Someone figured out how to get some money out of you or gained access to sensitive personal data. You’ve had that moment of self-loathing and beating yourself up for falling for a scam or clicking on an unknown link. How can we move forward and feel safe using the same PC or network?
First, you should consider the device the hacker accessed to be compromised and power it down, that device could be a gateway to accessing other devices on the network. Passwords are your first defense from someone accessing your PC or sensitive accounts. Change those as fast as you can, starting with any that link to your bank or credit cards and try to do this from a different device then the hacker had access to. To further extend your security call your financial institutions and freeze what accounts you can, letting them know about the situation.
After you feel like you’ve secured the most sensitive accounts, including your social media accounts, get the PC checked out. If you have an IT partner just let them know the situation and they should have a protocol from there to secure the device and get it cleaned up. If you don’t have an IT partner find yourself a trustworthy PC repair shop to get things looked at. Let them know any info needed to identify the threat and it may be a good idea to get a second opinion from another shop if you have any doubts.
Getting hacked is very troubling but with the right plan in place you can start your recovery faster. It’s better to have a plan then to panic.
On the next episode I’m going to discuss recovering from the trauma of getting hacked.
If you need any information on this subject, please let North Tech Group know by visiting our website ntgak.com and give us a follow-on Facebook or Twitter, where I post more tips to staying safe online. Thanks for joining me, Lester Steward for your Two Minute Tech Tips, helping you keep safe in your cybersecurity world.