Have you ever experienced a personal cyber attack?
There have been a lot of data breaches and there will be many more as Cyber Security is complicated and hard to do. Some people may be personally attacked and this breached data means that they are vulnerable to a full range of attacks.
Ideally a personal cyber attack shouldn’t happen but, if it does happen, there are always options. In many of these cases people are targeted by someone they know such as an ex-partner, ex-colleague, ex-lover, ex-IT support or neighbour. We would always recommend contacting your local Police station to provide a statement to make sure there is a record of events.
Performing the tasks below will destroy evidence and potentially eliminate the option for seeking criminal prosecutions or suing for damages. So seeking legal advice is also recommended to ensure the capturing of evidence in order to seek criminal prosecutions and sue for damages.
In regards to the Cyber Attack, starting from the simplest and moving down in difficulty, some of the options are:
- Reset Passwords
- Add 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) ideally using FIDO2 for all logins
- Factory Reset computers and phones
- Install Trusted AntiMalware software to computers and phones
- Change Mobile phone numbers
- Purchase new computers and phones
- Change drivers licence
- Change email address
- Change living Address
- Change work
- Change Name and Identification documents
This is not an exhaustive list, but shows that there is always an option even if you need to perform all these items and “reset” your status in society and thereby “reset” the ability for a Cyber Attacker to target you.
Speaking to a Cyber Expert can also be useful. However, be careful who you trust as we have seen that sometimes the trusty partner / neighbour / friend / IT company has actually been part of the Cyber attack. We would only recommend talking to a CREST approved company like Vertex. However be aware that these organisations are geared for businesses with many computers so the price for an individual may appear expensive.
