TAMPA, Fla — Cybersecurity experts say now is the time to protect your online accounts. If you have an email address, chances are you have received a phishing email.
“Cybercrime has moved into something that is absolutely damaging to our country and individuals as opposed to being a minor nuisance it was five to ten years ago," Erich Kron with KnowBe4 said.
Kron, who has worked in the cybersecurity field for 30 years, explained the people behind the attacks are very smart.
“The new scams they come up with and how clever they are about what they do. It’s kind of mind-blowing," Kron said.
It's all about protecting yourself and having a heightened awareness when it comes to attempts from bad actors lurking online.
“Make sure you have good backups and they’re being tested. Make sure your people are educated. The individuals are the ones being targeted so often. A lot of organizations leave them unprepared to defend themselves," Kron explained.
If you get an email or text message and something seems off, Kron said to act on that instinct.
“If you get an email or a phone call and it gives you kind of an emotional reaction, take time to look at it and be very critical of it," Kron added.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to local agencies and organizations about how they keep their company protected.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office released this statement:
"We continually train all agency personnel in cyber security best practices, including methods to identify attempts to breach security, and we have participated in local tabletop exercises to practice our responses to ransomware attacks."
Wells Fargo released this statement:
“We recognize that cybersecurity is an area where we must remain ever vigilant to meet evolving threats. We invest heavily in cyber threat management and controls aimed at preventing and preparing for cyberattacks, and we maintain tools to quickly detect and respond to adverse events, limiting their impact.”
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