Where do I report a ransomware attack?

If you are a victim of ransomware: Contact your local FBI field office to request assistance, or submit a tip online. File a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Do ransomware attacks need to be reported?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), you are required to report a ransomware incident if you can’t establish a low probability that data was accessed during the attack.

What action should be taken if your company is facing ransomware demands?

Actions to take

• Action 1: make regular backups.
• Action 2: prevent malware from being delivered and spreading to devices.
• Action 3: prevent malware from running on devices.
• Action 4: prepare for an incident.

What are ransomware criminals?

Cyber criminals trigger a ransomware attack by secretly compromising networks — often via phishing attacks, compromising cloud services or exploiting vulnerabilities — before installing file-encrypting malware across as many systems as possible.

Which best practices can help defend against social engineering attacks?

Best Practices to Prevent Social Engineering Attacks

• Set spam filters to high. Every email program has spam filters.
• Never use the same password for different accounts.
• Use two-factor or multi-factor authentication.
• When in doubt, change passwords right away.
• Educate employees.

Can you call the police for ransomware?

Victims of ransomware should report to federal law enforcement via IC3 or a Secret Service Field Office, and can request technical assistance or provide information to help others by contacting CISA.

What can be done about ransomware?

Best Practices to Defeat Ransomware

• Use anti-virus and anti-malware software or other security policies to block known payloads from launching.
• Make frequent, comprehensive backups of all important files and isolate them from local and open networks.

How is ransomware delivered?

Ransomware is often spread through phishing emails that contain malicious attachments or through drive-by downloading. Drive-by downloading occurs when a user unknowingly visits an infected website and then malware is downloaded and installed without the user’s knowledge.