Federal Government Warns of Hurricane-Related Scams and Hacking

This year’s hurricane season will bring a wave of disaster-related hacking campaigns and scams, warned the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

In a statement released June 1 (the first official day of hurricane season), CISA’s warning highlighted the uptick in scams in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters. The statement advised businesses and individuals to be on alert ”for malicious cyber activity targeting potential disaster victims and charitable donors following a hurricane.”

“Fraudulent emails—often containing malicious links or attachments—are common after major natural disasters, the statement indicated. “Exercise caution in handling emails with hurricane-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks. In addition, be wary of social media pleas, texts, or door-to-door solicitations relating to severe weather events.”

CISA’s warning also included the following resources for best practices for identifying potential scams and phishing emails:

• Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams
• Before Giving to a Charity
• Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites
• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
• Using Caution with Email Attachments

Source: Chubb ID Theft/Ask the Expert