Several major cybersecurity threats have reemerged in recent weeks.
The NJSBA shares the following to help you familiarize yourself with these threats since knowledge is the best form of protection we have.
USB Drives
First, IT advisors have recommended that you don't attempt to open found USB drives. It's an easy way for hackers to gain access to personal and professional data.
Officials have reported that hackers have been driving to corporate buildings and dropping high-end USB drives in public spaces and parking lots. Unfortunately, these drives can be loaded with invisible malware, and plugging them in triggers a program that detects every keyboard stroke and relays it remotely to the hacker (meaning sensitive information like passwords, banking pins, and Social Security numbers. could be easily stolen and used before you realized what happened).
As a result, if you find a USB drive (which happens often here), don’t attempt to use it and give it to a member of the IT Team so it can be safely sanitized and possibly destroyed.
Stealing Paychecks
The FBI issued a new alert saying cybercriminals are using “phishing emails” to try to get New Jersey residents to provide information they can use to electronically steal their paychecks.
Specifically, hackers are sending emails as known human resources employees that ask for employment verification information, including asking you to verify your paycheck direct deposit. Hackers are also providing a fake link taking you to a work portal website that could look identical to some paycheck portals, and logging in with a username and password could mean your personal information will be stolen or hackers may attempt to take direct deposit of your paycheck.
Remember, if you receive an unexpected email requesting financial information, always verify that request by verbally asking a trusted source before you take any action. If a trusted source is not available, call a publicly published and verifiable phone number for the organization in question to seek verification.