JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – National security officials warned that Russia could target the United States through a series of cyber attacks.
As conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has growing concerns about cyber attacks.
“The most important thing you should do is what the NSA says. Just be concerned that every webpage you visit or every email you open should be checked for what it says it should be,” said Mississippi State University (MSU) Information Systems Professor Merrill Warkentin.
DHS officials concerned there are no credible threats at this time, but Warkentin said now is the best time to ensure you and your business are protected from potential threats.
“Regardless of what is it, whether it’s social media, your bank, a log in or checking your email, the number one thing you should always do is use different passwords,” said Warkentin.
Included in the threat are the possible compromises of infrastructure organizations like water and electricity. Warkentin said there’s things you should know in the event of a cyber attack on the United States.
“The first thing you should do is make sure you have a good policy in place for real-time backup, or daily backup of all the important customer files or inventory files. Of course, all of the data for running your business, too,” said Warkentin.
Experts nationwide said during this uncertain time, the best thing to do is prepare and not panic. Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date and be wary of requests for personal information like birthdays or social security numbers.
“You need to keep your shields up and not click on links that you aren’t sure are 100% validated,” said Warkentin.