The online world has become a hotbed for nefarious actors and cyber criminals. Everything from ransomware attacks to security breaches have plagued businesses of all shapes and sizes, and the monetary loss from these cyber-attacks has been more than substantial. Now, it appears Portland is one of the latest victims, as a simple email breach led to a massive fraudulent charge that the city is going to have a hard time recouping. Most of the information about the breach and subsequent fraudulent charge are being held under wraps “to prioritize security and ensure the integrity of the investigation.” The FBI, the US Secret Service, and the Portland Police Bureau have been informed and are conducting an investigation. First off, if you’re conducting business anywhere but home or the office, a VPN can do a great job of protecting your activity and keeping hackers at bay. Additionally, securing your email account with a password manager could’ve prevented this hack if it was utilized due to poor password security. Finally, tools like antivirus software can alert you to malicious links and malware on your device, which can stop bad actors in their tracks. Generally speaking, being careful online is the best way to keep yourself safe. In most cases, cyber-attacks aren’t nearly as sophisticated as they’d like you to believe, and spotting mistakes like spelling errors, errant punctuation, and other obvious tells can be the difference between a secure network and a $1.4 million fraudulent charge.
