SALT LAKE CITY—We use the internet all the time to buy things and pay bills, and we routinely share our identities and information with online companies and services. The problem is, this gives cyber crooks plenty of ways to steal our data and our money. Just as your home insurance protects your home, now personal cyber insurance can cover you and your family against online threats. But is it worth it?
Over the years, KSL has spoken to scores of Utahns who have had their lives and finances turned upside down by cybercriminals. The thing is, cyberattacks of all types just keep growing in frequency and severity said supervisory special agent Casey Harrington of the FBI’s Cyber Squad in Salt Lake.
“Whether it’s ransomware, or online scams, business email compromise, sim swaps, tech scams, we see it all almost every single day,” Harrington said.
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Casey Harrington explains how the frequency and severity of cyberattacks hitting Utahns continues to grow.
Over $47.1 million were lost by over 4,926 Utahns to cyber criminals in 2020, according to the FBI’s most recent report. That adds up to an average of $9,564 per crime, nearly three times higher than 2015’s average of $3,339.
“Again, that’s dependent on people reporting it to us, that number is much, much higher,” explained Harrington.
Tools like strong passwords, backing up data, constant software updates are traditional guards. But here is a new one:…
