How to Report a Cyber Attack and What You Should Expect

Once a person or organization has been hacked, it’s always recommended to report the cyber crime as soon as possible. There are a few options for reporting including:

#1: The FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the premier federal agency for investigating cyber attacks and incidents. They work to unmask cyber criminals by collecting information and engaging with the victims.

Victims need to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at the FBI. They will be asked to fill out the following information:

• Contact information for the victim
  • Name, address, phone number and email
• Contact information of the person or entity allegedly committing the crime 
  • Name, address, phone number, email, website and IP address
• Financial transaction information
  • Date of the transaction, amount, account information and who received the money
• Specific details about the cyber crime
• Email header (if sent via email) 

Visit ic3.gov for more information on crime reporting. 

Organizations who have fallen victim to a data breach or ransomware attack should also contact their local FBI field office. There are 56 field offices across the United States with specially trained cyber squads working to catch these cyber criminals. To report tips or an incident, visit tips.fbi.gov. 

#2: CISA 

Like the FBI, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also works to combat cyber attacks. Through their industry and government connections, they manage and reduce risks to help build a secure and resilient infrastructure for citizens of the United States. CISA provides a secure way for people and organizations to report cyber incidents including phishing and malware. Access their incident reporting form here.

#3: APWG

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) is a partner of the US-CERT. They collect phishing emails and websites so they can help reduce the number of victims. 

Please send the suspected phishing email to phishing-report@us-cert.gov. 

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