Have you noticed any suspicious activity on your devices or accounts?
If you believe you have fallen victim to a cybercrime, you can contact the Crime Victims Helpline on:
Freephone: 116006
or Text: 085 133 7711
for emotional support and information.
Responding to a Cyberattack
Immediately change any compromised passwords.
As soon as you suspect or confirm a security breach, update your password for the affected account. If there is a “Log out of all devices” option, also select this. This forces any device that has accessed your account to be signed out, and ensures that anyone who may have hacked into your account can no longer stay logged in.
When changing passwords, make sure to use use unique passwords for your important accounts, with at least 12 characters. Thinking of a memorable phrase helps, for example I-make-tea-at-9:30am.
Contact the compromised account’s service provider.
Whether it’s your bank, email provider, or An Post, reach out to the service provider immediately by a trusted phone number. They can help secure your account, monitor for suspicious activity, and guide you on the next steps, such as freezing your account or providing you with new account details.
Check other important accounts that contain personal or banking details for any other unusual activity.
After securing the compromised account, review your other important accounts (bank, email, social media, etc.) for any signs of suspicious activity. Hackers may try to access other accounts linked to the compromised one, so change other passwords if necessary.
Go to your local Garda station to report the crime and request a PULSE ID.
A PULSE ID is a unique reference number assigned to your case in the Garda system. This ID confirms that a criminal case has been officially opened and can be used when communicating with service providers or other authorities. esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Provide the PULSE ID to your service provider.
Once you’ve received your PULSE ID, share it with your service provider (e.g., your bank or internet provider). This shows that a criminal case has been opened, helping them take note of the progress of the case or assist in the investigation.
Unsure whether a website or URL is safe?
Our Cybersafety Link Checker Tool can help you verify the legitimacy of any suspicious link.
Simply copy and paste the link into our tool at check.cyberskills.ie.
The tool will quickly assess the link and let you know if it’s secure to click on. This can help protect you from phishing scams and other malicious websites, giving you peace of mind when browsing online.
