Hazard · Accounts and grid
Cyberattacks and scams
Most damage starts with one click. Lock down the accounts that hold your money and your identity.
Federal steps in this chapter do not change by state. Local orders for Arizona come from Arizona Department of Emergency Management.
5 min read · Updated October 2026
Protect yourself
Ready.gov:
CISA's "Secure Our World" four steps are: recognize and report phishing; use strong passwords; turn on multifactor authentication; update software. That CISA page is now marked Archived Content.
- Limit the personal information you share online.
- Keep software and operating systems updated.
- Use strong passwords, a password manager, and two methods of verification.
- Be suspicious of anything urgent or too good to be true. When in doubt, do not click.
- Back up your files in encrypted storage.
- Check your statements and credit reports regularly.
- The government will not call, text, or contact you on social media about owing money.
During an attack
- Check your bank and card statements and your credit reports.
- Change your passwords immediately.
- Turn off the affected device and have it scanned. If there's a problem, disconnect it from the internet and do a full system restore.
- Tell your work or school.
After
- Contact your banks and card companies, and close unauthorized accounts.
- File with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
- File a local police report.
- Report identity theft to the FTC.
If the grid is the target
A cyberattack on utilities looks like a power outage from your kitchen. Use the Power and Outage-food chapters.
Checklist
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Sources
Public pages this chapter leans on. They win if anything here is out of date.
- Ready.gov — Cybersecurity
Protect, during, after
- CISA — Secure Our World
Archived Content. Four steps
- FBI — IC3
Report cybercrime
- FTC — Identity theft and online security
Report identity theft