Building Resilience

Learn specific actions you can take if you find yourself a victim of cyber attack.

You Are a Victim of Cyber Attack, Now What?

The national and economic security of our nation depends on the reliability and resiliency of critical infrastructures such as utility companies, transportation/communication systems and financial institutions – like M&T Bank.

We all depend on the services provided from these infrastructures on a daily basis, and they are vital to the work we do and the lives we live. Just as these infrastructures are required to have preventative measures and plans to respond to emergencies or disasters, so should you.

We have provided you with information and tips to help you enhance your cybersecurity awareness; however, we all know that systems, software and people aren’t perfect and mistakes and events happen. If you believe your computer or device has been compromised, below are some actions you can take:

Minimize the damage

  • If you have been threatened over the internet via email, or social media sites and feel you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police
  • Log on to another device to change your device and online passwords to all your accounts
  • If you believe you or someone you know has been the victim of an Internet crime, report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
  • If you suspect that you may be a victim of identity theft or there appears to be fraudulent activity on your M&T Bank account, please call us immediately at (800) 724-2440 or stop by your local M&T branch
  • Find additional information on Identity Theft

Clean your device

  • Update your virus definition files, backup your critical files, disconnect your device from the internet or Wi-Fi connections and run a manual scan of your entire system
  • In the event your anti-virus software cannot correct the problem or your device is inoperable, take it to a reputable electronic repair service
  • For smart phones, contact your service provider for support

Remember that the sooner you take action; the sooner others can assist to help minimize the damage.