Cybersecurity Resources

State Agency Cyber Incident Reporting

Washington state agencies should email CIRT@watech.wa.gov to report cybersecurity incidents.

If you are a Washington state resident, please go to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General website, which has links and information for victims of internet crime.

Security tips

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Preventing them requires everyone to be aware and on guard.

To help individuals and small businesses protect themselves online WaTech's Office of Cybersecurity has compiled some trusted resources that can be used to improve your online security.

For Individuals

• Stay alert to tax scams: As we move further into tax season, it's crucial to stay vigilant about IRS tax scams. Scammers are increasingly sophisticated, using fear and urgency to trick taxpayers into revealing personal information or sending money ... (Read more)
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): Have you ever received an email or a text message from what you think is a legitimate source asking you to do something unusual? ...  (Read more)
• Keeping a clean computer: Keeping a clean computer is important for both performance and security. Here are some tips on how to maintain your device in optimal condition ... (Read more)
• What to know about removable media: If you find a USB drive or other removable piece of media in the wild, DO NOT plug it into your computer! Let’s break down why ... (Read more)
• One Big Leap to Protect Your Information: There are many ways to protect important personal information including using strong passwords, freezing your credit, and being careful what you post on social media. There is one safeguard, however, that has become indispensable in today's world - multifactor authentication (MFA), also sometimes referred to as two-factor authentication ... (Read More)
• Six steps you can take to protect yourself from BEC scams: Business email compromise (BEC) is a form of email phishing that uses the trust of people and companies we do business with to steal money. In a BEC scam, criminals send an email message that appears to come from someone you know who is making a seemingly legitimate request, such as ... (Read More)
• Phishing: Bad actors will often take advantage of increased worldwide tensions, such as the conflict in Ukraine, to launch phishing campaigns that aim to disrupt organizations. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself ... (Read more)
• Charity Scams: Scammers try to take advantage of world events by setting up fake charities that look and sound like real ones in order to steal your money. Here are some tips from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on ways to make sure the charity you're working with is legitimate ... (Read More)
• Disinformation: Foreign content aimed at influencing public opinion is designed to look like real news. It is important to look for a diversity of credible sources. You should be able to trust that the author's ideas are their own, are unbiased, and are backed up by sound, fact-based evidence. Here are some best practices from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that can help you identify quality content and avoid being duped.

For Small Business

Small businesses might not consider themselves targets for cyberattacks. However, they do have valuable information that cybercriminals want, including employee and customer records, bank account information, access to the business's finances and access to larger networks ... (Read more)