FTC Videos Provide Advice to Victims of Email Hacking and Malware Attacks

On March 18, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released two videos advising consumers what to do if their email has been hacked or their computer has been hijacked by malware. The FTC advises victims of email hacking to: (i) update or install security software, (ii) change passwords if the account can be accessed, (iii) check with the email provider to find out how to restore the account if it is not accessible, and (iv) let family and friends know the email account was hacked. It advises victims of malware hijacking to: (i) stop shopping, banking, and entering passwords online until the computer is cleaned and restored, (ii) update security software, (iii) change passwords used for bank accounts, email accounts, and all other important accounts, and (iv) make sure the operating system and Internet browser are set to update automatically.