Public officials are generally more likely to be the target of hacktivism — their information is often widely available and some view them as a proxy for the agencies they work for. The cyber risk is ever-present, however the FBI and Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) are warning that law enforcement and public officials are currently at an increased risk of cyber attacks.
Instances of doxing are on the rise, where bad actors collect personal information about government employees and publish that data publicly online. Some of this information is being obtained through hacking, though much of it is being culled together from what people are putting online voluntarily.
"Hacking collectives are effective at leveraging open source, publicly available information identifying officers, their employers and their families," the FBI said in an alert to public officials. "The information is then posted on information sharing websites with details suggesting why the individual should be targeted."
More: Hacktivists Threaten to Target Law Enforcement Personnel and Public Officials
The attacks can also translate into the physical realm, as well. One tactic on the rise is called "swatting," where someone calls in a fake hostage situation or similar incident at the victim's home, prompting a large police response when no such incident is occurring.
Recent activity being tracked by the FBI and IC3 shows officials' family members are also being targeted in doxing attacks.
The FBI gave a number of tips to avoid becoming a victim, including:
- Turning on all privacy settings on social media accounts;
- Ensuring strong security settings on all home networks;
- Request real estate and personal property records be restricted from online searches;
- Search your name online to see what publicly available information is already out there; and
- Advise family members to follow similar steps.
US-CERT also has a list of tips for using social media without compromising safety.
More: Staying Safe on Social Network Sites
Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.
