LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The FBI in Little Rock has issued an alert to the public of potential cyber security attacks from beyond our borders. These attacks have not only hit places across the nation, but they could potentially hit here in Arkansas as well.
The FBI warns that hackers have been looking to get a 'leg up.'
"Think of it as running a marathon. Instead of running the entire marathon, the Chinese Communist Party places itself at the last 100 yards to the finish line whereas everyone else in the world is running the entire race," said FBI Special Agent in Charge, James Dawson.
The FBI said that countries like China and Russia could do this by stealing information through cyber attacks. But it's not just big U.S. companies who could become possible victims... this could happen to any small business.
Cyber attacks could range anywhere from private to public sectors, from technology to engineering, or even to agriculture.
"So, if you operate a network it's really incumbent upon you to understand your network and how your network is utilized. Be able to monitor the traffic on your network," said Dawson.
These protections should include being sure that your software is up to date, implementing firewalls, and also having limited access to your system.
"If someone is victimized we're probably the best bet they have in being able to go ahead and use accountability. We hope to produce risks upon adversaries by demonstrating real consequences by their nefarious actions," said Dawson.
The FBI has urged citizens to report cyber crimes and potential problems.
For up-to-date information on the latest scams and other threats, you can check out their website at the Internet Crime Complaint Center.