Malicious cyber activity threatens the public’s safety and our national and economic security. The FBI’s cyber strategy is to impose risk and consequences on cyber adversaries. Our goal is to change the behavior of criminals and nation-states who believe they can compromise U.S. networks, steal financial and intellectual property, and put critical infrastructure at risk without facing risk themselves. To do this, we use our unique mix of authorities, capabilities, and partnerships to impose consequences against our cyber adversaries.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyber attacks and intrusions. We collect and share intelligence and engage with victims while working to unmask those committing malicious cyber activities, wherever they are.
Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself from cyber criminals, how you can report cyber crime, and the Bureau's efforts in combating the evolving cyber threat.
What You Should Know
Protect Yourself
- Taking the right security measures and being alert and aware when connected are key ways to prevent cyber intrusions and online crimes. Learn how to protect your computer, network, and personal information.
Understand Common Crimes and Risks Online
- Business e-mail compromise (BEC) scams exploit the fact that so many of us rely on e-mail to conduct business—both personal and professional—and it’s one of the most financially damaging online crimes.
- Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information, like your Social Security number, and uses it to commit theft or fraud.
- Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks and demands you pay a ransom for their return.
- Spoofing and phishing are schemes aimed at tricking you into providing sensitive information to scammers.
- Online predators are a growing threat to young people.
- More common crimes and scams
File a Report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center
If you are the victim of online or internet-enabled crime, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. Crime reports are used for investigative and intelligence purposes. Rapid reporting can also help support the recovery of lost funds. Visit ic3.gov for more information, including tips and information about current crime trends.
Contact Your FBI Field Office
If you or your organization is the victim of a network intrusion, data breach, or ransomware attack, contact your nearest FBI field office or report it at tips.fbi.gov.
Combating the Evolving Cyber Threat
Our adversaries look to exploit gaps in our intelligence and information security networks. The FBI is committed to working with our federal counterparts, our foreign partners, and the private sector to close those gaps.
These partnerships allow us to defend networks, attribute malicious activity, sanction bad behavior, and take the fight to our adversaries overseas. The FBI fosters this team approach through unique hubs where government, industry, and academia form long-term trusted relationships to combine efforts against cyber threats.
Within government, that hub is the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF). The FBI leads this task force of more than 30 co-located agencies from the Intelligence Community and law enforcement. The NCIJTF is organized around mission centers based on key cyber threat areas and led by senior executives from partner agencies. Through these mission centers, operations and intelligence are integrated for maximum impact against U.S. adversaries.
Only together can we achieve safety, security, and confidence in a digitally connected world.
How We Work
Whether through developing innovative investigative techniques, using cutting-edge analytic tools, or forging new partnerships in our communities, the FBI continues to adapt to meet the challenges posed by the evolving cyber threat.
- The FBI has specially trained cyber squads in each of our 56 field offices, working hand-in-hand with interagency task force partners.
- The rapid-response Cyber Action Team can deploy across the country within hours to respond to major incidents.
- With cyber assistant legal attachés in embassies across the globe, the FBI works closely with our international counterparts to seek justice for victims of malicious cyber activity.
- The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) collects reports of Internet crime from the public. Using such complaints, the IC3’s Recovery Asset Team has assisted in freezing hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims of cyber crime.
- CyWatch is the FBI’s 24/7 operations center and watch floor, providing around-the-clock support to track incidents and communicate with field offices across the country.
The FBI Cyber Strategy
The FBI’s cyber strategy is to impose risk and consequences on cyber adversaries through our unique authorities, our world-class capabilities, and our enduring partnerships. Learn more (pdf)
Partnerships
National Defense Cyber Alliance (NDCA)
The NDCA brings together experts from the U.S. government and cleared defense contractors to share threat intelligence in real time, with the goal of improving the network security of NDCA member organizations and gaining a greater understanding of the cyber threat landscape.
National Cyber Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA)
Because of the global reach of cyber crime, no single organization, agency, or country can defend against it. Vital partnerships like the NCFTA have become an international model for bringing together law enforcement, private industry, and academia to build and share resources, strategic information, and threat intelligence to identify and stop emerging cyber threats and mitigate existing ones.
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Featured Story
Lawful Access
Many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies are facing challenges due to the phenomenon sometimes referred to as “warrant-proof” encryption. This type of encryption means the government often cannot obtain the electronic evidence necessary to investigate and prosecute threats to public and national safety, even with a warrant or court order. Read more about the FBI’s response to the Lawful Access challenge.