Resources for IT help and online safety
Find practical help for internet connections, everyday technology, account security, scams, and online crime. Choose a situation to find a clear first step.
Scam & account help
Choose a situation below to jump to practical steps and official reporting resources.
What to do next
Select a question to open the steps. Start with the first action and follow the links for more help.
I sent money to a scammer
- Call your bank, card company, or payment service using its official number. Ask if the payment can be stopped or disputed.
- Use the FTC’s payment-specific recovery guide.
- Report it to FTC ReportFraud. For an internet scam, also report it to FBI IC3.
Be cautious of anyone who promises to recover your money for a fee.
I’m being sexually threatened or exploited online
Threats to share intimate images, demands for sexual content or money, and intimate images shared without consent can be reported. This can happen to adults, too. You deserve help without judgment.
- If you are in immediate physical danger, call 911. Otherwise, stop responding and do not send money or more images. Tell someone you trust.
- Keep messages, usernames, links, dates, and payment details. Do not forward or download sexual images of anyone who was under 18 when they were made.
- Report online extortion to FBI IC3. You can report there even if you already contacted local police. IC3 accepts reports and may refer them for investigation; filing does not guarantee an investigation or response. Report the account or image to the platform, too.
- If you were 18 or older when the image was made, StopNCII.org may help participating platforms detect and remove it. If the image was made when you were under 18, use NCMEC Take It Down or report at NCMEC CyberTipline.
For confidential support with intimate-image abuse, visit the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Safety Center or call 1-844-878-2274.
My email or social media account was hacked
Go directly to the provider’s app or website to recover it. Once you regain access, change your password, enable two-factor authentication, and check recovery details and email forwarding. Follow the FTC account recovery guide.
I want to freeze my credit or someone used my identity
A credit freeze is free. You must request one separately from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Start with the FTC credit-freeze guide. If someone used your identity, IdentityTheft.gov helps you create a recovery plan.
I want to secure my bank account
Open your bank’s official app or call the number on your card. Review transactions, enable alerts and two-factor authentication, and report anything unfamiliar promptly. Read the CFPB guidance on unauthorized transactions.
I clicked a link or allowed someone into my computer
Stop communicating with the person. If they remotely accessed your computer, disconnect it from the internet and contact someone you trust for technical help. From another device you trust, contact your bank if you shared payment details and change passwords for affected accounts. See the FTC’s next steps.
I am worried about a deed or mortgage scam
Contact your lender using its official number. Check your property records with your county recorder and ask whether free recording alerts are available. Read the FTC’s information on title fraud and mortgage scams. Seek legal help promptly if you find an unauthorized transfer.
Cybersecurity tools & reporting sites
Open the link that matches your goal. These links lead to government agencies or the named tool’s official website.
Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.
Open FTC ReportFraud →File a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Open FBI IC3 →Report threats, sextortion, or other cyber-enabled crimes to the FBI.
Open FBI IC3 →For images made as an adult: StopNCII. For images made as a minor: NCMEC Take It Down.
Open StopNCII → · Open Take It Down →Get a personal recovery plan.
Open IdentityTheft.gov →Paste a website address into VirusTotal. A clean result does not guarantee safety.
Open VirusTotal URL check →Web protection and network content filtering
CTRL-A can provide web protection and network content filtering to help block access to known malicious websites and apply your business’s browsing policies. It adds protection when employees browse or follow links; it does not make every website safe.
Ask about web and content filtering →Get Malwarebytes’ free scanner from its official site.
Open Malwarebytes →Want ongoing protection for your business?
CTRL-A offers managed antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR): protection that monitors business computers for suspicious activity and supports investigation and response. Ask which service fits your devices and support needs.
Discuss managed endpoint protection →Start with the FTC’s plain-language password and sign-in guide.
Open FTC account guide →General IT & internet help
Practical starting points for internet connections and everyday technology. CTRL-A’s internet sourcing service is for businesses.
Source business internet service
See which providers report service at your business address with the FCC Broadband Map. CTRL-A can help check actual availability and compare business plans, including speeds, service terms, installation, equipment, and backup connection options.
Want help choosing? CTRL-A can help your business source and compare internet service, then coordinate with the provider you choose.
Already chose a provider? Send us the provider, plan, and proposed installation date. We can coordinate the installation, plan the cutover, configure your network, and verify service afterward.
Ask CTRL-A about business internet →Check your internet speed
Run a test near your router, then in the room where you have trouble. Save the results to discuss with your provider.
Run Cloudflare’s speed test →Slow or unreliable business Wi-Fi?
CTRL-A can assess wireless coverage, network equipment, and connection performance, then recommend practical improvements.
Ask about a Wi-Fi assessment →Secure your home Wi-Fi
Learn how to change default settings, choose strong Wi-Fi security, and keep your router updated.
Read the FTC Wi-Fi guide →My internet stopped working
Check whether other devices are affected, look at your provider’s outage information, and contact the provider using its official app or bill. Restarting equipment may help, but do not reset it to factory settings without guidance.
Plan for your next internet outage
Explore a backup connection and automatic failover for your business, including setup and testing.
Plan a backup internet connection →Cybersecurity basics
Start with the accounts and devices you use most. Small, repeatable steps make a difference.
How can I check whether my credentials have been leaked?
Enter your email address at Have I Been Pwned to check whether it appears in breaches known to the service. You do not need to enter your password for this email search.
Review which information was exposed. An email match does not necessarily mean your current password was leaked, and no match does not prove your accounts are safe. If a password was exposed or reused on an affected account, change it through the official app or website and update any other account using the same password. Turn on multifactor authentication.
Dark web monitoring through CTRL-A
CTRL-A offers business dark web monitoring to help identify exposed business credentials. We can help you review findings and determine which passwords or account protections need attention. Monitoring provides alerts; it does not remove leaked data or prevent every account compromise.
Ask about business dark web monitoring →How can I remove my personal information from the internet?
Data-removal services can submit opt-out requests to supported data brokers and people-search sites that list details such as your name, home address, and phone number.
You can request removal directly from individual sites or use a paid personal-data removal service to manage requests for you. Compare coverage, ongoing monitoring, and cancellation terms before subscribing.
Removal is not a complete erase of the internet. Information can reappear, and removing a people-search listing does not erase stolen credentials from a breach. If credentials were exposed, secure the affected accounts too.
Want help getting started with data removal?
Ask CTRL-A about personal data removal. We can explain the options and connect you with our data-removal referral partner.
Ask CTRL-A about data removal →How can my team manage passwords securely?
Use a password manager to create and store unique passwords. For business accounts, choose a tool that lets you manage employee access and share credentials securely when sharing is necessary. Turn on multifactor authentication too.
Read the FTC account guide →Business password managers through CTRL-A
CTRL-A can help your business select and deploy a password manager, organize shared vaults, set employee permissions, and plan access changes when someone joins or leaves. We can also help configure multifactor authentication.
Ask about business password managers →Keep devices safer
Turn on automatic updates and learn how to spot suspicious messages.
Explore CISA Secure Our World →Keep business devices maintained
Ask about managed updates, monitoring, and ongoing IT support for your computers and systems.
Discuss managed IT support →Protect your business email domain
Use the FTC’s small-business cybersecurity resources to learn about phishing, email impersonation, and vendor security.
Explore FTC business cybersecurity →Make your domain harder to impersonate
CTRL-A can review SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—the email settings that help receiving systems check whether messages using your domain are authorized.
Request an email security review →How can we reduce phishing and suspicious business email?
Teach employees to verify unexpected requests using a known contact method and report suspicious messages to your IT team. Review the protections on your business email accounts.
Business email filtering
CTRL-A can configure and manage email filtering to help detect suspicious messages, links, and attachments, alongside your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace security settings.
Review our email filtering →How can employees access business systems securely from anywhere?
Identify which applications each employee needs, require strong sign-in verification, and remove access when roles change or employment ends.
Zero-trust access for your business
CTRL-A can help implement zero-trust network access: access to approved applications based on the user, device, and defined policies. We can review your remote access needs and configure appropriate controls.
Discuss secure business access →Know whether your backups can restore your data
Ask what is backed up, how often, who receives failure alerts, and when a restore was last tested. Include business email and cloud files in the discussion.
Turn backup uncertainty into a recovery plan
CTRL-A can review backup coverage, configure monitoring, test restores, and help document recovery steps.
Review our backup coverage →Need help sorting through what happened?
CTRL-A Technical Services can help with business IT and cybersecurity questions. If a payment is at risk, contact your bank first.
Contact CTRL-A →