Original Coverage & Source Attribution: wlos.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — Gov. Josh Stein has proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in North Carolina, encouraging residents to protect themselves from digital scams and threats.
According to a report from the FBI, North Carolina residents lost over $431 million to internet crimes in 2025, up from $324 million in 2024. The report says over $15 million of last year’s losses were connected to artificial intelligence.
“We are expanding our defenses against cyberattacks and taking proactive steps to protect state systems and residents’ data in an ever-changing threat landscape,” said Nate Denny, secretary for the state’s Department of Information Technology.
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North Carolina officials have developed a five-year strategic cybersecurity plan and secured $85 million in cybersecurity investments to protect residents from cyberthreats, according to Gov. Stein.
Residents are advised to follow these steps to protect themselves online:
- Verify unexpected or unusual messages: Confirm the authenticity of the message by contacting the sender via another method.
- Be careful with links: Only open links sent to you by trusted sources.
- Learn how to spot fakes: Check the source before sharing a video or photo.
- Protect your personal information: Use strong passwords and use multifactor authentication.
- Update devices: Turn on automatic updates for your devices and software.
