DETROIT – Defender Kevin Dietz recently sat down with Detroit's top FBI boss to get the inside story on what to watch out for when it comes to cyber crimes.
"There are a lot of vulnerabilities that exist, threats and dangers that exist across the Internet," said Paul Abate, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit office.
Criminals in dozens of countries are working around the clock to trick people out of their computer passwords and personal information in order to gain access to financial accounts. But, Abate said, it's not always money the criminals are after.
"We're always looking to identify individuals who have a terrorist intent, who want to do harm," he said. "The biggest issue that we face right now is the ability of terrorists and terrorist organizations around the world to reach out, to radicalize individuals towards violence and to recruit individuals to become terrorists or join terrorist organizations."
The organizations are not only looking for people who will do ground work for them, but also hackers who can get into electrical grids and banking systems.
"Cyber terrorism, at the highest level, will be more along the lines of using computers and computer networks to attack those networks, to attack critical infrastructure and spread widespread harm," Abate said.
While nothing to that level has ever happened, Abate said the intent is there and citizens need to be extra cautious with their online and mobile passwords and bank account numbers.
Another precaution? Be aware of who is around you. Abate said most terrorist plots are stopped before they are even attempted, and many times the key tip comes from someone who notices even the smallest red flag.
"Anyone who comes across anyone that they deem suspicious, or something just doesn't feel right, or they have a bad sense about, yes, we want them to contact us or their local police department and report it so we can check it out," Abate said.
Tipsters who report through the FBI's system remain anonymous.
To file an online Internet crime complaint, click here.
To read more from the FBI's Cyber Crime division, click here.