New Free Cyber Incident Resource Library: Find the Right Help After a Hack or Scam

When an account is hacked or money disappears in a scam, finding the right help should not require sorting through a page of alarming search results. Fundy Tech's free [Cyber Incident Resource Library](/tools/cyber-incident-resources) brings reporting agencies, account-recovery links, credit resources and message templates together in one searchable place, with Canadian resources alongside US and global options.

It is a practical directory, not an emergency response service. It does not file a report, recover an account or contact your bank for you. Its job is to help you find the next appropriate step and prepare the information you may need.

Start with the immediate problem

Different incidents need different first calls. A stolen social account, a suspicious bank transfer and ransomware on a business computer are not interchangeable problems.

The library opens with first-step guidance. If money is involved, contact your bank through a trusted number, such as the one printed on your card—not the number in a suspicious message. If a business device appears compromised, stop using it for sensitive work and contact your IT responder through a trusted channel. Follow their containment instructions rather than attempting a hurried clean-up that could destroy evidence.

For an account problem, use a device you trust and the provider's official recovery process. Your email account deserves particular attention because access to it may enable password resets elsewhere. Do not send passwords, one-time codes or recovery codes to anyone claiming they need them to “verify” or rescue your account.

If there is an immediate threat to someone's physical safety, use emergency services rather than waiting for a website report to be reviewed.

Find resources by region and type of help

The library groups resources by what you need: reporting fraud, dealing with financial or credit concerns, responding to identity theft, recovering accounts and finding security assistance. Search and region filters help narrow the list.

Canadian entries include the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Equifax Canada, TransUnion Canada and government information about identity documents and tax-related scams. Youth and exploitation resources are included too, so those situations do not get lost in a general technology checklist.

US reporting resources and globally useful recovery tools are listed separately. This makes the directory useful beyond Atlantic Canada without suggesting that every reporting route is available everywhere.

Start with the region that applies to you, then choose the kind of help you need. Follow the official organisation's instructions about eligibility and reporting. A resource card is an introduction, not a substitute for the current process on that organisation's own website.

Prepare a clear account of what happened

It is difficult to explain an incident while you are still trying to understand it. The resource cards include notes about the information an organisation may ask for, helping you organise your account before making contact.

A short timeline is often a useful starting point. Record when you noticed the problem, how the contact began, which accounts or devices appear affected and what steps you have already taken. If money is involved, keep transaction references and your bank's case number together.

Preserve relevant messages and ordinary screenshots where safe. Do not publish sensitive evidence on social media or paste account numbers and identity documents into unfamiliar services. In cases involving sexual images of a child, do not download or forward the images; seek instructions from police or the appropriate child-protection service.

Distinguish what you know from what you suspect. “A customer received an unexpected payment-change email” is a fact you can report. “Every customer record was stolen” is a very different claim and should not be made without evidence. A clear, limited account helps responders decide what to investigate.

Message templates for a stressful moment

Sometimes the next obstacle is writing the message. You may need to warn contacts, explain an unauthorised charge or tell your employer that something has happened.

The library includes copy-ready templates for four situations: warning friends about a compromised account, disputing unauthorised bank charges, notifying a manager or IT provider, and notifying customers about compromised business email.

Treat each template as a starting point. Replace the example details, remove anything that is not established and choose a communication channel you still control. Keep a copy of what you send and when you sent it.

For a business, a customer notice deserves particular care. Have the responsible manager and, where appropriate, your insurer or legal adviser review it. A template does not determine whether a privacy breach is reportable, which people must be notified or what a notification must contain. Those decisions depend on the facts and applicable obligations.

Avoid promising a refund, recovery date or security outcome that nobody has authorised. A useful message can acknowledge a problem and give a safe contact route without making commitments you cannot yet support.

Account recovery is different from reporting

Reporting a scam and recovering access often happen through different organisations. A fraud report does not automatically reset a social account, reverse a payment or remove a malicious forwarding rule from an inbox.

The library brings these routes closer together while keeping their purposes distinct. Use the account provider's official process for access problems, the bank's process for disputed transactions and the relevant reporting organisation for the incident itself.

Be cautious about unsolicited “recovery experts” who approach you afterwards. Do not grant remote access or make additional payments simply because someone claims they can recover what was lost. Verify who you are dealing with through an independently obtained contact route.

Once access is restored, follow the provider's guidance on reviewing active sessions, recovery details and authentication settings. For a business account, your IT team should help assess related systems instead of assuming that changing one password has resolved the entire incident.

Bookmark it before you need it

The best time to find a reliable starting point is before an incident. Save the library somewhere you can reach from a second device. A small business can include the link in its internal response notes, alongside its own bank, insurer and IT contacts.

You can also use the templates for a tabletop exercise: imagine a suspicious invoice email has reached a customer, then work out who receives the first internal message and who approves the next step. Use fictional details and do not submit reports just to test the process.

[Open the Cyber Incident Resource Library](/tools/cyber-incident-resources) and familiarise yourself with the categories. For help strengthening your everyday protections, explore [Fundy Tech's cybersecurity services](/cybersecurity) or [contact us](/contact). We are based in Meteghan, with on-site support in southwest Nova Scotia and remote and managed services across Atlantic Canada. The library remains available whether or not you use our services.