New York is strengthening its defense against a potential cybersecurity attack as tensions mount between Ukraine and Russia.

In anticipation of an attack, Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement saying in part: "The reality is that because New York State is a leader in the finance, health care, energy, and transportation sectors. Our state is an attractive target for cyber criminals and foreign adversaries."

CEO of Sandwire Corporation Adam Schwam says businesses and individuals need to protect themselves.

He says people can protect their personal accounts by not opening something they don't recognize and frequently changing their passwords.

"Hitting a personal email is not out of the realm, it can easily blow up someone's email as well as their local computer and everything that is on it," Schwam says.

Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone says the county is working with law enforcement, the state and federal government on the issue.

"Our cybersecurity team is on heightened alert, and they are looking for any unusual activity that may be occurring," Bellone says.

The White House has been preparing for a potential cyberattack since November, according to Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger.

"We urge our private partners to exercise incident response plans and put in place cybersecurity defenses like encryption and multifactor authentication."

Hochul says her administration will remain vigilant by continuing to monitor for threats.