Tips for Protecting Yourself Against Cyber Fraud
Lindsey Fiske Thompson, Strategic Operations Advisor | Carolyn Taylor, Founding Partner, President | February 28, 2016
The luxury of always being “connected” comes with the unfortunate risk of being compromised. To best serve our clients, the Weatherly crew has an established compliance culture that keeps all team members fully trained and abreast of the latest in regulations and information security. Weatherly’s Identity Theft Prevention, Business Continuity, Information Security and Privacy Policy Programs aim to proactively protect our business and our clients against:
- Fraudulent wire, trading, account set-up, electronic fund transfer, and email requests
- Theft of identity, passwords & log-in credentials
- Malware, phishing, social engineering
Some of the measures Weatherly employs to safeguard data include:
- Identity verification via copies of clients’ driver’s licenses
- Firewalled network security with 24/7 monitoring
- Email and email attachment encryption
- User authentication in addition to passwords
- Verbal confirmation of certain trade & account requests
- Offering guidance to clients on a number of different protection and data breach issues
Some simple things you can do right now to protect yourself from unnecessary extra holiday stress are outlined below, as well as a few resources & articles that provide more detail.
- Create ROBUST passwords on all devices and shared documents; change your passwords often
- Consider a password management application
- Employ “find my device” functionality
- Update your operating system, browser, anti-virus and other critical software
- Secure your home & business networks; use public wi-fi with discretion for certain activities
- Review your social media privacy settings
- Sign up for text alerts of account activity
- Report lost or stolen items immediately
- Teach your friends… remember, you can control your online activity, but not that of the sender
- Verify certain activities by an outbound phone call (vs. email or inbound phone verification requests)
- Minimize secure information provided to third parties
- Only open links & attachments from trusted senders
The links below offer further guidance on the topic.
- Protect Myself from Cyber Security Attacks
- Advice for non-technical computer users
- StaySafeOnline.org is an excellent resource for business owners, families, and individuals
** The information provided should not be interpreted as a recommendation, no aspects of your individual financial situation were considered. Always consult a financial professional before implementing any strategies derived from the information above.