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From Data Breaches and Information Hacks, to Unsecure Computing
-Know Your Defense
Share This Every other week it seems like there is another secure data breach – from Target and Home Depot, to JP Morgan/Chase and the Apple iCloud, just to name a few. These breaches and hacking are becoming the new norm in today’s digital age. It’s no longer a question of if it will ever happen – it’s a question of when and how bad will it be. It’s important to be prepared when a breach affects you, protect yourself as much as possible, and know what to do when your information does become compromised.
How hackers get your secure data and information*
have been a horrible situation. It is yet another important reason why we ask you to verify yourself over the phone when we give out any information, or process requests. Unsecure Browsing – If you’re visiting questionable sites, surfing on free/public Wi‐Fi, or browsing without a firewall or outdated browsers and plugins, you’re putting yourself and your computer at risk. Improper Password Practices – Do you use the same password for all of your logins? Or maybe your passwords are things like ‘Password123’ or ‘123abc123’. Another risk is keeping your password list in a place (either on your computer or a physical printed list) that is unsecured. See below for some safe password practices. Tax/Identity Theft, IRS Scam – the IRS warns of scammers looking to exploit you in a number of ways. Some hijack your tax filing by submitting a return before you do under your SSN, or someone may call you claiming to be from the IRS, accusing you of owing money. Their official statement is to always remember: “The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.” Data Breach – these are unpreventable for the most part. These attacks are on vendors like your bank or stores you shop at – anywhere you’ve visited with your digital footprint like your email, address, date of birth, payment information, or security questions and answers.
retrieve a secure code via text or app. Do not use the same password for all of your sites. If a hacker gets one, you don’t want them to be able to access all of your digital life. Social Media Safety Refrain from posting personal information online. Don’t post personal details such as phone numbers, addresses, or indications of your financial situation (like your great credit score, employment, luxury purchases, etc.). Rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t want it posted in Times Square, don’t post it online. Don’t post your future plans, or anything defining your daily routine. Thieves can pick up your patterns based on when you post them or if you’re going on a long vacation and they will know when your house is clear for burglary. As much as you love sharing the details of your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, you can be exposing them to identity theft. If you post information including their full name and date of birth, thieves can target their fresh and new identity too. Be Proactive Proactively monitor and report discrepancies in any of your financial statements, or on accounts. The sooner you act, the better. Your financial institution or company that you’re doing business with will be the best place to start when making a formal report. Keep track of all dates, times, and contact information for those you talk to regarding reports you’re making. Sign up for a credit monitoring service, if you feel the need.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of identity theft of any form, here
are some steps to take:
No matter who you talk to along the way, be organized and document everything. Here’s a great chart visualizing this: Click to Enlarge Source: FTC, “Taking Charge: What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen” ‐ (Click for the full PDF resource)
What is CWM doing to protect your information?
Portable computers must be fully encrypted. Team members are expected to report any suspicious activity, or computer performance – both on internal computing, and for red flags surrounding clients and client requests. CWM offices are key‐card access only outside of regular business hours and sensitive information is either shredded or kept in secure locations. If there is a security breach to any degree in which your information has been potentially compromised, you can expect to be notified with details and actionable steps moving forward. The Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) will be conducting examinations of more than 50 registered broker‐dealers and registered investment advisors, focusing on areas related to cybersecurity.2 CWM is dedicated to upholding the security of your personal information to the best of our ability.
