Information Security Tips & Best Practices

Recently, National Public Data (NPD), a public records data provider specializing in background checks, had a security breach in which ~2.7 billion records were leaked, including full names, dates of birth, and 272 million distinct Social Security numbers. Unfortunately, exposed information leaves individuals at a substantially higher risk for cybercrime and identity theft.

Whether you find that your information was included in the breach or not, it’s well worth the effort to implement security protocols as everyday habits. Changing passwords, freezing credit, being wary of deceitful attempts to collect personal information (via phone, text, or email), and signing up for identity theft protection are all steps you can take to protect yourself. Please see the following list of more preventative measures you can take for enhanced cybersecurity:

HOW YOU CAN PREVENT CYBERATTACKS

With a few preventive measures, including physically securing laptops and mobile devices at all times, you can help protect your assets and personal information from cybercriminals.

KEEP YOUR EQUIPMENT UP TO DATE: Install the latest updates and patches for your computers and mobile devices and use security software including antivirus, firewalls and encryption. And before selling or disposing of computers and mobile devices, wipe them of data.

USE WIRELESS NETWORKS AND PUBLIC EQUIPMENT WITH CAUTION: Use virtual private networks (VPN) when accessing sensitive data. Avoid visiting sensitive websites on public Wi-Fi or while using public computers and be wary of unknown flash drives.

PRACTICE GOOD PASSWORD HYGIENE: Password protect all computers and mobile devices. Online, use complex passwords that contain a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. When possible, elect for two-step authentication. Do not share your passwords.

REGULARLY REVIEW YOUR STATEMENTS: Look for signs of unauthorized activity and promptly report suspicious transactions. To thwart mailbox bandits, consider receiving your statements electronically through Client Access.

STAY ALERT FOR ONLINE RISKS: Never open attachments or click on links in suspicious emails or text messages or from senders you don’t recognize. Limit the personal information you share on social media. When online shopping, stick to sites that begin with https.

BEWARE OF SCAMMERS: Familiarize yourself with popular scam techniques, such as criminals posing as representatives of reputable companies such as your bank or claiming your computer is infected with a virus to gain access to your personal information. Misspellings and grammar mistakes are often a red flag.

PRACTICE SENSIBLE DATA MANAGEMENT: Back up your data regularly and shred sensitive documents before disposing of them.

This information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. This material is being provided for information purposes only.