Tag Archive for: safeguards

5 Safeguards to Help You Avoid Email Scams

/in


If unwanted emails — often called spam — clog your inbox, you’re not alone. Some experts estimate spam accounts for over 40% of all email traffic worldwide.

Unfortunately, a lot of spam is carefully designed by their senders to bypass the spam filters built into webmail and Internet service providers’ email platforms. While much of that mail consists of clever sales pitches, many have links and content that are scams.

Staying safe

According to Krista Wrona, who heads Policy, Governance & Training, Fraud Risk Management, at TD Bank, email has made it easy for criminals to send such scams to millions of people at very little cost.

“So even if just a tiny percentage of recipients respond, the perpetrators can make a lot more money than robbing a store, a bank, or some other establishment,” she explained. “And the chances of getting caught are slim.”

To keep you safe, Krista urges you to keep the following considerations in mind when handling your email:

Confirm senders of important messages.

While banks and other financial services providers might send you important and sometimes government-mandated notifications, they will never ask you for personal information or to click on a link as a way to respond.

This type of email is called a phishing email because the sender is “fishing” for your information. If you receive any such message but it seems urgent or serious, call your bank’s customer service number and talk to a live agent to find out if the message is legitimate or not. You should note that banks will never call you asking for personal information or credentials.

Don’t open emails from people or businesses you don’t know.

Many fraudulent messages get opened by using enticing subject lines with promises of health or wealth. These can be especially appealing to people who may be suffering chronic illnesses or financial distress. If you do open such a message, do not open any attachments, or click on any links. Either one can download malware onto your computer.

One type of malware called spyware can copy your login information — ID and password — for your bank, other financial services provider, credit card, or favorite online…

Source…

Federal Trade Commission publishes final updated Safeguards Rule | Thompson Coburn LLP

/in


On October 27, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced significant updates to the Safeguards Rule. The FTC asked for comments on the Rule in 2019, and held a public workshop on the Rule in 2020. The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 9, 2021. The Rule is effective on January 10, 2022, however, most of the substantive provisions of the Rule take effect a year from the publication date.

Per the final rule summary, the amended Rule contains five primary changes:

  • “First, it adds provisions designed to provide covered financial institutions with more guidance on how to develop and implement specific aspects of an overall information security program, such as access controls, authentication, and encryption. 
  • Second, it adds provisions designed to improve the accountability of financial institutions’ information security programs, such as by requiring periodic reports to boards of directors or governing bodies. 
  • Third, it exempts financial institutions that collect less customer information from certain requirements. 
  • Fourth, it expands the definition of ‘financial institution’ to include entities engaged in activities that the Federal Reserve Board determines to be incidental to financial activities. This change adds ‘finders’–companies that bring together buyers and sellers of a product or service– within the scope of the Rule. 
  • Finally, the Final Rule defines several terms and provides related examples in the Rule itself rather than incorporate them by reference from the Privacy of Consumer Financial Information Rule (‘Privacy Rule’).”

Substantively, the amended Rule generally follows the approach outlined in the 2019 proposal with certain amendments and clarifications.

The 2021 changes to the Safeguards Rule passed by a 3-2 vote by the FTC with the three “yes” votes coming from Democrats and 2 “no” votes from Republicans. Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips and Christine S. Wilson dissented. Commissioner Rebecca Kelly and Chair Lina M. Khan also released a joint statement. The split vote on the final Rule, as well as on the 2019 proposed Rule, reflect a change from prior rulemakings in the security…

Source…

Auditor General spotlights ‘serious deficiencies’ in Navajo County safeguards | Latest News

/in


HOLBROOK — Lax credit card supervision.

At least $41,000 in gas purchases that didn’t include a vehicle log showing the business purpose of the purchase and the trip.

And a computer system vulnerable to security breaches that would risk disclosure of confidential information and access to the system.

The Arizona Auditor General definitely had some pointed suggests about the county’s financial and IT oversight procedures.

The just released report on Internal Control and Compliance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 suggests the county has additional problems beyond the previously disclosed and now-repaid $5,579 in allegedly improper credit card charges by former health director Jeff Lee, who now faces multiple fraud charges.

The audit report obtained by the Independent indicates additional issues with both record-keeping for gas purchases and more importantly, a series of problems with the security of the county’s computer systems.

However, the county has already put in place policy changes to respond to the recommendations in oversight of credit card purchases, gas purchases and IT security.

Assistant County Manager Bryan Layton said “it is important to note that purchasing card mitigation measures and Travel policy changes have been implemented to improve internal controls.”

Moreover, he noted that the audit report spotlighted a lack of documentation of spending for gas, but did not find a case in which the spending wasn’t appropriate.

Layton said employees driving to Phoenix on business or deputies traveling to remote areas of the Navajo Reservation do have to buy gas on the road. “It is necessary in both cases to purchase fuel remotely – and our policy rightly allows this. It is important to note that they did not identify a single case of misuse, rather the issue is focused on the controls needed to detect and prevent misuse.”

Finally, he said the county works constantly to improve computer security. “This will remain a very high priority for the county and we will continue to work with the Arizona Counties Insurance Pool and the professional experts they bring on board to consistently work to reduce our risk.”

The…

Source…

‘No safeguards to protect people from govt snooping’ – DAWN.com

/in

DAWN.com

'No safeguards to protect people from govt snooping'
DAWN.com
“Pakistan purchased three types of Fin Fisher software from a German company specialising in surveillance technologies. Fin Spy enters a computer and resides in it, collecting files and real time transactions in the background, ostensibly for the …

finspy – read more