Information Security Tips from Westfield Insurance

Card Skimming

Skimming is one of the fastest growing issues to plague the credit industry, with skimming related losses estimated in the billions.  Recent reports suggest increased skimming activity attributed to the advanced development of efficient techniques for locally installing skimming devices on hundreds of credit card input devices (ATMs, gas pumps, POS systems).   Help safeguard yourself from becoming a statistic with safety tips found in this issue of Westfield Bank's Fraud Awareness Series: Card Skimming. 

- Heather Smee and John Brady

Code of Conduct for Internet Commerce

Citibank is the latest in a string of companies to fall victim to online data breaches impacting millions of consumers.  Perhaps then it should be no surprise that the U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a report encouraging a ‘Code of Conduct’ for I-Commerce.  This comes almost a month after the Obama Administration's Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal, which includes concepts such as National Data Breech Reporting.

Typically in the U.S., not-for-profit professional standards organizations write codes of conduct/ethics for the Information Security profession.  For example, members of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, ISACA, are guided by a Professional Code of Ethics while members of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc., (ISC)2, may follow this Code of Ethics.  Many IT professionals belong to multiple organizations and implicitly sign-off on their respective Codes of Conduct when they enroll.  

The Insurance Journal recently highlighted the plight of business owners everywhere and the Department of Commerce's subsequent proposal in this June 9, 2011 article.

What do you think about the Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal and the Department of Commerce's proposed Code of Conduct?  Are they enough to protect our data?  

- John Brady and Heather Smee

Simple Steps to Combat Cybercrime

Cyber threats are constantly changing and present challenges for both individuals and business owners. Most people only think of cyber threats in relation to their home computer, perhaps when banking on-line or making a purchase over the Net.  But did you know businesses are just as vulnerable?

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), founded in 2000, is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).  IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime.  In 2010, the IC3 averaged over 25,000 complaints per month.  

Don't let your agency become a cyber crime statistic.  In a recent article for the Agent's Council for Technology, Danielle Johnson, VP of InsurBanc, suggests several steps to protect personal privacy, banking information, and agency data, including adoption of recent advancements in banking security.  

Combat Cybercrime and Protect Your Agency with Simple Security Steps

What questions do you have about cyber threats?  Post your thoughts in the comments below and we'll answer your questions in a future blog post. 

Protect Yourself from Online Account Takeover

In this issue of Westfield Bank's Fraud Awareness Series, we continue the theme of being on the lookout for email-based attempts to capture your online banking account information.  Check out this short list of easy-to implement-tips that will help you prevent outsiders from accessing your account and help detect when they may have done so.

Westfield Bank Fraud Awareness Series: Online Account Takeover

- John Brady