Thanksgiving is behind us, and Black Friday heralds the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The top stories this week serve as a reminder that perhaps our biggest bond of trust with our Members is the protection of their information.
With a large percentage of the shoppers, the holiday spirit is tempered with worries about identity theft and fraud. Phishing and social engineering is still the primary method by which attackers gain access to our Member’s data. This is a good time to send reminders to your staff, particularly those who deal directly with the public. You might also consider methods to educate Members about ways they can protect themselves from identity theft.
It takes a partnership. Your peers as well as local and federal law enforcement have resources to help with your educational programs. We are able to help if you do not yet have a law enforcement contact.
Another cyber intelligence theme is the increased level of attacks in general as we emerge from an election into a transition of power. This is the time to review Incident Response and Business Continuity plans in case there are internet or service disruptions in the coming months. Take a critical look at the resilience of your processes.