Cyber Crime
As technology increasingly finds its way into our personal and work life, so too are criminals finding their way into our personal and work life through cybercrime. According to a September 2014 article by The Canadian Press, Statistics Canada says police reported 9,084 incidents of cybercrime in 2012, more than half of which involved fraud. Overall, there were 33 cybercrimes reported for every 100,000 in the population. Nearly half of cybercrime targets small businesses.
As an independent insurance brokerage, Drayden Insurance Ltd. is committed to protecting our clients – in the real world and online. The problem is not going away and increasingly businesses are finding they need to increase their online security to protect valuable data: Social Insurance and credit card numbers, bank account information, email addresses, home addresses, birth dates and more. With this information, they can take over existing accounts or open new ones to make fraudulent charges. After gathering email addresses, they can conduct phishing operations.
Online criminals are generally trying to make their money quickly and easily and the more difficult you make their job, the more likely they are to leave you alone and move on to another target. Entrepreneur Magazine published these tips for small businesses to safeguard it against cybercrime in October 2014:
- Keep your operating systems updated and regularly patched.
- Have a firewall plus software that opposes virus, spyware, and phishing attacks.
- Keep your browsers and all system software updated at all times with the latest version of the software.
- Encrypt your wireless network.
- Restrict software and set up administrative rights so that nothing can be installed on company computers without authorization.
- Use filtering that controls access to data.
- Block access to restricted sites with Internet filters to prevent employees and hackers from uploading data to storage clouds.
- Remove or disable USB ports so that malicious data can’t be downloaded.
- Implement strict password policies. Choose strong passwords and keep them safe.
- Encrypt entire drives, folders, and files.
Other security issues can result from scammers working on the inside or employees not being educated about the risks of bringing their own devices to work. Business owners should consult with security professionals. Installing data-loss prevention and risk-assessment software to monitor the entire network’s activities will allow you to detect events that could lead to a data breach and detect trespassers before it occurs. Security software essentials include firewall and antivirus programs.
Drayden Insurance Ltd partners with some of the top Canadian insurers, allowing us to provide a wide range of customized business coverage, including crime. For more information on cybercrime insurance, or advice on protecting your business risks, contact Drayden Insurance Ltd at 780-482-6300 for services in Edmonton, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Westlock, Fort Saskatchewan, Morinville, Leduc, and St. Albert (New Location as of September 12, 2016).