Are you taking steps to protect personal information? Safeguarding sensitive data in your files and on your computers is just plain good business. After all, if that information falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to fraud or identity theft. A sound data security plan is built on five key principles:

1. Take stock. Know what personal information you have in your files and on your computers.

2. Scale down. Keep only what you need for your business.

3. Lock it. Protect the information in your care.

4. Pitch it. Properly dispose of what you no longer need.

5. Plan ahead. Create a plan to respond to security incidents.

To learn more about how you can implement these principles in your business, watch the video on ID Theft for Business. You'll see and hear about practical steps your business can take to protect personal information. After you experience the tutorial, we hope you'll take advantage of the other resources on this site to educate your employees and customers. This information is provided by the Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The following links are provided solely as a convenience to our visitors. Village Bank neither endorses nor guarantees in any way the organizations, services or advice associated with these links. Village Bank is not responsible for the accuracy of the content found on these sites.

• OnGuard Online: Learn how to avoid Internet fraud, secure your computer,
  and protect your personal information.

Also

• SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute's Twenty Most Critical Internet Security Vulnerabilities

• U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)

• Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute's CERT Coodination Center

• Center for Internet Security (CIS)

• The Open Web Application Security Project

Corporate Account Takeover is a form of identity theft in which criminals steal your valid online banking credentials. The attacks are usually stealthy and quiet. Malware introduced into your systems may be undetected for weeks or months. Account-draining transfers using stolen credentials may happen at a time when they are not noticed for a day or two.
The good news is, if you follow sound business practices, you can protect your company:
 

• Use Layered System Security: Create layers of firewalls, anti-malware software and encryption. One layer of security might not be enough. Install robust anti-malware programs on every workstation and laptop. Keep them updated.

• Manage the security of online banking with a single, dedicated computer used exclusively for online banking and cash management. This computer should not be connected to your business network, should not retrieve any email messages, and should not be used for any online purpose except banking.

• Educate your employees about cybercrimes. Make sure your employees understand that just one infected computer can lead to an account takeover. Make them very conscious of the risk, and teach them to ask the question: “Does this email or phone call make sense?” before they open attachments or provide information.

• Block access to unnecessary or high-risk websites. Prevent access to any website that features adult entertainment, online gaming, social networking and personal email. All such sites can inject files into your network.

• Establish separate user accounts for every employee accessing financial information, and limit administrative rights. Many malware programs require administrative rights to the workstation and network in order to steal credentials. If your user permissions for online banking include administrative rights, don't use those credentials for day-to-day processing.

• Use approval tools in cash management to create dual control on payments. Requiring two people to issue a payment – one to set up the transaction and a second to approve the transaction – doubles the chances of stopping a criminal from draining your account.

• Review or reconcile accounts online daily. The sooner you find suspicious transactions, the sooner the theft can be investigated.

“Social Engineering” is any method of theft that manipulates human nature in order to gain access to your online financial accounts. No business is immune to the risks of Social Engineering attacks, and thieves will go to great lengths to lower your guard. Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from thieves using Social Engineering techniques:
 

• Don't allow unfamiliar visitors into any area with network access. Thieves often pose as vendors, service providers or even firefighters conducting an inspection, in order to gain physical access to your network. It only takes a few seconds for them to plug in a thumb drive that installs keystroke logging software. Legitimate technicians or officers will have I.D. beyond a logo shirt or uniform to back up their claim, and should be verified independently.

• Be cautious about letting visitors use a workstation or plug into your network. A request to “check my email” or “download that sales brochure” might seem innocent enough. But, this is a favorite tactic of Social Engineers to gain access to your network and leave monitoring software or hardware behind.

• Control access to your facility. Whatever type of business you are in, there should be barriers between public and private back office areas. Doors leading into back offices from public areas should be locked. Doors to outdoor smoking areas should be locked. Visitors to back office areas should always be accompanied by a trusted employee.

• Don't assume that an unsolicited phone call or email is actually from a trusted source. Thieves can research your business relationships or donations, then pose as a vendor or charity you trust. They can even pose as another company employee needing help. Again, verify before providing any confidential information.

• Remember, unexpected email attachments should be treated with great caution. Common and popular files like PDFs, JPGs and spreadsheets can provide a platform for installing viruses or keystroke-logging malware on your computer. If you aren't certain the file came from a legitimate business, charity or person, don't open it without verifying. Call them and ask if they sent an email with an attachment.

• Verify, verify, verify. If you receive a phone call or email claiming there is a problem with a bank account, credit card account or any other network or finance related account, hang up the phone or delete the email and check those accounts directly through normal access channels.

The best way to avoid Social Engineering schemes is to be cautious about any unknown visitor, and any request for money, passwords, account numbers or other confidential information – no matter where it seems to be coming from.

Consumers are protected in a number of ways against unauthorized electronic transactions, but it’s very important to do your part. These protections do not apply to business accounts:

Report lost or stolen debit/ATM cards within two business days.
If you lose your debit/ATM card (or other access device) report it immediately.
By contacting your financial institution within two business days of discovering the loss, you limit your liability to $50. Waiting more than two business days to report the loss increases your liability up to $500.

Important! Review your statement every month.
If you find an unauthorized electronic transaction, you have 60 days to report it to your financial institution in order to limit the amount for which you are liable. If you wait more than 60 days you become liable for the unauthorized transactions. So review your statements every month and report any suspicious activity immediately.

The security of your money and identity is as important to us as it is to you. Let's work together to protect it.