The new year brings with it an opportunity for a fresh start. From a cybersecurity perspective, a new year is also a typically dangerous time. Cyber hackers and cyber criminals often take advantage of the opening of tax season—January 7 for businesses, January 27 for individuals—to unleash social engineering campaigns. The campaigns can be digital, or phone based. They’re looking to steal login credentials or PII and will stress the need for you to respond urgently to an important communication, typically from your financial institution or accounting firm, about a problem with your account, a law you may have violated, or something else that requires your immediate attention.

As if such risks are not enough to wrestle with, the dawn of 2020 brings with it additional cyber worries rooted in the recently increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The Iranian government suggested its response to the killing of General Qasem Soleimani “concluded” with its January 7 missile launch. But according to The New York Times, cybersecurity experts are picking up on ongoing malicious cyber activity from pro-Iranian forces. And while Iranian cyber capabilities are not on par with those of Russia, China or the U.S., Iran does have the capability to inflict damage via a cyber attack.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which was created through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, is charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats. The agency’s January 6 Alert AA20-006A “Potential for Iranian Cyber Response to U.S. Military Strike in Baghdad” suggests that employees as well as the IT departments of organizations adopt a heightened sense of awareness and increase organizational vigilance.

What you should do:
*Use known contact methods instead of those provided in an email or voicemail
*Do not open attachments or click links unless you are certain they are from a verified “trusted source”
*Do not divulge sensitive information unless you have verified the recipient
*Be sure to use approved solutions for transmitting sensitive information with clients or third parties

Cyber criminals continue to ramp up efforts to disrupt organizations and their ability to function in a digital society. Organizations must continue to enhance their efforts to keep themselves from becoming victims of cyber crimes.

Attend Our Cybersecurity Webinar
On Wednesday, January 22 join HBK Risk Advisory Services Director Matt Schiavone for our first webinar of 2020, “Security Awareness Programs: What You MUST Know to Protect Your Company & Workforce” at Noon EST. Register for the free webinar here.

Cyber Security impacts almost everyone and in many facets of our personal and professional lives.

Whether you run a large corporation, operate a small private business, manage a home-based budget, utilize any types of professional or private services, are active in your community, or simply have hobbies and purchase essential products needed for daily life, your private information is online somewhere in cyber space. And since Identity Theft is a common sub-component of Cyber Security, HBK CPAs & Consultants’ (HBK) Risk Advisory group wanted to kick off 2019 with some reminders for our clients and colleagues about how to avoid Identity Theft and remain Cyber Secure.

The most common types of identity theft are as follows:

1. Social Security Number Identity Theft
2. Medical Identity Theft
3. Financial Identity Theft
4. Driver’s License Identity Theft
5. Character/Criminal Identity Theft

These types of identity theft involving data that are often referred to as PII because they contain Personally Identifiable Information. PII is essential to both personal and professional activities because of the huge number of computer databases where this type of information is housed, such as a electronic medical records, online banking, shopping, or utility accounts, etc.

Here are some suggestions to help to protect your identity, though the list is hardly all-inclusive:

1. Review your annual free credit report via the Annual Credit Report website. This is why you should:
• It’s authorized by federal law.
• You are entitled to one free report from each of the following credit bureaus every year.
  – Equifax
  – Experian
  – Trans Union
  
2. Regularly monitor your credit cards online.
   • If you have the ability to do so, enable text message alerts for:
     – Purchases over X dollars (You can decide the amount based on your personal financial situation.)
     – Online purchases
     – Periodic account balances
     
3. Enable two-factor authentication for all of your online financial and medical accounts.


4. Consider freezing your credit files. Here are some details about/suggestions for doing so:
   • Evaluate the practicality of taking this step personally because in some states, there is a cost to unfreeze and then refreeze your credit files.
   • Consider how often your information is public and vulnerable and what purchases may be impacting your credit or that would warrant a credit check.
   • Learn more about freezing your credit files at the Annual Credit Report website. Follow these prompts:
     – Choose the “Protect Your Identity” tab,
     – Then choose “Security freeze basics” on the left-hand side of the screen.
     

The HBK Risk Advisory group can assist you with questions about Identity Theft or any other Cyber Security matters. For more information, please contact Bill Heaven at WHeaven@hbkcpa.com.