Safe computing tips for Cyber Security Awareness Month

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2006

TORONTO – Keeping your computer healthy, developing a sharp eye for spotting cyber threats, and plain common sense are your best defence against criminals who try to steal your personal information while you’re surfing the Internet, the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) said today. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and the Canadian banking industry is participating in this international effort to help consumers protect themselves and their computers from cyber crime.

“More and more Canadians are using the Internet and it’s important to be able to recognize a cyber threat and to ensure that your computer isn’t vulnerable to an attack,” said Caroline Hubberstey, Director, Public and Community Affairs at the CBA. “Banks have state-of-the-art technology and layers of security in place to protect systems and keep their customers safe, but consumers have a role to play too by ensuring they have up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam software installed on their computer and by learning how to spot a scam.”

A recent Statistics Canada survey found that 58 per cent of adults who accessed the Internet from home last year did their banking online, while 55 per cent used it to pay bills. The study found that 61 per cent of Canadian households — an estimated 7.9 million households — had an Internet connection in 2005.

Recognizing Cyber Threats at Home

“Most people know to treat any amazing offer on a website or sent by e-mail with a healthy dose of scepticism and to be careful when downloading files from the Internet, but it’s important to be aware of the new forms of fraud, such as ‘phishing’ and ‘vishing’,” said Ms. Hubberstey.

E-mail fraud, sometimes called “phishing,” uses fraudulent e-mail messages and websites that look like they are from a legitimate organization, such as a bank, credit card provider, retailer or government agency to trick consumers into providing personal information. “Vishing” is short for “voice phishing” and it’s similar to phishing, but instead of using just e-mail, the criminals will use the phone in the hopes of luring you into divulging information such as social insurance numbers, credit card numbers or online banking passwords.

The three most common ways to spot a phishing or vishing contact are:

• No personalization: be wary of e-mails that say “Dear Client” or “Dear Valued Customer”. Most legitimate companies you deal with know who you are and will address you by name.
• It sounds alarming: both vishing messages and phishing e-mails will have a sense of urgency, such as “you must reconfirm your information or your account will be closed in 24 hours.”
• The message asks for personal information: No legitimate company would contact you by e-mail to ask you to reconfirm any of your personal information for security purposes or any other reason. They already have it. Your bank may contact you by phone if they suspect fraudulent activity on your debit or credit card or bank account. As part of a legitimate conversation with your financial institution, you may be asked personal verification questions so the bank can ensure that they are speaking to the right person. You will not, however, be asked to verbally provide your Social Insurance Number or any card PIN or banking password or enter them on your telephone keypad.

If you receive a phishing or vishing contact, do not respond to it and delete the message. If you think you have provided personal information to a phisher or visher, phone your financial institution immediately using a published number that you know is legitimate, not the one provided in the e-mail or phone message.

Keeping Your Computer Safe

While banks have extensive security systems in place and work around the clock to protect customers from fraud and assist police in their investigations, consumers have a role to play in protecting themselves as well. There are some simple steps that consumers can take to secure their home computers and educate themselves about the latest fraudulent scams so they don’t fall victim, including:

• Avoid using a public computer when doing financial transactions.
• Always logging out of an online transaction session and clearing the cache of your browser after visiting secure sites. This will help ensure that nobody else can view any confidential information you may have transmitted.
• Installing and maintaining a firewall to guard against unwanted access to your computer.
• Installing proven anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware software and keeping them updated.
• Installing patches and updates to your operating system and applications as they become available from the manufacturers.
• Many businesses require that you use 128-bit encryption to access secure websites. Update your Web browser on a frequent basis to ensure you are using the latest browser technology and the highest encryption level.
• Always ensuring that you are in a secure environment. Look for the closed-lock or unbroken-key icons on your browser when entering credit card or other sensitive data. Also make sure that the website address in the address bar begins with https rather than just http. If you don't see these or if you see a broken key or the open padlock, your transaction is not being securely transmitted across the Internet.
• Using common sense and being aware of potential security leaks. You wouldn’t give information to just anyone in the off-line world. Apply the same discretion online.

Cyber Security Awareness Month is an international collaborative effort initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, as well as governments, major universities and the Internet industry to educate Internet users of all ages about safe online practices.

The Canadian Bankers Association is an industry association representing 54 domestic chartered banks, foreign bank subsidiaries and foreign bank branches operating in Canada and their 249,000 employees.

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For more information:
Melanie Minos, Manager, Media Relations
Tel: (416) 362-6093, ext. 220
Cell: (416) 587-7733
E-mail: mminos@cba.ca