Page 51 - Cyber Warnings - November 2015

Educate consumers to:

 Minimize PII in wallets or smartphones, and keep PII secure at home, office and in
vehicles
 Become more aware of risks of personal information through use of workplace
computers
 Avoid links included in unsolicited email
 Monitor accounts and review financial statements regularly
 Watch mail for statements for unknown accounts or credit cards
 Obtain a free annual credit report: www.annualcreditreport.com
 Copy everything in their wallet and store it safely
 Sign up for Better Business Bureau scam watcher: www.bbb.org/council/bbb-scam-
stopper
 Register with FTC’s Do-Not-Call Registry: 1-888-382-1222 or www.donotcall.gov
 Opt out of credit offers: 1-888-5-OPTOUT or www.optoutprescreen.com
 Use security settings on Facebook and other social media accounts

Victim Assistance: Helping Consumers

Every organization should have a plan not only for preventing cyber-attacks, but for responding in
the days, weeks and months afterward. This response plan should detail how the company will
assist its customers in dealing with the attack through elements like:

 Call center support
 Free credit monitoring
 On-site or virtual counselling
 Support for families and partners
 Employee training and drills
 Ongoing updates and communication
A good plan also outlines a process for quickly assessing the scope of an attack’s potential human
impact. By formulating policies in advance based on the most likely attack scenarios, companies
can stay one step ahead in their preparations. But, like any crisis plan, a cyber-attack response plan
is only as good as the training behind it. Employees should routinely conduct drills on their roles and
responsibilities so they feel comfortable and competent in responding during an actual attack.

The best order of business for any organization is to offer help to its consumers for recovery
stemming from the cyber-attacks. This should include education on and preventive measures
against re-victimization, which happens when hackers continue to use stolen information again and
again.

Throughout the response, the organization must be an advocate for the consumer. Remember, this
is not the consumer’s fault.

51 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – November 2015 Edition
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