If you have a smartphone or spend any time online, you probably consider yourself to be fairly internet savvy. But are you using the internet safely? We asked our Business & Technology Services department (aka “BATS”) to share their top internet safety tips & tell us what they do to ensure that client information is safe and secure.
Tips for internet safety:
1. Keep it private. Don’t access personal or financial data with public Wi-Fi. Thanks to smartphone technology, we can easily access our bank accounts or make purchases anytime, anywhere. While we love this convenience factor, using public Wi-Fi can be risky. If you’re searching for general information… like looking up nearby restaurants or searching for cat memes, by all means, use a public network. But if you’re accessing personal information or accounts… like checking your bank statement or buying something online, we suggest you do so on a secure connection.
2. Click with caution. Be wary of links and attachments that seem “phishy.” These can come through emails, texts, instant messages, and more. As a general rule of thumb, never click on a link you did not expect to receive. Particularly if you don’t recognize the sender’s name, email address, or phone number. Your spidey senses should be tingling if they…
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- ask you to update your payment information
- ProTip: Go to the company’s website and contact them from there to be sure you actually need to update your payment info.
- request your personal or confidential information
- ask you to log in via a link
- make an urgent request with a deadline
- have lots of obvious spelling mistakes or poor grammar
- ProTip: Click on the sender’s name to see the address they are sending the email from. You will be able to tell if it really is coming from Apple or Amazon, for example. If the address doesn’t make sense (I.e. random letters and numbers), it’s probably suspicious.
- ask you to update your payment information
And remember, if it sounds too good to be true… it probably is.
3. Always use protection. Internet malware and viruses are rampant. Antivirus and anti-malware programs will detect and remove viruses and other kinds of malicious software from your computer or laptop. A firewall provides external security – think of the front door security at the entrance of a building. Antivirus software ensures internal security – picture the caretaker in that building.
ProTip: Firewall vs. virus scanner? Get both.
4. Passwords protect. More complex = more secure. We know, we know… you want to make your password something that’s easy to remember, like the name of your pet or firstborn child… but that also makes you very easy to hack. Hackers have an arsenal of tools to break short, easy passwords in a matter of minutes. Use a password that has at least eight characters and a combination of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and symbols.
ProTip: A passphrase can be even more secure than a traditional password and they are often easier to remember (e.g. “sp00ktacularsafetyTIPS”).
What we’re doing to ensure client information is secure:
First of all, we have a Business & Technology Services team (“BATS”) dedicated to ensuring the safety of our clients’ information. They work hard behind the scenes to ensure there aren’t any bugs or weaknesses in our cybersecurity, this includes everything stored in your client portal.
Litco Law uses best-in-class security applications, and we have 24/7 monitoring to ensure everything is super secure. While we can’t go into too many details about the applications we use at our firm (for safety reasons), they are robust and exhaustive – think Fort Knox.
Lawyers are required to follow strict rules and requirements for the safety and security of confidential information. As a practicing law firm, we’re required to store all client information within Canada and ensure that it is collected, utilized, disclosed, and retained in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta).
Have questions? Contact us today to speak with a member of our legal team!
As always, we’re here for all your legal needs including Personal Injury, Real Estate, Wills and Estates, and Employment law.
