Updates

• Common Activities That Can Put Your Data at RiskMay 18, 2020

  When our lives move quickly, we sometimes risk data security in exchange for convenience or instant gratification. However, seemingly small decisions result in deep and lasting consequences if you lose your identity. Here are a few common scenarios that pose outsized risk to your security:

  • You receive an offer in the mail that you don’t want—so you just throw it in the trash, not realizing that there’s a lot of information about you inside.
  • You’re having fun on vacation, but remember your electric bill is due, so you log into online banking using public WiFi at the nearest coffee shop.
  • An online store requires you to set up an account and provide additional data prior to your purchase—but the website is “http”, or unsecured. When you set up the account, you used the same password you always do—Fifi12345 after your beloved dog.
  • After getting cash, you drove away and left your receipt hanging in the ATM.
  • Your friends all played a question game on Facebook, so you played too. Your answers revealed personal information that could help a hacker answer your “forgot my password” questions, such as your pet’s name, your first car, etc.

  These are common mistakes people make every day. More than one in four Americans don’t shred their mail, leaving personal information intact for dumpster-diving fraudsters. ¹ A recent Experian study revealed that 70 percent of consumers globally are “willing to share more personal data” with online organizations, especially if they believe it will provide greater security or convenience. ² Two in three adults admit to reusing passwords. ³

  We have partnered with CyberScout to offer comprehensive identity management services. If you detect suspicious activity or would like to proactively protect your identity, contact us at 417-843-6265 to be connected to a CyberScout fraud expert.

  ¹ “Poll: Americans Leave Their Personal Information Open to Thieves,” Creditcards.com, February 2019

  ² 2019 Global Identity and Fraud Report, Experian

  ³ “Google Survey Finds Two in Three Users Reuse Passwords,” Info Security Magazine, February 2019

  This information is meant to be a broad overview and should not be the only source you consult for evaluating your risk management needs. Adherence to the above guidelines does not ensure coverage under your policy, nor does it guarantee your risk will be accepted by our company or that your property or operations are safe, healthful, or in compliance with laws, rules, or regulations. Coverage is determined by specific policy provisions, limitations and exclusions that can only be expressed in the policy itself.

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