Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Am I the only one who finds it odd that my friend’s condo door doesn’t have a peephole? I do not want to have to look out a side window to identify the solicitor at my door. But, isn’t that exactly how giving through social media feels? Now, don’t get me wrong, I think it is great that the internet has revolutionized and accelerated online giving. The Red Cross has thus far raised over $21 million in $10 text donations for Haiti (and I hope there is more to come!); all nonprofits raised $4 million in the entirety of 2009. But, a reported 4,000 scam sites, disguised as nonprofit relief organizations, arose to take a cut of online donations to Hurricane Katrina. Social media makes it easy to give and hard to identity fakes. With Americans having already donated $150 million online (out of the total $300 million) to Haiti, I don’t want to see this giving trend mitigated by fear of cons. Here are a few social media reminders that will help.
Always check for ID. BBB Wise Giving provides a few tips on verifying online nonprofits. First, look for ID verification, such as a verified badge on Twitter. Second, find out if the nonprofit relief organization has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Third, find out if the nonprofit relief organization is providing direct aid. Fourth, rely on expert opinions. And, finally, when in doubt, go with the one you know or just give offline.
Beware of geeks bearing gifts. Just because you have been invited to use a Facebook application or have received a link from a friend doesn’t mean you have to open it! More than once I have received an email from a friend that warns not to click any link from previous emails because of its malicious intent. If something looks odd, it is better to get confirmation from your friend that she is the sender rather than to just open the link.
Limit your social networks. Would you invite your 5,000 Facebook friends to a house party? Most likely you would not. The greater your social network, the greater the likelihood that one of your friends or an evil doppelganger could send you a malicious link that could scrape critical logins and passwords or infect your computer with a nasty virus. Know who your friends are and keep them limited to 600.
Lengthen abbreviations. Bit.ly and Tiny URL are fantastic ways to shorten URLs to fit character limitations. But they are also creative solutions to mask malevolent web addresses. Protect yourself by installing an add-on that will display the full URL. When clicking on links, longer is better than shorter.
As we continue to maximize the profoundly good impact that social media creates, to paraphrase the film Home Alone, our social media profiles are our homes, we have to protect them so we can continue to make them safe havens for giving.
Tags: identity theft protection, ShoreBank, social media, triple bottom line
Posted in Outreach | No Comments »
Friday, February 13th, 2009
Did you know that 7% of all mobile phone contain enough personal data to facilitate identity theft (according to a British Telecom study)? This statistic will most likely increase as more people conduct banking and purchasing activities on mobile devices. Additionally, with new device models, features, and services plans launching all the time, mobile phones have a short lifespan. That is why, when it is time to purchase a new cell phone, you should recycle your device. Not only is it environmentally important; doing it the right way will prevent identity theft.
In a 1.2 billion global mobile phone market, 60% of all purchases replace existing cell phones – only 1% of which are recycled. However, 99% of recycled cell phones contain personal data, including, potentially, bank account information (according to a recent Regeneris study). For Americans, whose average 18 month cell phone lifespan equates to 130 million replaced cell phones and 65,000 tons of waste, this research means that we have a big opportunity to reduce waste – but we need to protect identities in the process.
For those who (hopefully) opt to recycle their mobile phones, it is important to take more than just one step to ensure that your personal information is completely wiped from those devices. Wiping a cell is not like wiping your hard drive. For commercial reasons, mobile phones do not have the open architecture that PCs do.
That means that even if the DIY among us delete everything in their phones, this only deletes references to where the data is located and not the actual information (which is stored elsewhere). I do not know about you, but even though I love recycling, I would rather not risk recycling my identity. That is why I recommend performing any, if not all, of the following tactics, before you recycle your phone:
• Do not store any personal information on your mobile phone which you would not want a stranger to see.
• See your cell phone manual or wireless provider’s website for specific information on permanent information deletion
• Remove your SIM and memory cards prior to donating your cell phone
• Verify that the mobile phone recycling organization erases data
• Use the data erasing software programs
You can protect all of your personal information and the environment. For more information on how to recycle your cell phone, we found this article to be helpful:
http://www.voip-news.com/feature/50-ways-leave-cellphone-011608/
Tags: community development, environmental sustainability, green banking, identity theft protection, recycling tactics, ShoreBank, triple bottom line
Posted in Outreach | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Guest Contributor: Donna Pfeil, VP, Associate Director, Network & Information Security Svcs
The holidays and winter drives many people into hibernation. Who in their right mind wants to brave the snow and ice to buy yet another gift for a distant relative or down egg nog with co-workers whom 40 hours a week with is already too much time spent together? With the Internet you can do both–shop and network–from the friendly confines of your own home. Thanks to social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and others, we can get connect with friends, discover lost classmates and real bargins, even find a new job perhaps with co-workers we might want to one day share an egg nog with, or perhaps make new friends who share similar interests.
But before you are lulled into the false sense of security or comfort that is easily derived from using social networking sites, remember to guard your privacy carefully while communicating. Sometimes, like in any conversation, we can share more than we need to or what is good for us. Social networking sites unfortunately like many other things today, are also targeted by a new wave of cybercriminals, or those who are looking to take advantage or defraud users for their own gain.
So before you begin “hibernating” and surfing the Internet this holiday season, please be aware of some of the dangers lurking online:
· Identity Theft—Social networking sites often include prompts for information like things like age, date of birth, e-mail address, phone number, and mother’s maiden name in order to steal one’s identity that will “open the doors” for others to defraud you. It is wise to never share or publish passwords, social security numbers and other pertinent information that makes it easier for thieves to gain access to programs for doing business online that will end up costing you money and your good credit score.
· Malware—The use of images and video clips by spammers to infect your computer with malware (malicious software, which includes computer viruses, Trojan horses, adware, and spyware). It is easy for a cybercriminal to pose as a member of a social networking site, and then send his “friends” a message containing a link that will silently download harmful software when it is opened. Only open those attachments and programs from people you really know.
· Impersonation—Social networking sites typically don’t authenticate new members. That means the people you meet on a site may not be who they claim to be. Criminals and mischief-makers can also copy photos and information from your profile, and use it to masquerade as you—either online or offline (for instance, by creating a fake ID in your name). Watch out for impersonation in all its forms.
· Social Engineering—Information gathered from social networking sites by criminals seemingly involved in a legitimate enterprise who will steal your identity and use it for their own benefit. Therefore, do not respond via online, despite how much they seem to know about you.
Tips for Safe Social Networking
· Limit the information you post—Be careful about posting facts that might be used by other sites (such as a credit card or bank site) to verify your identity. For your personal safety, avoid posting too many details about your future plans and whereabouts. These details can leave you vulnerable to stalkers, burglars, etc..
· Be discreet—Don’t post anything that you do not want everyone to see. Avoid confidential information whether yours or that of the company you work for.
· Be skeptical—A lot of good information is available online, but there is also a lot of disinformation, rumor, and opinion. Don’t believe everything you read online, and double-check your facts before taking any action.
· Be wary—It’s easy for people on social networking sites to impersonate someone else, such as one of your friends or acquaintances, or to misrepresent the facts about themselves including age, gender, and intentions. Don’t trust someone you have just met online any more than you would trust a stranger encountered in an offline setting.
· Check privacy policies and settings—Take the time to read the privacy policy of a social networking site which will tell you what types of information they will share or sell to third-parties. If you don’t agree with a site’s policies, don’t use it. If the site allows you to adjust how much information about you is available, for instance, by allowing only close friends to view your profile, consider using this feature.
· Validate information requests – Many companies, including ShoreBank, will never solicit you for private information outside of the normal course of business. If you receive any email from ShoreBank or any company asking to verify private information or collecting information and passwords, do not respond to the email. Instead, call the official customer service center of the company and validate the request with a known source.
For more information on identity theft, malware, and ways to protect yourself online, the FDIC has generously allowed us to share this fun and useful video with you–just click http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index.html.
Tags: community development, green banking, identity theft protection, ShoreBank Direct, social media, triple bottom line
Posted in Banking Industry | 11 Comments »
