October is Cyber Security Month!
Hundreds of organisations across the world will be participating in Cyber Security Month throughout October, TIAA are joining European Cyber Security Month to support their campaign.
The campaign is dedicated to promoting cyber security among people and organisations, and to providing up-to-date online security information through awareness raising and sharing of good practices.
‘Think Before U Click’ is the official motto of ECSM 2022. This October, the programme focuses on two themes to help people identify and be prepared for cyber threats.
The two themes of the campaign are:
- Phishing
- Ransomware
Cyber Security Month is a great opportunity to remind us all of the importance of Cyber Security. Smartphones, computers and the internet are now such a fundamental part of modern life, that it’s difficult to imagine how we’d function without them. From online banking and shopping, to email and social media, it’s more important than ever to take steps that can prevent cyber criminals getting hold of our accounts, data, and devices.
During the month, TIAA will be taking part by posting advice and information to our Twitter and LinkedIn social media accounts using the hashtags #CyberSecMonth #ThinkB4UClick
Advice and Support
Our specialists are available to provide advice and assurance on cyber-crime awareness. You can contact us via our contacts page to find out more. For further information about the Cyber Security Services we can offer you, please visit our dedicated page Cyber Security
Useful resources that we will be sharing during the month include:
Phishing
‘Phishing’ is when cyber criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims leading you to download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.
Further advice and information about Phishing can be found at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams
Ransomware
Cyber criminals can prevent you from accessing your device and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting your files, they then demand a ransom in exchange for the decryption, they may also threaten to leak the data they steal. This is Ransomware and whilst scary you can outsmart the criminals by backing up your data mitigating the threat.
Further advice and information about Ransomware can be found at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ransomware/home
Ransomware Infographic from the NCSC
Recent Fraud Case of Mandate Fraud
A TIAA client has been targeted by fraudsters in an attempted mandate fraud. The fraudsters purported to be from Mitie, a supplier used across multiple sectors, and the fraudulent email content is regarding invoices and a new bank account. There is no indication that Mitie were in anyway involved in this fraud. Please find the full story in the link below.
Mandate Fraud – Fraudsters Purporting To Be From Mitie
WhatsApp Smishing Scam
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has issued a warning regarding an ongoing scam where victims are targeted on WhatsApp by criminals pretending to be someone they know – usually their children or grandchildren.
TIAA Article – Constant Vigilance
In this article for @HFMA_UK TIAA’s Peter Sheppard discusses cyber threats and the key priorities raised from TIAA’s benchmarking review of cyber security maturity. Read the full blog here.
https://www.tiaa.co.uk/blog/constant-vigilance/