There are things that you can do to protect yourself against identity fraud or other theft.  Make it a rule to never provide any personal information in response to a request that you did not initiate.  This includes personal information about you such as your address, account numbers or passwords.  If you receive an email telling you that your bank security has been compromised, call the bank to verify the story.  Do not follow the links provided in any email message.  This will likely lead you to a copycat website designed to collect the personal and confidential information you key in. 

 

Be vigilant and trust your instincts.  Be aware that there are risks associated with surfing the Internet and that a strange message you receive from your senior partner may not in fact come from your senior partner.  Maintain and update your anti-virus protection, anti-spyware and firewall software.  Consult a professional to help you protect your data if this is not an area you are very knowledgeable about.  

 

If you discover you or your firm has been the victim of computer crime (extortion, privacy breach, disclosure of client information, loss of data, etc.) not only may some of the consequential losses be covered under your professional liability insurance program, but you also have access to a 24-hour emergency response email and phone number, where you will be given professional assistance. The contacts are cyberclaims@clia.ca and 1-833-383-1488.