Our security measures

 

We take our responsibility to safeguard customer information very seriously. To protect certain communications between your computer and our servers, we use a technology solution called “Secure Sockets Layer” (SSL). SSL ensures that the information transmitted is encrypted. In addition, we use the concept of “defense in depth”, in our cybersecurity program that has many layers, from employee awareness to having firewalls at the very edge of our network. 

 

Your security measures

 

Securing your internet connected devices is an important part of ensuring that your personal information is protected online. Following are some tips:

  • Change any default administrative username and password
  • Perform regular security updates to the operating system on your computer and applications you use
  • Use a commercially available anti-virus and malware detection software and always ensure that it is up to date.

Proper password techniques are also an important aspect of protecting your personal information. Here are some helpful tips:

  • Use different passwords for each online application
  • Change your passwords periodically
  • Don’t use any personal information in your passwords (birthdays, pet or family member names)
  • Use a combination of upper, lower case letters, numbers and symbols
  • Choose longer passwords as they are harder to crack than shorter ones
  • Turn off any features that save or automatically enter in your passwords

Phishing emails are a quick and easy way for someone to steal your password or make you install malicious software called malware on your computer. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself to help determine if an email is legitimate:

  • Do I recognize the sender or is the senders address misspelt/containing odd characters?
  • Are they asking for things like money or transaction details with immediate action?
  • Are the hyperlinks in the email going to where they say they are?
  • Are any of logos or images distorted?

 

Fraud prevention and management

 

Increasing your awareness of financial and other scams is the first steps toward fraud prevention.

 

A few tips to maximize your own privacy and security are:

  • Never send money or give personal or financial information to anyone you do not know and trust – online, over the phone or in person.
  • Never send personal information through email unless it is encrypted.
  • Take a moment to think carefully about what you’re being asked to do. Does it make sense? With financial scams, the information presented is often incomplete or inaccurate.
  • The best course of action is to delete suspicious e-mails without opening or replying to them. When in doubt, get independent advice from a trusted source.

Knowing what to look for may help you avoid becoming a victim. Whether or not the scam is successful, you should report your interaction with individuals or groups whom you believe to be acting fraudulently to the appropriate authorities.

 

Report an incident

 

Fraudulent or suspicious activity can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, through its website or by telephone at 1-888-495-8501.