Fostering Awareness & Improving Security Education

Financial institutions have the most to lose and the most to gain by improving security education of their clients and employees.

A while back I appeared on a local TV show talking about phishing. Amazingly, still, not everyone knows what phishing is. A good friend saw the show and was shocked by what she learned....about her bank.

She received a phishing email and didn't know what it was. The email asked her to update her account. It was confusing so she called her bank. She spent 20 minutes on the phone with a bank rep discussing her account and the bank could find no record of the communication or any issues with her account. At the conclusion of the call the bank rep said, "I don't know why you received this email, your account information is in order." Click.

That night she saw my phishing clip and wondered why the bank never mentioned a single word about phishing. Her bank failed her. They failed to educate her and therefore failed to protect her. She is no longer a client of that bank.

The mindset of financial institutions needs to change drastically when it comes to educating their clients about identity theft and security issues. Old school "sweep it under the rug" don't discuss it because it will scare people school of thought is dead. People want, need and require information to protect themselves.

The game has changed. People are concerned for their personal security and are hungry to learn. The fact that you or anyone reads this blog is a testament to society as a whole wants to learn. Soccer moms are now security moms. I've seen major industry players in the anti-virus space catering to these mommy bloggers and others because they understand the public is hungry for this. Banks, well, not so much.

Engage the public and they will respect you and want to do further business with you.

Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor at BankInfoSecurity.com interviewed me for a segment on this issue. Listen to the Podcast here It requires a login but its worth your time.

Protect your identity.

1. Get a credit freeze. Click on the preceding link and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

2. Invest in anti-virus and keep it auto-updated and check out my spyware killer IDTheftSecurty HERE

3. Go to my website and get my FREE ebook on how to protect yourself from the bad guy.

4. Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing the lack of security in online banking on CBS Boston