“Information Security” will be a term that you begin to hear more frequently. And, as an individual and professional, it is something you should start seriously thinking about this year.
Personal Identifiable Information (PII) has become as valuable as cash, and it is important to understand how to protect your own PII, as well as, any PII that you collect from your clients.
As an Individual
PII generally consists of any information that is unique to you and includes social security number, license number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and others. Having any of this data compromised can cost you financially, as well as, a significant amount of time. Some steps you should consider to safeguard this information include:
- Get a free credit report. By law, the three major credit-reporting agencies will provide you with a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
- Take the time to start to manage your identity. Understand who has your information. Your personal information can be broken down into three key areas:
- Financial data
- Medical records
- Public documents
As a Professional
Your professional responsibility for the protection of your client’s PII is increasing. The Red Flag Rules were finalized in 2010 and are now law. Even if you do not feel the Red Flag Rules technically do not apply to you by definition, it is important to understand what steps you can take to protect your client’s information
- Identify relevant red flags.
- Establish procedures to detect those red flags in your operations.
- Prevent and mitigate identity theft if you spot red flags.
- Update your program regularly.
For more information visit, http://www.naplia.com/redflags/
What to do if you have a Data Breach
Finally, what if your client data is compromised? NAPLIA has compiled information, including links to all State Security Breach Notification laws on our website, http://www.naplia.com/resources/identity_breach.shtml
Visit NAPLIA’s Resource page for more information on topics relevant to your business.
