Ansett
24 November 2005, 17:12
A statement from the TD Waterhouse website
- you can find the original here (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/security_update_pop.asp)
Team Up with TD Waterhouse to Protect Your Personal Information
1. How does TD Waterhouse protect your personal information?
TD Waterhouse works hard to ensure the safety of your personal information. We constantly strive to improve on the current security models that are in place to address best practices and technology, business, and safety trends. Our security measures include the following:
Encryption-Transmissions of information that require encryption (the conversion of information into a secure format) are encrypted on the TD Waterhouse web site.
Firewalls-TD Waterhouse has implemented a comprehensive security infrastructure to both control and monitor the online environment.
Monitoring-TD Waterhouse monitors the online environment at both the network and systems levels. We also arrange for regular independent security reviews of our environment to both qualify for and maintain compliance to set organizational requirements.
For more information on the ways in which TD Waterhouse protects the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy & Internet Security (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/privacy_policy_pop.asp?SID=).
If you would like more information on how you can safeguard your online brokerage accounts and protect yourself from identity thieves, please visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) web site (http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm).
2. What can YOU do to protect your personal information?
According to the SEC, the following information about beefing up your security is an example of the type of useful information you'll find on their Web site:
"Personal firewalls/ and security software packages (with anti-virus, anti-spam, and spyware detection features) are a must-have for those who engage in online financial transactions. Make sure your computer has the latest security patches, and make sure that you access your online brokerage account only on a secure web page using encryption. The website address of a secure website connection starts with "https" instead of just "http" and has a key or closed padlock in the status bar (which typically appears in the lower right-hand corner of your screen)."
While no security method can guarantee complete protection against identity theft, adopting the following "S-A-F-E" tactics can greatly reduce your chances of being victimized:
Secure: Always secure your computer and its contents as you would secure your wallet. This includes utilizing up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as installing a firewall if you have a broadband connection.
Aware: Always be aware of the web sites and web pages you are accessing, and of the possibility that you are "being watched" by unscrupulous hackers.
Fastidious: Always be careful, concerned, and cognizant of who is using your computer, and what they are viewing on it.
Effective: Always make sure that the hardware and software you use to protect your computer and the assets it holds is effective, which means that you should update your operating system, browsers, and applications on a regular basis.
Additional steps you can take to protect your personal information:
Never respond to e-mail or pop-up messages attempting to solicit your password, SSN, PIN, or account number. Legitimate companies do not ask for this type of information via e-mail.
Review your credit card, bank, and brokerage statements upon receipt to identify any unusual or unauthorized activity.
Use caution when opening attachments or downloading files from e-mail.
Change your password frequently, make it one that is difficult to guess (words that can be found in a dictionary should be avoided), and do not share it with anyone. Also, do not write your password down or store it in your computer where it is automatically replayed and therefore easy for another person to find.
Set your browser to the maximum level of security (your browser documentation should detail how to do this).
Remember to log out when you have finished what you're doing online.
3. Are you aware of the scam called Phishing?
Q: . What is Phishing?
A: . Phishing is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a growing high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your brokerage and bank account information, credit card numbers, Social Security Number (SSN), passwords, or other personal information.
Q: . What are some typical Phishing tactics I should look out for?
A: . Fraudulent e-mails attempt to extract personal information by using the following tactics:
Luring you into replying to an e-mail with personal information;
Including links to a site that asks you to disclose personal information;
Communicating a sense of urgency.
These types of messages often appear to be authentic and urgent, but it is very important to always consider the possibility that the message is a fraud.
One recent scam involved a very legitimate looking message which appeared to be from a major bank that implored the "customer" to reply with his or her SSN in order to access information about someone who was trying to fraudulently access their banking information!
With tactics as alarming as that, it is difficult to discern what is real and what is not, but being aware of the possibility of fraud is a major step toward ensuring that your personal information isn't compromised.
Q: . What should I do if I become a Phishing victim?
A: . If you receive a suspicious e-mail that looks like it was sent from TD Waterhouse, please contact us at 1-800-934-4448.
In addition, you should report any suspicious activity to the FTC. The FTC recommends forwarding any spam that phishes for personal information to their email address (spam@uce.gov). You can also file a complaint with the FTC at their website (http://www.ftc.gov), or call toll-free at 1-877-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
If you have further questions about security issues related to TD Waterhouse, please see our Privacy Policy (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/privacy_policy_pop.asp?SID=).
© TD Waterhouse
Quoted here by Fraudwatchers.org for the convenience of people new to the internet and/or in the process of being scammed.
- you can find the original here (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/security_update_pop.asp)
Team Up with TD Waterhouse to Protect Your Personal Information
1. How does TD Waterhouse protect your personal information?
TD Waterhouse works hard to ensure the safety of your personal information. We constantly strive to improve on the current security models that are in place to address best practices and technology, business, and safety trends. Our security measures include the following:
Encryption-Transmissions of information that require encryption (the conversion of information into a secure format) are encrypted on the TD Waterhouse web site.
Firewalls-TD Waterhouse has implemented a comprehensive security infrastructure to both control and monitor the online environment.
Monitoring-TD Waterhouse monitors the online environment at both the network and systems levels. We also arrange for regular independent security reviews of our environment to both qualify for and maintain compliance to set organizational requirements.
For more information on the ways in which TD Waterhouse protects the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy & Internet Security (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/privacy_policy_pop.asp?SID=).
If you would like more information on how you can safeguard your online brokerage accounts and protect yourself from identity thieves, please visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) web site (http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm).
2. What can YOU do to protect your personal information?
According to the SEC, the following information about beefing up your security is an example of the type of useful information you'll find on their Web site:
"Personal firewalls/ and security software packages (with anti-virus, anti-spam, and spyware detection features) are a must-have for those who engage in online financial transactions. Make sure your computer has the latest security patches, and make sure that you access your online brokerage account only on a secure web page using encryption. The website address of a secure website connection starts with "https" instead of just "http" and has a key or closed padlock in the status bar (which typically appears in the lower right-hand corner of your screen)."
While no security method can guarantee complete protection against identity theft, adopting the following "S-A-F-E" tactics can greatly reduce your chances of being victimized:
Secure: Always secure your computer and its contents as you would secure your wallet. This includes utilizing up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as installing a firewall if you have a broadband connection.
Aware: Always be aware of the web sites and web pages you are accessing, and of the possibility that you are "being watched" by unscrupulous hackers.
Fastidious: Always be careful, concerned, and cognizant of who is using your computer, and what they are viewing on it.
Effective: Always make sure that the hardware and software you use to protect your computer and the assets it holds is effective, which means that you should update your operating system, browsers, and applications on a regular basis.
Additional steps you can take to protect your personal information:
Never respond to e-mail or pop-up messages attempting to solicit your password, SSN, PIN, or account number. Legitimate companies do not ask for this type of information via e-mail.
Review your credit card, bank, and brokerage statements upon receipt to identify any unusual or unauthorized activity.
Use caution when opening attachments or downloading files from e-mail.
Change your password frequently, make it one that is difficult to guess (words that can be found in a dictionary should be avoided), and do not share it with anyone. Also, do not write your password down or store it in your computer where it is automatically replayed and therefore easy for another person to find.
Set your browser to the maximum level of security (your browser documentation should detail how to do this).
Remember to log out when you have finished what you're doing online.
3. Are you aware of the scam called Phishing?
Q: . What is Phishing?
A: . Phishing is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a growing high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your brokerage and bank account information, credit card numbers, Social Security Number (SSN), passwords, or other personal information.
Q: . What are some typical Phishing tactics I should look out for?
A: . Fraudulent e-mails attempt to extract personal information by using the following tactics:
Luring you into replying to an e-mail with personal information;
Including links to a site that asks you to disclose personal information;
Communicating a sense of urgency.
These types of messages often appear to be authentic and urgent, but it is very important to always consider the possibility that the message is a fraud.
One recent scam involved a very legitimate looking message which appeared to be from a major bank that implored the "customer" to reply with his or her SSN in order to access information about someone who was trying to fraudulently access their banking information!
With tactics as alarming as that, it is difficult to discern what is real and what is not, but being aware of the possibility of fraud is a major step toward ensuring that your personal information isn't compromised.
Q: . What should I do if I become a Phishing victim?
A: . If you receive a suspicious e-mail that looks like it was sent from TD Waterhouse, please contact us at 1-800-934-4448.
In addition, you should report any suspicious activity to the FTC. The FTC recommends forwarding any spam that phishes for personal information to their email address (spam@uce.gov). You can also file a complaint with the FTC at their website (http://www.ftc.gov), or call toll-free at 1-877-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
If you have further questions about security issues related to TD Waterhouse, please see our Privacy Policy (http://www.tdwaterhouse.com/shared/legal/privacy_policy_pop.asp?SID=).
© TD Waterhouse
Quoted here by Fraudwatchers.org for the convenience of people new to the internet and/or in the process of being scammed.