'The good news is that HR has the power to protect their employees’ personal data and the company's bottom line'
Fraudsters continue to target Canadians and many of them even have access to their victim’s personal and financial information, according to a report.
More than four in 10 (44 per cent) of Canadians have received a call from someone claiming to be from a reputable source, like a bank or government, asking for personal or financial information, according to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).
Another 28 per cent have been contacted by someone pretending to be from work or law enforcement, asking them to buy retail gift cards and to pay for things like a fine or fee.
Worse, 28 per cent have been contacted by scammers who already had some of their personal information.
“COVID-19 has created the perfect environment for fraudsters to try to gain access to Canadians’ personal and financial information,” said Jason Storsley, vice-president for fraud management, RBC. “This includes an increase in phishing scams as people continue to spend more time online, whether shopping, using social media or searching for information about the pandemic, making it more likely to click on or respond to fraudulent requests.”
Ten per cent of Canadians have been contacted about a fraudulent job offer or investment opportunity while another 10 per cent have received an email or text directing them to a fake website related to COVID-19.
Last year, attacks on web applications rose by 800 per cent in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period the previous year. More than half (56 per cent) of Canadian employers expect to increase their cyber budgets, according to a separate report.
Information at risk
A quarter (24 per cent) of Canadians said they have taken added steps since the start of the pandemic to protect their personal and financial information from fraud. However, it seems Canadians themselves are putting their own personal and financial information at risk, especially the young ones, according to RBC.
More than a third of respondents (34 per cent) have used the same password for online or mobile banking as they use for other online accounts. This number rises to 44 per cent for ages 18-34.
Nearly three in 10 (28 per cent) Canadians have logged into online or mobile banking while using public Wi-Fi, and 41 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds have done the same.
Also, 23 per cent of Canadians have sent an email money transfer and used a security question that is easy to guess while 15 per cent have used personal information, such as a birthday, address or phone number, for their online or mobile banking password. The numbers jump to 38 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively, among 18- to 34-year-olds.
Data protection
“The good news is that HR has the power to protect their employees’ personal data and the company’s bottom line. While this does require considerable time, energy, and effort, the results will be well worth it,” according to insurance company Allstate.
Allstate also shared some steps human resources teams can take to protect employee data:
- Provide thorough and continuous training.
- Develop a comprehensive cybersecurity plan.
- Offer identity protection services as an employee benefit.
