Information Security
By: Grace Gayheart and Ben Robin
In the next five years, 146 billion personal records will be exposed by data breaches. Juniper Research’s Cybercrime & the Internet of Threats 2018 estimated that number based on actual breaches not just those that are reported.
Personal records and information isn’t just stored electronic data. It can also refer to sensitive financial documents like tax returns or paystubs all the way down to your address and phone numbers. Information security is the process of protecting that information from unauthorized access and corruption.
Is your information safe?
Central Kentucky Ag Credit is continually striving to ensure personal information and data is secure. By leveraging technology offerings provided from our funding bank, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, we are able to bring state-of-the-art data and security measures from the market to the Association to protect sensitive information.
What are we doing?
In addition to leveraging technology from AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, we have also developed a comprehensive plan to help keep information secure. We routinely provide security testing to look for potential weaknesses and offer security awareness training to each employee on a quarterly basis. We also recently developed a full-scale physical security plan for each of our branch locations.
What else?
While IT departments are usually first to come to mind when discussing data security, there are actually multiple other aspects that are just as important; including you. Here are a few easy steps to help boost your information security:
- Update your personal devices regularly – Regular updates ensure that patches for vulnerabilities are installed quickly.
- Two-factor authentication is best – Twofactor authentication relies on more than just a password when accessing apps or sites containing your personal information.
- Keep your passwords safe – Never write down your passwords, and ensure they are complex and unique. They should contain a series of both uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as symbols.
- Avoid phishing emails – If you do not recognize an email address, be wary! Do not click on embedded links, open files or download software.