Cornerstone Senior Marketing would like to inform you of a phishing email scam that is being addressed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The scam is targeting insurance producers regarding a falsified insurance claim related to their company that has been submitted to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Full statement taken from NAIC’s Website:

We are aware of a phishing scam targeting insurance producers regarding a falsified insurance claim related to their company that has been submitted to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. This fraudulent email displays the NAIC and CIPR logo , can originate from a gmail account and asks the recipient to click on a link to download the complaint notification. 

Certain anti-virus products will detect this is a malicious email, but if you receive a similar email and have any concerns contact the NAIC Service Desk at 816.783.8500 or help@naic.org.

View sample email from an actual broker

If you have any questions or concerns, contact your Cornerstone Senior Marketing Sales representative. 

Think hackers are only trying to target large corporations for their cyber attacks? Think again! If you are an employee of a small to medium size business, you may have an even bigger bulls-eye placed on you by hackers.

Smaller businesses have recently become a bigger target for cyber attacks because the hackers know that they likely have fewer defense resources in place. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, one in five small businesses falls victim to cyber crime each year. And of those, some 60 percent go out of business within six months of an attack.

Remember these tips to stay safe:

• Never provide your password to anyone. Use complex passwords, and use different ones for each of your online accounts or programs.
• Check for red flags in emails to tip you off that the sender may not be legitimate. Check domain names carefully.
• Don’t open any email attachments if you don’t know exactly why you received them or what they contain.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Hit that delete button.

Remember, you are the last line of defense to prevent a cyber attack. You are the key to keeping the “human firewall” strong for your organization, no matter the size.

Let’s stay safe out there!   Stop, Look, and Think.

Confidential, Top Secret, Sensitive, For Internal Use Only
These terms apply to information both hard-copy and electronic that should be handled with care.
A lot of times, these designations apply to intellectual property, trade secrets, and security configurations.

Listed below are several things to keep in mind when dealing with confidential information.

Shred, Shred, Shred
Someone may hand you documents, or you may print out a file or email containing sensitive information.
Make sure that when you are done with it, that you shred-shred-shred these files instead of just placing them in the trash.
Things to keep in mind: Leaving printed files in the printer tray, meeting handouts, printed emails.
– Attackers will go through the trash and dumpsters to obtain these sensitive documents.

Tidy up
Take a look around your desk or office… how many documents do you have out and available for someone to grab, or view?
Be sure to keep a tidy workplace: put files away in locked drawers when not in use.
Would you leave the keys to your house outside the front door at night, or inside, locked away?
– Bad guys have been known to impersonate maintenance staff and cleaning crews to grab files off of desks after hours

Data and Files – Encryption and Secure deletion
Does your company give you a laptop to use? Is the data on that laptop encrypted? What about USB (thumb) drives that contain company files… are those encrypted? What would happen if that laptop or USB drive were to go missing, or even stolen? All those files could easily be read, copied, sold etc. Consider using encryption on sensitive files wherever they may be located. It becomes very difficult for attackers to read them if they are encrypted.

Sensitive information is the holy grail of an organization. If it were to be stolen or lost, the company is at risk of losing value, may suffer fines, and even public embarrassment. Treat your company’s data like you would your own social security number, credit card information, or healthcare information: with great care.

Let’s stay safe out there! Stop, Look, and Think.

You may already be aware that you should not open email attachments with an extension such as “.exe”, but did you know that even PDFs or Word Documents can be rendered unsafe to open? Opening these attachments from senders with malicious intent can cause your computer (and any networks to which you are connected) to be compromised, hacked or even riddled with ransomware.

What are the unsafe file types to look out for?  This question is better answered by listing file types that are generally considered to be safe to open. The truth is that most file types are at risk of being “booby-trapped” to attack your computer or device. The general rule is to NEVER open any email attachment if you do not know who it came from or why you received it

You should always be on guard with any email attachments that are not .TXT files. 

How can I tell if an attachment is safe to open?

• Ask yourself: Was I expecting to receive this attachment, and did it come from who I would expect it to come from? Check email addresses for any “red flags” that may indicate the email address has been spoofed or faked.
• Never open an email attachment if you don’t recognize the sender that it came from.
• If you recognize the person or email address sending you the file, but it was still unexpected, contact them first through a different form of communication (such as by phone) to ask them if they intended to send you the file.

Let’s stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think.