Cyber Security and Protection from Cyber Fraud

Email communication is an inherent part of modern day business. It is not uncommon to run an entire transaction online, start to finish. However, this reliance can leave companies, clients, and customers alike exposed to the increased threat of email-based cyber fraud.

While most companies have strong defences to guard against hacking, there have been instances of criminals posing as clients to gain access to email account details. Once they have access, they are able to monitor communication and send a fake request for a funds transfer, substituting account details for their own. This substitution allows criminals to divert client funds from the legitimate trust account into their own.

It can be very difficult to identify whether or not the email is authentic on face value. If the criminal has direct access to the email account, the email will appear exactly the same as any other email sent from that account. They will also be able to delete or block any incoming communication.

Tisher Liner FC Law proactively guards against cyber fraud and has systems in place to protect your information from cyber-attack. These are outlined below:

What we do:

1. TLFC will provide you with our payment details, confirmed either over the phone or in person.
2. TLFC will not change any payment details unless we speak to you first.
3. TLFC will always verify email instruction with you directly, either in person or over the phone.

What you can do:

1. Keep our original engagement letter on file to cross-reference our trust account details with any further correspondence.
2. If you receive an email from us requesting you deposit money into an account, do not respond to the email.
3. Contact our office immediately and speak with the person dealing with your file either in person or over the phone.
4. Inform them you have received an email requesting payment and confirm the validity of this email.
5. Verify the account details quoted in the email either in person or over the phone.

If you are ever concerned about the authenticity of any correspondence or request received from TLFC, do not action the request. Immediately contact our office an speak to the person dealing with your file.

We also recommend following the following cyber fraud prevention steps:

• Keep all computer software on all devices up to date, including security upgrades;
• Change your passwords every 12 months. Use passwords that are at least 8 characters long with a combination of capital and lower-case letters numbers and symbols;
• Do not use the same password for each device;
• Use two-factor or two-step authentication wherever you can;
• Monitor your emails for suspicious looking or fraudulent emails;
• Never provide personal information via email; and
• Do not click on links in emails from people or companies you do not know.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact our office on +613 8600 9333 or speak directly to any of our Lawyers.

Disclaimer
The material contained in this publication is meant to be informational only and is not to be construed as legal advice. Tisher Liner FC Law will not be held liable or responsible for any claim, which is made as a result of any person relying upon the information contained in this publication.