Privacy & Security 2021

Learning from past events and experiences is quintessential to staying secure, but the central element to privacy and security is “right now.”

The theme for Privacy & Security Week 2021 is: Privacy & Security: Now More than Ever.

What are you doing on a daily basis to ensure that you’re always on guard and making wise decisions to avoid a potential breach? What you do now could dramatically alter the future, as we live in a highly connected, highly fraught informational landscape.

Alliant is doing its part to ensure that our company is secure now, including:

Vendor management

We ask our vendors to complete security questionnaires and ensure that vendor IT security practices are aligned with Alliant’s protocols and comply with our legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.

Audits

We conduct annual security audits that focus on various aspects of the company, ranging from AlliantConnect to our overall technology infrastructure. We also conduct a HITRUST audit, which evaluates privacy and security practices within our industry and provides continuous benchmarks for improvement.

System security and monitoring

We’ve contracted with some of the best privacy and security vendors in the business to ensure our systems are safe and secure. One example of this is CrowdStrike, a 24/7 service that monitors our networks, servers, and systems to identify any irregular activity. We also conduct penetration testing and email phishing tests to evaluate our readiness should an attempted hack occur.

In addition to these ongoing initiatives, we are continuously monitoring trends and changes in the privacy and security landscape to ensure we are up to speed on the newest threats and vulnerabilities and are ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

2021 Privacy & Security Topics

Outlook Tips

Phishing

Invoice Fraud

Safe at Home

Keep Your Outlook Spic and Span

Email continues to be a hot spot for privacy and security threats. Just one wrong click and a hacker could gain access to every email in your system and cause havoc by accessing critical company, client, and personal data.

Outlook Tips

Phishing

Invoice Fraud

Safe at Home

Let's (Keep Talking) About Phishing

Phishing is a long-used form of deception that uses what appears to be a legitimate email or website to mine for personal information. And while this practice is not new, it grows more sophisticated by the day. From spyware to ransomware to invoice fraud, hackers are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to deceive and defraud.

Outlook Tips

Phishing

Invoice Fraud

Safe at Home

The Rise of Invoice Fraud

Picture this: You receive an email or phone call from what appears to be a client or vendor. They ask you to wire the funds to a different location and provide you with new wire transfer information. Although this seems like standard operating procedure, it is actually a brazen attempt to defraud the company out of what could be millions of dollars.

Outlook Tips

Phishing

Invoice Fraud

Safe at Home

Safe at Home

In 2021, working from home is the order of the day. The virtual office is everywhere, from your home to your car to your local coffee shop. Although this means greater convenience and mobility for the workforce, privacy and security threats abound.

Winners

Kathryn Hendrix–Dallas, TX

Bryan Tackett–Chicago, IL

Marisa Warford–Pittsburgh, PA

Winners

Monday

Margaret Banchero–Troy, MI
Michael Bulzomi–Uniondale, NY
Ross Dudney III–New Braunfels, TX
Jason Herbolsheimer–Omaha, NE
Cavanaugh Jue–San Jose, CA

Kelly Lengefeld–Austin, TX
Mark Mowinski–Chicago, IL
Gina Nunan–Seattle, WA
David Palchik–Westport, CT
Lisa Quattro–Santa Ana, CA

Tuesday

Kelli Belleville–Troy, MI
Scott Bellin–New York, NY
John Bisbee–Fair Haven, NJ
Jeff Harvey–Alpharetta, GA
Lisa Heller–Miami, FL

Brian Karleskint–Austin, TX
Jacque Sandberg–Spokane, WA
Brett Sauer–Phoenix, AZ
Amy Spengler–Maumee, OH
Alicia Whitton–San Diego, CA

Wednesday

Joseph Chien–Houston, TX
Paula Delage–Tampa, FL
Stefania Dodd–Alpharetta, GA
Kevin King–San Diego, CA
Amenda Ming Kung–Walnut Creek, CA

Rebecca Morales–Newport Beach, CA
Karin Petrino–Newtown, PA
Jessica Piccirillo–Farmington, CT
Jill Schilb–Spokane, WA
Jay Schmidt–Denver, CO

Thursday

Natalie Blanke–Omaha, NE
Joan Boxwell–Phoenix, AZ
Monica Brown–Missouri City, TX
Suzanne Doucette–San Bernardino, CA
Vita Fontana–Pittsburgh, PA

Sara Korsmo–Seattle, WA
Liz Real–Chicago, IL
Scott Rohrback–Westport, CT
Angie Strickland–Jackson, MS
Shellie Trierweiler–Greenwood Village, CO

Friday

Chris Albertson–Newport Beach, CA
Bronwyn Begley–Atlanta, GA
Charlene Crowley–Chantilly, VA
Adam Frenk–Greenwood Village, CO
Dianna Kaspar–Bellevue, WA

Marcia Lambros–Phoenix, AZ
Sharmon Oujiri–Tulsa, OK
Devon Pluck–New York, NY
Debra Smart–Newtown, PA
Blaine Trunnell–San Francisco, CA

Answers

Monday

Which carries the greatest potential for a data breach?

A. Stolen laptops

B. User error

C. Phishing emails

D. Ransomware

Tuesday

What is the best way to keep your Outlook mailboxes clean?

A. Archive older items

B. Empty the deleted items folder

C. Store private and large attachments outside your email

D. All of the above

Wednesday

You receive an email asking for sensitive information from your supervisor. What is the best way to ensure the request is legitimate?

A. Reply swiftly to the request

B. Call your supervisor directly to confirm the request

C. Reply to the email with a CC to the Help Desk

D. Contact the Help Desk directly and forward the email in question

Thursday

Which of the following actions poses the highest privacy and security risk when working remotely?

A. Shredding all documents

B. Having a work phone call in public

C. Using your personal hotspot when working in a café or public setting

D. Leaving your laptop in the trunk of your car

Friday

What should you do if you think you’ve received a phishing email?

A. Confirm all requests by direct and verbal communication

B. Check the email address to ensure it is correct

C. Don't click on any links or open any attachments

D. All of the above

Per IRS regulations, please note that gift cards awarded during Privacy & Security Week will be reported as taxable income.

Aspire Training

To further your security smarts, the Aspire team has created a fun and interactive training featuring a “docu-drama” where privacy and security plays out in real life. The training experience will conclude with a brief roundtable to bring privacy and security home to you. This training is mandatory and must be completed within 60 days of assignment.

LEARN MORE

The Privacy & Security Guidebook

We hope the week provided a fun, informative, and educational approach to one of the most pressing issues facing our company today. Now More than Ever, you are the final barrier between Alliant and a potentially devastating privacy and security incident. Constant threats abound, but with the right mix of education, awareness, and implementation, we can keep Alliant secure now and well into the future!

We have made all of the valuable information and resources from Privacy & Security week available to you via a downloadable guidebook. Download it, share it, and save it as a constant reminder that privacy and security is a critical part of everything we do!

DOWNLOAD GUIDEBOOK