Who’s responsible for cybersecurity: The adviser or the firm?

Q: All we keep hearing about at my firm is “cybersecurity.” I get what I’m supposed to do: Don’t click on strange links in e-mails. Watch out for phishing attempts. Verify distribution requests with my clients verbally. Beyond that, isn’t it the firm’s responsibility to make sure its systems are buttoned up?

A: Actually, the measures you’re taking aren’t the only ones that you personally need to worry about when it comes to cybersecurity.

If you work from home, is your modem secure? If you’re working remotely from a coffee shop, is the Wi-Fi allowing hackers to access your laptop? Do you save your passwords on your smartphone in an unencrypted file? Do you use the same password for different accounts? And have you failed to speak to your clients about how they’re keeping their financial information secure?

Cybersecurity
Monitors display the status of the Sembcorp Industries Ltd. Global Asset Management System (GAMS) at the company's Technology and Innovation Center on Jurong Island in Singapore, on Friday, March 31, 2017. GAMS enables the mangement of Sembcorp's utilitiy facilities around the world through advanced data analytics for process optimisation, troubleshooting and predictive maintenance. Photographer: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg
Ore Huiying/Bloomberg

These are just a few of the additional questions you should be asking yourself.

It might help to re-think your attitude about cybersecurity. Treating it as your firm’s responsibility, not yours, is surest way to undermine your firm’s security (cyber- or otherwise).

The number and frequency of attacks continue to grow, putting your clients’ money at risk (not to mention your firm’s).

Broker-dealers that get hit with cyberattacks not only lose money as a direct result of the incursions, but also lose clients when their reputations take a hit — sometimes at a greater cost than the immediate loss from the financial breach. And if your firm loses clients, you can bet that you’re losing clients —and income — as well.

So if you can’t get on board for the sake of your employer and you’re not concerned about your clients losing money, then at least do it for the sake of your own pocketbook.

Certified financial planners will pay an additional $120 a year for the CFP designation, starting in October. The CFP board said the fee hike will help fund expanded advertising efforts.

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With more than a decade of experience in the digital and clinical health space, Kristen Larson specializes in cultivating positive, long-term client relationships that reach organizational goals. At Personify Health, she leads and develops a team that delivers experiences that build loyalty and guide program growth to drive peak performance, health outcomes, and healthcare cost impact. Kristen is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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