With recent high profile data breaches fresh in mind, here are some best practices and tips to keep you and your clients safe from data threats.

Why planners have nothing to fear from robo advisors.

Cybersecurity policy may still be very much a work in progress at the SEC, but officials increasingly are expecting advisors to have a baseline set of policies and procedures in place to safeguard clients' data, compliance experts caution.

Cyberattacks pose a serious threat to investors, as well as advisors and broker-dealers, and the SEC is paying attention. Here's the most recent guidance from the regulator and what it means for advisors.

Planners are often required to use encryption, which can be a powerful tool to protect private information. But advisors have to understand the basics and how to get their clients - and staff - on the same page.

Understanding regulatory and compliance responsibilities about cybercrime can go a long way in preparing planners to face the threats.

The recent FinDEVr conference showcased dozens of cutting-edge tools, platforms and technology integrations in financial services. Here are a few of the most innovative ideas I saw.

A community bank in Massachusetts has opened a branch that's a microcosm of forward-looking trends in retail bank design. Emphasis on the "micro" part.

The SEC has yet to produce or even propose any binding rules regarding cybersecurity, but officials have been sending strong signals that they expect firms of all sizes to put in place policies and procedures to protect sensitive information.

Clients don’t think of themselves as average, and human advisors are best equipped to customize and personalize their solutions, advisors and industry experts say.

Data backup may not be the most interesting part of an advisor’s role, but they must make the necessary measures a top priority, compliance and security officers say.

A positive online presence is crucial to the success of an advisor’s reputation.

Electronic thieves have gotten smarter - and they’re targeting you. These experts can tell you how to beat them.

There's almost no good way of tell a bank customer that her personal data's been stolen. But some banks do a particularly bad job of communicating during a security incident.

Experts provide valuable tips for firms to protect sensitive client data from hackers.

Everyone on staff should know how to handle sensitive client information, making it possible for them to be responsive, but not nosy.

As hackers and scam artists become more sophisticated, screening for scams can be difficult. Advisors must understand the top threats to client data and what might happen in the event of a breach.

Personal Capital's business model is rooted in technology -- but with live advisors and higher fees, the firm wants to duck the "robo" label.

Advisors should keep abreast of what their employees post on social media, but also recognize that notions of appropriate online commentary vary among generations.

Security experts recommend advisors use not only passwords, but a more stringent form of verification, known as “two-factor authentication,” for logging into every device and into every data collection system they control.