Protecting Yourself in the Digital Age
Written by Pete Lopez, Chairperson of Greylock Federal Credit Union
There is a saying, "trust but verify." It is generally about giving someone the benefit of the doubt but also double-checking afterward. In the age we live in, where supercomputers are phones in our pockets, I think the phrase we should have top of mind is "zero trust." In other words: do not trust--and still verify, particularly when it involves your personal information or money.
I went to college to study computers in the 1980s and spent the next four decades working in that space. You might think that would prepare me better to navigate this daily, relentless and constantly shifting landscape of fraudulent phone calls, text messages, emails, websites, social media messages and other scams.
I wish it did.
The bad guys are getting so good--innovative, even--at appealing to, distracting us, and momentarily gaining our trust. Sometimes all they need is that one-second click that opens the door.
I've probably read more about this than most people. Yet I still worry about the threats facing my 88-year-old mother-in-law or my daughters and their growing families. My advice to them still boils down to the same two simple words: Zero trust.
I actually stole the idea from a conference I attended on Greylock's behalf a few years ago. At its core, "zero trust" means that even when systems are familiar and interconnected, they should not automatically trust one another. They need to continually verify that they really are who they say they are.
Is that convenient? Absolutely not. But in an age when someone's identity can be so easily faked, imitated and personalized, I believe we need to remain vigilant--even when inconvenient.
I was trying to illustrate this idea to a fellow Greylock director over a "zero-trust coffee." I said that under a true zero-trust approach, we might check IDs and even do a body scan before sitting down. We laughed. But I firmly believe that the principle should apply to us personally just as much as to technology.
Anything that comes your way involving personal information, your home or your money--or anything that is even slightly unexpected--should trigger a moment of zero trust. By default, think: "Hmmm I need to verify this before I act."
Greylock continues to invest in people, systems and processes to proactively protect our members from threats. In writing this, I spoke with Mystie Ford, Fraud Prevention Officer on Greylock's Risk Management team. Her top three things for all of us to keep in mind are:
- Slow down. Stop. Think.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
- Reach out for help.
As Mystie puts it: "Fraudsters want you to panic, act fast, and provide information before you verify. Write these three things down. Put them by your computer. After you slow down, stop and think, reach out for help."
Remember, you can reach out to Greylock anytime. For immediate assistance, call (413) 236-4000 or 1 (800) 207-5555. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For less urgent questions, you can also email info@greylock.org.
And one final thought: There are zero dumb questions. If something doesn't look right, sounds strange, or simply makes you uncomfortable, call us. Ask us before you click, respond or send money.
Stay safe.