Disaster Recovery Tip #30: When Terrorism Hits Home

War on Terror

The world watched in shock on Friday as the media unfolded story after story depicting the horrific bombing and shooting massacre in Oslo. Our hearts go out to those grieving in Norway; a once peaceful and secure country now stunned by homegrown terrorism.

While Americans understand the risk of terrorism first-hand, it is important you and your employees know what to do if tragedy strikes. Below are some general safety guidelines from FEMA to take into consideration.

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right.
• Take precautions when traveling. Be aware of unusual behavior. Do not accept packages from strangers or leave luggage unattended. Report suspicious behavior to police or security personnel.
• Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent. Plan how to get out in the event of an emergency.

Be prepared to go without services you normally depend on—electricity, telephone, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and Internet transactions.

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #29: Cyber Crime on the Rise

Hacker Attack

Cyber intrusions seem to be popping up left and right in the headlines lately. From the Sony PlayStation network hack to the News of The World phone hacking scandal, there is no question, hacking is becoming a growing threat to business.

Hackers have become increasingly virulent and according to The Wall Street Journal, small firms have become their main target. Whether they are after financial gain or just looking to make a statement, the following electronic security measures can help protect your business.

• Antivirus updates - Update the antivirus program you have installed. If you do not have one, we recommend Microsoft Security Essentials for your home and office – best of all, it’s free.
• Firewall activation - Secure your in-bound and out-bound communications via firewall activation to monitor unauthorized internet access.
• Email filters - Inbox clearance can be policed effectively by setting up email filters that control harmful viruses and spam.
• Eliminate unnecessary data - If you do not need it, do not keep it. For data that must be kept, identify, monitor and securely store it.
• Secure remote access - Restrict these services to specific IP addresses and networks. It is important to minimize public access to them.
• Monitor user accounts - The best approach is to trust users but monitor them through pre-employment screening, limiting user privileges and implementing security policies and procedures.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Slidecast: How to Build a Better Loyalty Program

  

There’s no shortage of loyalty programs offered by financial institutions. But how many of them actually generate loyal behavior by account holders?

View the slidecast, “Get Smart: Differentiate Your Loyalty Programs With Customer Intelligence,” and learn how to use customer intelligence to improve your financial institution’s loyalty program. This is the second slidecast in a three-part Summer Slidecast Series brought to you by Harland Clarke Marketing Services.

This 12-minute slidecast is a combined audio podcast and slideshow that you can view at your convenience.

There’s no need to register — to view it, simply follow the link I’ve provided.*

Click here to learn how to make your account holder loyalty program more effective.

Contact
Randy Clark, Account Executive at Harland Clarke
Telephone: (800) 723-1470
Office: (603) 635-2147
Cell: (603) 508-2521

The new HP TouchPad is here + up to $200 off an ePrint printer.

Group Buying Office Supplies Program

 

 

Contact
Rolf P. Madsen, District Sales Manager
Telephone: (508) 253-5526
Fax: (508) 253-9100
Visit the StaplesLink web site.

Order All the Breakroom Supplies You Need at Staples!

Contact
Rolf P. Madsen, District Sales Manager
Telephone: (508) 253-5526
Fax: (508) 253-9100
Visit the StaplesLink web site.

vsp July EnVision Now Available

Vision Care Plan

The July issue of Vision Service Plan’s newsletter, EnVision, is available here.  Vision Service Plan (VSP) is the endorsed vision care plan of the Massachusetts Bankers Association.  Employees’ eye health awareness should be an important goal of wellness programs.  This newsletter is a helpful reminder.

Contact:
Robert E. Messing, Director of Administration, Group Insurance Services
Massachusetts Bankers Association
One Washington Mall, 8th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Tel: (617) 523-7595

Subscribe to Massachusetts Banker Magazine

 

 

Do you want to keep up with the latest trends in banking?  How about the major political, legislative and regulatory policies impacting your job and your institution’s trajectory?

You need Massachusetts Banker.

You’ll find profiles and features on local bank leaders and financial companies.  
Discover opportunities to spread the word about your own institution’s charitable work, new hires and promotions.  Moreover, in the award-winning quarterly Massachusetts Banker Magazine you’ll see a regular listing of upcoming industry events and educational programs to benefit you and your staff.

We’re betting you’d like to better educate the up-and-comers on your staff about the ins and outs and the intricacies of our industry.

The best part?

You can have it all for only $5 per year.

That’s only $1.25 per issue for each employee. (But you knew that because, well, you’re in banking.)

If you call the number below, you may find that you qualify for a group rate that will save you even more money.

To order, call the toll free number today:

866-931-7933

Massachusetts Banker is the magazine of the Massachusetts Bankers Association

Webinar: Best Practices for Navigating FACTA and the Red Flag Rule

  

With the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) requiring financial institutions to have a written identity theft prevention program, your financial institution faces new challenges. These include understanding and implementing the right program in a way that is efficient, minimizes fraud exposure and properly documents and tracks any “red flags.”

To help you navigate these new challenges, Harland Clarke is joining with banking technology provider FIS to present a free one-hour webinar about ID verification, FACTA and how your financial institution can remain FACTA compliant. Harland Clarke is a channel provider for FIS, which serves more than 14,000 institutions around the world.

During this webinar you will learn:

• Business challenges posed by FACTA legislation
• The various categories of red flags
• Best practices for remaining FACTA compliant
• The key features and benefits of the FIS Red Flag Checklist solution

ID Verification, FACTA Compliance and the FIS Red Flag Checklist Solution Webinar

Dates (select one):

• July 26, 2011 at 11 a.m. EDT — Click Here to Register
• July 26, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. EDT — Click Here to Register

Speaker: Paul Matschi, Product Manager, FIS Risk, Fraud and Compliance Solution

Who should attend? Risk, fraud and compliance managers involved in FACTA compliance

An internet connection and telephone are required to participate.

If you would like more information, please email moreinfo@fisglobal.com or call 800.822.6758.

Contact
Randy Clark, Account Executive at Harland Clarke
Telephone: (800) 723-1470
Office: (603) 635-2147
Cell: (603) 508-2521

Securing Confidential Data Internally and Across the Supply Chain

  

Background

The financial services marketplace is influenced by two significant trends that directly affect financial institutions: 1) increasingly sophisticated security breaches related to consumer data, and 2) heightened regulatory oversight and compliance requirements. These trends contribute to the necessity for a strong, mature security program.

Data breaches continue to be costly for organizations, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of consumer confidence. According to the 2009 Annual Study: U.S. Cost of a Data Breach released in 2010 by the Ponemon Institute, which conducts independent research on privacy, data protection and information security policy, the average organizational cost of a data breach increased among respondents from $6.65 million in 2008 to $6.75 million in 2009 (see chart). This figure includes activities intended to prevent a loss of customer or consumer trust. The most expensive data breach in 2009 cost a company in the study nearly $31 million to resolve.

Furthermore, the report indicates that data breaches cost companies $204 per compromised record, of which $144 pertained to indirect costs that include abnormal churn or turnover of existing and future customers. This is particularly relevant to the confidence account holders have in their financial institutions, given banks’ and credit unions’ reliance on technology to support many of their products and services.

Read More >>>

Contact
Randy Clark, Account Executive at Harland Clarke
Telephone: (800) 723-1470
Office: (603) 635-2147
Cell: (603) 508-2521

Disaster Recovery Tip #27: 3 Key Resources for Your Preparedness Toolkit

Coming Together

This year we have seen natural disasters of epic proportion. In light of the heartbreak and despair, we have witnessed people, communities and organizations come together showing the positive power of human collaboration in the face of adversity.

The partnerships and joint resources listed below have been designed to help you protect, plan and prepare your business for all types of disasters.

		Agility Recovery and the Small Business Administration have paired up to offer an online portal providing small businesses a variety tools and to strengthen their resiliency when faced with unforeseen interruptions.
		Ready Business helps owners and managers of small- to medium-sized businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets in the event of an emergency.
		The Ready Rating program has been recognized by preparedness experts as the much needed, easy to understand solution that prepares organizations to respond and successfully withstand any disaster.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.