On March 22, we had the great opportunity to teach a lunch & learn class for local agents, lenders, and affiliates of the Traverse Area Association of Realtors.
We tried to cram as much information into the short session, However running well beyond the one hour allotted time slot; a fully booked lunch had so many great questions and conversations, that I don’t know if we we were able to get through everything. We have already been asked to do the presentation again, and as soon as dates are available, we will get that information out.
I did however want to put some information up on our blog, as a reminder for those who attended, or information for those who were unable too.
In our class we focused on the 5 areas where N.P.I. or Non Public Information is lost.
- Computer & Data Loss
- Storage & Destruction
- Social Engineering
- Smash & Grab
We put together some simple steps for people to follow to help protect themselves in all those situations. Such as not using Public Domains(gmail, yahoo, hotmail). Not sending private data over public WiFi like the local coffee shop. And don’t throw N.P.I. in the trash without shredding it.
We also talked about using Strong Passwords, and following simple password guidelines.
- At Least 8 Characters
- Use UPPER and lower case
- Use special characters %@&#
- Use Numbers
- Change your passwords every 60-90 days
Simplify what types of N.P.I. you keep
- Take Stock
- Scale Down
- Lock it up
- Pitch It Properly
- Plan Ahead