Your Cybersecurity Checklist

In the United States alone, there are more than 1.1 million cases of identity theft a year, resulting in Americans losing an estimated $43 billion collectively.¹

Whether it’s using a password manager or staying alert to phishing attempts, taking simple steps can help reduce the risk that your data, devices or financial assets falls into the hands of a cybercriminal.

Here’s a cybersecurity checklist to help you get started.

Protect Your Devices

• Keep your software, operating system and browser up to date. Software companies issue updates because hackers regularly discover new ways to exploit weaknesses in operating systems and applications. Once an update is released, attackers analyze it to understand what was fixed and then target people who haven’t installed the patch yet, so it’s important to install updates quickly.
• Only download applications from Google Play™ or the App Store®. Third-party app stores, or apps that pop up encouraging you to download them, are more likely to contain malware. Be sure you also install app updates as soon they are available.

Secure Your Account Logins

• Don’t reuse the same or similar passwords across multiple websites and applications. If a hacker compromises one of your accounts, all your other accounts using that password may become vulnerable.
• Consider using a password manager, which will create unique, lengthy and complex passwords for you, and store them in an encrypted state.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to log in to any website or application you use for financial transactions or that has access to your personal data. MFA is essentially another factor—beyond your username and password—used to verify your identity and protect access to your account. Limit third-party access to your account data, only granting permission when absolutely necessary. Third-party data sharing is when you let an outside service view your account, such as for financial data aggregation or tax preparation.

Ensure Validity Before You Click or Share

• Don’t click on links, open attachments or scan QR codes in unsolicited emails, text messages or social media. Upwards of 90% of successful cyber incidents begin with a phishing email, which is a message that looks legitimate but is actually sent by criminals.² These messages may trick you into downloading malware or clicking a link that leads to a fraudulent website mimicking a legitimate one, where you might share sensitive personal data like your login credentials, social security number or credit card information.
• Report unsolicited emails as spam or junk and delete them rather than clicking the unsubscribe button. Clicking unsubscribe informs scammers that your email is actively used, which puts you at further risk of being targeted. These buttons may also lead to malicious content.
• Be cautious about sharing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) over the phone, in email or via text message, especially if you did not initiate the contact.
• Limit how much information you share on social media and tighten your account’s privacy settings—choosing the most restrictive visibility options that meet your needs (e.g., friends-only rather than public). The information you share online could be exploited by fraudsters.
• Only give applications the permissions they really need. Granting an application access to your photos, location, camera, contacts, etc., makes your data available to the application owner and can undermine your privacy and security.

Additional Fraud Prevention Tips

• Create and save bookmarks for the important banking and brokerage websites you visit often to avoid inadvertently entering your credentials on a fraudulent site.
• Ensure you’re using a reliable email provider that has built-in security features such as MFA and strong spam blocking. Using an older email account that has not incorporated modern security protections may increase your likelihood of malware infection.
• Monitor your existing lines of credit for fraudulent activity by leveraging a reputable credit and identity theft monitoring service. For added protection, consider placing a credit freeze to help stop criminals from opening new accounts in your name. A freeze doesn’t shut off your existing credit cards or loans and you may need to temporarily lift it when you apply for new credit (or anytime a business needs to check your credit file, such as a lender, landlord, or insurer). Ask your Financial Advisor about Morgan Stanley’s identity and credit protection offering with Experian® through our CashPlus program for brokerage accounts.
• Secure your home Wi-Fi by changing the router’s default password and username. Create a separate Wi-Fi network for your guests and make sure it’s not connected to your home’s smart devices.
• Consider using a standalone device just for banking or investment activities if you believe you’re at a higher risk of being targeted by fraudsters. Physically separating your devices can help you better protect your high-consequence activities from cyber-enabled fraud.
• Use paperless methods to reduce your risk of sensitive mail being lost, stolen or improperly disposed of. Consider using such Morgan Stanley digital tools as eDelivery, eSign, eAuthorization and Digital Vault.

The Bottom Line

Safeguarding your assets and personal information is a top priority at Morgan Stanley, and you play a vital role. Following the above cybersecurity tips can help you avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime. For the greatest impact, start with these:

• Set your devices to automatically update
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Use a password manager
• Use MFA
• Don’t click on unexpected links or attachments