A message from Chief Information Security Officer, Adam Zoller
Protecting yourself and your data during the holiday season
As we wrap up a particularly challenging year and celebrate the holiday season, the IS Information Security team wants to express our sincerest gratitude to our caregivers and the entire Providence community for your unwavering commitment to Health for a Better World. Together, our community has undoubtedly touched so many lives over the past year and strengthened our Mission.
The Information Security team is here to help ensure our systems are secure and patient data is safe so that we can continue to be a trusted healthcare provider in our community. The holiday season is a busy time of the year for everyone and cybercriminals are ready to take advantage of this flurry of activity.
As we are all doing more online this year than ever before, we would like to share some tips to keep yourself and your data secure as you enjoy the holidays.
- Beware of phishing texts and emails: Avoid popular scams regarding fake shipment notifications, holiday e-cards, fake charity scams, or too good to be true “special offers” telling you to click a link. Do not click the link. You can use the “Report Fishing Email” button in Outlook to share suspicious emails with us.
- Avoid using debit cards for online purchases: Use credit cards or alternative payment methods (PayPal, Venmo) instead of a debit card, as they tend to have stronger security measures.
- Diversify your passwords: Use different and not easily guessed passwords across sites and platforms. Do not use your Providence account password for personal services online.
- Spot fishy websites: Look for misspellings in the site name, older-looking design and low-quality images. Be wary of “too good to be true” deals since this is a telltale sign of malicious websites and scams.
- Think twice before you click on advertisements: Avoid clicking on pop-up advertisements or those posted to a friend’s social media page. Only shop from trusted retailers.
- Shut down your computer nightly: This ensures the proper patches and updates are transferred to your device.
- Monitor your bank account and card activity: Turn on notifications for large purchases or purchases abroad. If you notice something suspicious, call your card issuer immediately.
Lastly, be sure to review our policy on acceptable use of Providence-issued devices.
If you feel you have fallen victim to a cyber scam or attack, please contact the IS Service Deskhttps://psjh.service-now.com/self_service?id=contact_us.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our community and our data safe and secure.
Warm wishes for a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season.
Adam Zoller
Chief Information Security Officer
Providence Information Services