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Identity theft is moving a lighting speed.  Credit scores get destroyed, bank accounts and investments get heisted, and people's lives are ruined.  And it's so swift, it's practically unnoticeable until you get to the bank. Unfortunately, you may be giving the thieves everything they need to take everything you have.  Here are a few tips that you can start doing today to protect yourself from identity theft. Log off all public computers.  Using the public library's computer is a good tool if you don't have your own computer.  But be cautious while you are using it.  Make sure you log off from all of your programs and applications.  Staying logged in may give the person who uses the computer after you, all the information they need. Change your passwords.  Don't write your passwords out for everyone to see.  Keep your passwords in a safe location that only you know of.  Every so often, change out your passwords.  Hackers can get your information if you have a weak or the same password for everything. You fall for phishing scams.  Phishing scams are commonly seen in your email.  You receive a notification from your bank telling you that you have a problem with your account, and they need you to sign in.  Don't fall for it!  Those are scams trying to get your information.  You may also find emails that say you're entitled to a large sum of money when some unknown relative in a distant country died and left you all of their fortune.  If you don't know this unknown relative, chances are they never existed, along with this large inheritance. Get that paper shredder out.  Don't just throw out papers with your personal information on it.  Shred them. Shop on secured sites.  Make sure when you do your online shopping the address starts with https://.  Make sure your anti-virus program is up to date. Don't give out information over the phone.  If you get an unsolicited call from your bank or credit card company chances are, they are scammers. Hold on to your belongings.  Keep your bag and your phone with you at all times.  It may seem like a quick  trip to the store and, "Why not?  I'll be out in a jiffy."  Problem is, it takes just a jiffy for thieves to break into your car and grab your belongings.  It's not worth it. Don't text confidential information.  Your phone can easily be hacked by hackers.  Keep your confidential information off the phone. Don't store your personal information on your computer.  If your computer gets stolen, so does all of that information. Public WiFi.  Don't use public WiFi to do transactions.  It's never a good idea, your information is out there and ready for others to grab a hold of. Keep your personal information safe and out of the hackers grasp. Content provided by Transformer Marketing.

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Check out what's new on CompleteMarkets this week - May 11, 2018

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan - So said an individual who was commonly recognized as one of the greatest “producers” in his field. But even “MJ” recognized the importance of teamwork and collaboration...

If you held your last fire or emergency evacuation drill more than six months ago, it's time to think about staging another. Careful planning and evaluation can help you get the most out of these exercises, enhancing your employee's chances of a safe evacuation. Bear in mind that unannounced drills give you an idea of how workers might actually react in an emergency situation. On the other hand, announcing drills offer them the opportunity to prepare for and practice specific skill sets they would need. Before a fire emergency arises, workers need to know: How to activate the appropriate alarm system(s). How and when to contact the fire department. What to do before they evacuate—such as shutting down equipment. Their role in the evacuation. For example, they might need to assist disabled co-workers, help contractors or visitors on the premises, bring essential items such as visitor logs that can be used to verify that everyone is out of the building, provide first aid for injured co-workers, or act to prevent or minimize hazardous chemical releases. How to evacuate their work area by at least two routes. The locations of stairwells (workers should not use elevators to evacuate). Places to avoid - such as hazardous materials storage areas. Assembly points outside the building. After the drill, evaluate the exercise to determine which problems need addressing. Ask such questions as:

Going online has become part of everyday life, whether it is for everyday activities such as shopping, sending email or paying bills, and managing your accounts. But data breaches, in all their forms, can potentially expose the personal information that we share online, putting consumers at risk of identity theft. According to the 2014 Travelers Consumer Risk Index, 82 percent of Americans worry about loss of personal privacy, and 63 percent worry about identity theft.  Fortunately, there are steps that consumers can take, including not opening unsolicited emails and avoiding unsecure websites, to protect their personal information while online. The following tips can help you learn how to help stay safe online: Online Shopping Research potential retailers to make sure they are reputable and have a secure network and website. Try to avoid buying from a site that does not have a secure socket layer (SSL) encryption installed. In order to do this, look for the 's' at the beginning of a URL – HTTPS:// instead of HTTP:// – to help determine if a site is SSL secured. Read the site's privacy policy to learn how the personal information you provide will be used. Use only one credit card for online purchases. Be sure to read statements when received to check for fraudulent or unknown charges or activity. If you receive an email regarding sales or discounts from a particular retailer, log on directly to the official website for the business. Avoid linking to it from an unsolicited email. Emails and Attachments Do not send personal information in email or instant messages. Emails are out of your control once sent, and can be easily intercepted. Do not click on links you receive by email or encounter online that are suspicious or from unknown sources. Only accept and click if it: Comes from someone you know. Comes from someone you have received mail from before. Is something you were expecting. Does not look odd with unusual spellings or characters. Passes your anti-virus program test. Be cautious of emails you receive regarding your financial accounts. If you are not sure of the email's validity, contact your financial institution directly. General Online Safety Try to limit the personal information you put on the Internet. Social media sites can be good for networking, but identity thieves can use the information you share. Remember to keep your Web browser up to date. This can help ensure the latest security features are installed. Avoid storing personal information, account numbers and personal identification numbers on your computer. Install firewall and anti-virus software. This can help protect you from exposure to malicious cyber attacks. Choose strong passwords and keep them private.

In Secretary of Labor v. United States Postal Service the question was whether an employee's indication of an industrial injury on a FMLA request form triggered an OSHA recordkeeping obligation.  To make a long story short, that claimant complained she was having an allergic reaction to dust produced by machinery she worked with. Her doctor provided her a note stating she was not to return to work at that machine. She eventually filled out an FMLA leave request form. As this was going on, her complaint and that of another employee triggered an OSHA investigation. None of the inspections or analysis generated by her physician or OSHA found any kind of violation of OSHA standards or the exact allergic substance she was reacting to.  The OSHA inspector was none the less concerned the company had not recorded her allergic reaction in the OSHA injury logs, a violation for which they were cited. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission overturned a decision by the lower court and ruled due to privacy provisions associated with the FMLA, the employer was required to not share this information with the OSHA coordinator or the employee’s supervisor. The only time it would be appropriate to do so is for job accommodation purposes or emergency medical treatment. The Commission also ruled the obligation to report an OSHA injury could come from someone's position or other unique circumstances. According to the Commission no such facts existed to generate the obligation. Which is rather surprising given it was abundantly clear she claimed to be having allergic reactions to working around the machinery and told numerous people about it. The court reminded employers they should separate FMLA files from the work comp or injury ones. Take home lesson: do NOT share medical information across the organization unless that person has a “need to know”, there is an accommodation to consider, or there is some kind of emergency. Keep FMLA requests private and don’t automatically share the info with the OSHA compliance team. Don Phin, Esq. is VP of Strategic Business Solutions at ThinkHR, which helps companies resolve urgent workforce issues, mitigate risk and ensure HR compliance. Phin has more than three decades of experience as an HR expert, published author and speaker, and spent 17 years in employment practices litigation. For more information, visit www.ThinkHR.com.

Recent headlines about electronic spies hacking into computer networks from the Pentagon to China reinforce the dangerous reality that a "malware" (software that accesses systems to steal sensitive financial and client information) is becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread. According to a recent report from the NPD Group, the average U.S. household with a Web connection has 5.7 devices - desktops, laptops, tablets, and/or smart phones -- which are highly vulnerable to malware attacks. The more workers who use these devices to access the Web sites of their employers, the greater the threat of cybercrime. To help protect the security of your company's data against intrusion from malware, experts recommend taking these precautions: Identify the business processes and data you need to protect and the risks associated with them. Limit access to sensitive data to authorized users. Provide them with strong passwords and don't allow any sharing. Make sure that employees use only secure wireless networks when connecting to your site. Provide users with strong authentication measures and anti-malware software. Know your users and their behavior. Compare details of incoming login connections with the information you have about the user. If you find anomalies, add such precautions such answering a security question. Look for corrupted devices. Authenticated users might acquire malware on their devices that puts your data at risk once they log in. For example, man-in-the-browser (MitB) attacks can hijack authenticated sessions. Secure high-value transactions. Identify these transactions and refuse to accept them from devices with suspicious configurations. Our agency's specialists can work with you in developing and implementing a comprehensive anti-malware program for your company. Please feel free to get in touch with us at any time.

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