1. Yes, it’s the holidays... A time of joy, a time of good cheer, a time of celebration... From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) Privacy Matters: It’s that time of the year again! START 1

2. From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) It’s that time of the year again! Unfortunately, it’s also the time of increased identity theft and other chicanery involving misuse of personal information. And there are new ways of doing this – ever heard of phishing? So once again we are reminded to be extra careful with our personal information, this time of the electronic kind. 2

3. From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) Remember, personal information includes your: Social Security Number Credit card number Passwords Bank account information Financial records Buying history Work history Medical history Legal/arrest records Date of birth Marital status Home phone number Home address Any information that can be used to defraud Mother’s maiden name 3

4. What is phishing? What is phishing? Phishing is a fraudulent new high-tech scam to get your personal information under false pretenses. It works like this:  You get an e-mail or a website pop-up message from a phisher who claims to be a business or organization you normally deal with (such as your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your bank, you online payment service, or even a government agency).  The message asks you to update or validate your information by going to a website that looks like a legitimate site, but isn’t.  If you provide the information, the operators of the site (phishers) can use it to run up bills on your accounts or commit other crimes in your name. From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) 4

5. How to protect yourself against phishing  Never reply to an e-mail or click on a website link that asks for personal or financial information. If the message appears to be from a business you deal with, contact that business by phone to verify the correct web address.  Never e-mail personal or sensitive information. E-mail is not a secure way to transmit information.  Be suspicious of attachments to e-mails that you receive, especially if you don’t know the sender.  Be cautious about downloading any files from websites. From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) 5

6. How to protect yourself against phishing, cont’d  If you use an organization’s website to provide personal information, or to place credit card orders, check for security indicators such as: The URL (website address) begins with “https” rather than “http” A closed lock or unbroken key at the bottom of the screen  Use anti-virus software on your home computer and keep it up to date. (Your GSA computer is already protected under standards established and implemented by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)). From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) 6

7. Information protection resources From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the agency that enforces Federal consumer protection laws. It’s primary mission is to protect consumers from fraud and deception. The FTC has information protection resources you can use to educate yourself and take necessary action against illegal use of personal information. 7

8. From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) You can use the following FTC resources if you think you may have been scammed or phished, or have been a victim of any other questionable activity: Forward any suspicious phishing spam you receive to spam@uce.govpam@uce.gov File a complaint if you have been phished or scammed at www.ftc.govwww.ftc.gov Visit the Identity Theft Website to learn more about what to do to minimize risk or damage at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)www.consumer.gov/idtheft Learn and use other ways to avoid e-mail and spam at www.ftc.gov/spamwww.ftc.gov/spam Information protection resources, cont’d 8

9. Tips on protecting your personal information Visit the previous CHCO Privacy Matters slide presentations for additional tips on protecting your personal information at:  http://insite.gsa.gov/Insite/gsa/ep/contentView.do?conte ntId=10850&contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW From the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO ) 9 END