Data Security
If your information gets stolen, this can result in identity theft and compromise. Unprotected information can be stolen from anywhere. Should someone get a hold of your Advocis identification number and password, this might give them access to your account and steal your personal information. We recommend that you avoid putting sensitive personal information on devices that can be easily lost or stolen, such as a laptop, CD or flash drive.
Information being compromised: When you receive a personalized identification number from Advocis, this means that you are the only one that should maintain sole access to your account. If you find that your account services have been compromised, change your password and contact Advocis immediately at info@advocis.ca.
Safe Computing Practices
Advocis recommends several safe computing practices for keeping your computer safe. These practices include handling email attachments, choosing good passwords and updating your computer regularly.
Here are some general tips to help protect your information and computer:
Protect your passwords: Use good password practices to keep your information safe.
Ensure you always use secure wireless networks: You should never use an insecure wireless Internet connection (e.g., Internet cafe or random connection you pick up), especially when you are submitting sensitive personal information such as your credit card number via the Internet.
Install and update antivirus software: You should download the latest antivirus software and make sure its auto-update feature is activated to ensure your computer is continuously protected.
Activate your computer's firewall: Ensure that the firewall on your computer is always turned on.
Update your browser and operating system: As operating system flaws are discovered, providers release patches to cover security holes — install these patches regularly to stay secure. Browser security is incredibly important when using public computers. Safe computing practices can prevent identity theft and other potential problems when you update your browser to the latest version with a 128 -bit encryption.
Log out of web applications: Regardless of the computer you are using (your own or public), remember to log out and close the browser. Do not leave your computer unattended while logged on to Advocis.
Avoid email scams ( phishing): If you identify fraudulent emails, ensure you delete them immediately — do not open them.
Don't open unexpected attachments: For maximum security, only accept or download software from trusted sources.
Safeguard your personal information: Don't send or post your private and secure information on the web such as: passwords, credit card number, etc.
Protect Your Passwords
It is important to choose good passwords and make sure no one gets access to your private information. Here are some tips on how to create a secure password.
Avoid using dictionary words for a password
Dictionary words are any common or uncommon words, names, dates or number. Keep in mind that this could be words, names or number from any language, not just English. Those who attempt to comprise password usually attempt a brute force attack using various languages using dictionaries with common words, etc. In addition, don't use common misspellings of dictionary words. Many of the dictionaries include both common misspellings and words with letters replaced with similar looking numbers. You should also avoid simply adding a number to the beginning or ending of a word.
Avoid using a password that is associated with your name, your pet's name, your parents’ name, your children’s name, your sibling's name, anyone else's name, special events dates, etc. We recommend avoiding usage or a combination thereof for these words or names, regardless of the language.
Don't use the name of your account or login identification or modify them by adding numbers. This kind of password can be easily cracked.
Always try to create a password that is between 8 and 16 characters
The longer your password is, the harder it is to crack.
Avoid passwords composed of all numbers or all letters
Use a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols such as @, !, *, #, etc. However, avoid using characters that don't appear on a standard U.S. 101-key keyboard, as they may not work correctly in all circumstances.
Make sure you have different passwords for different sites
It is recommended that you use a different password than that you use on other sites such as your bank, public emails such as Yahoo, Gmail, etc. If one gets compromised, they all can be compromised once the individual who cracks your password knows your online behaviour.
Never share your password with anyone
Don't give out your password to friends, family members or anyone online. Please take note that Advocis would never send you an email requesting your password and other private information.
Avoid using non-secure networks
It is recommended that whenever possible, you don't access sensitive information using your Advocis’ password on public networks or public computers (e.g., computers in a library, hotel lobby or Internet cafe). Hackers can easily access your username, password and other private information by tracking your keystrokes using remote software. It is recommended that you change your password after using a non-secure network.
Changing your password frequently adds additional security to it
Never store your password in a program since many computer viruses and spyware programs can retrieve stored passwords from these accounts.
Never write down your password since this makes it easy for others to access your private accounts and information. Choose a password that you can remember.
Choosing a good password
It can be difficult to choose a good password: the password should be fairly long and shouldn't be guessable, but at the same time it should be easy to remember. Always make sure to use both upper and lower case alphabetic characters as well as non-alphabetic characters. Avoid using names or dictionary words in any language and make sure to change your passwords periodically. Choosing a good password is an important part of our safe computing recommendations.
Use Anti-Virus Software
Using personal computer and the Internet always poses the potential risk of getting a computer virus or the possibility of infiltration by intrusion software known as "Trojan Horses." Computer viruses can modify programs, delete files and erase the contents of hard drives. "Trojan Horses" can have similar effects and may be able to capture keystrokes, including passwords or other secret information. Spyware and other deceptive software can also conduct certain activities on your computer without your knowledge or consent. As a result, this could potentially damage your personal computer, compromise your secret information and the ability to use Advocis websites.
To help protect your computer and Internet use, it is recommended that you install and frequently update a proven anti-virus product, such as McAfee Virus Scan or Norton AntiVirus .
Browsers
Use supported browsers
Encryption is the process used to hide information or the contents of a message being transmitted from snooping eyes throughout the Internet. During transmission (such as through a secure socket layer), the data is disguised using codes so that no one along the chain of networks that the data passes through to get to its source can understand the information being sent. The stronger the level of encryption used by your web browser, the more difficult it is for unauthorized parties to break the encryption and decipher the message in transit.
When accessing Advocis’ secure site, it is recommended that you use one of our recommended browsers with 128-bit encryption. Please note we do not support beta or test versions of browsers.
Recommended browsers:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher with 128 -bit encryption
- Netscape Communicator 7.0 or higher with 128 -bit encryption
- Firefox 2.0 or higher
- Safari 1.2
Beware of Fraudulent Email Phishing Scams
A phishing scam is an email fraud in which the perpetrator sends legitimate-looking emails that appear to come from a well-known and trustworthy website in an attempt to gather personal and/or financial information from you. There are two types of phishing scams. The first type asks you to respond to an email with your account password or other sensitive information. The second type of scam asks you to click on a link to a forged site and log in with your password to verify your account.
Be Cautious When Using a Public Computer
Use public networks with caution. Don't conduct private transactions on non-secure or public networks — like those at Internet cafés or random connections you may pick up. Hackers can use software to remotely record your keystrokes in order to retrieve your private information.
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