Protecting your personal information
As cybercrimes become increasingly sophisticated and frequent, First Manhattan remains committed to protecting your privacy and data by employing updated technology controls, best practices, and rigorous testing to ensure the integrity of our environment. We also stay current with the latest developments in and around cybersecurity and regularly review our procedures to ensure they meet industry standards.
Below are some best practices we recommend you follow to help protect your personal information.
Protect Your Communications
Email remains the most common vehicle used to perpetuate cyberattacks. To help keep your email safe:
- Be careful when opening an email from an address you don't recognize.
- Be cautious when following links that are embedded into an email. Instead, go directly to the known website address where possible.
- Only open an attachment file if it was expected.
When it comes to voice communications, we recommend that you:
- Never trust CallerID to verify a caller.
- Always verify the identity of the caller before providing any personal information.
Protect Your Data
Passwords remain a critical weak point in data security. To reduce password-related vulnerabilities:
- Never use the same password for multiple accounts.
- Avoid passwords that are obviously and personally identifiable to you (e.g., your birthdate, name of a pet or loved one, your address, etc.).
- Periodically change your passwords.
- Always enable multifactor authentication on your accounts when it is available.
It is important to do everything possible to keep your personal information private. When it comes to social media, consider limiting the personal data you post and periodically review your social media privacy settings.
Protect Your Devices
The growing reach of the Internet-of-things technology means cybersecurity has become a key topic across all industries. As everything from your car to your refrigerator becomes connected, opportunities for data breaches abound. To keep your personal electronics safe:
- Apply critical software updates to your computers, phones, and tablets as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Remove outdated or disused software.
- Be careful when downloading software and only do so from verified sources.
Protect Your Finances
Financial fraud continues to be among the fastest-growing areas of cybercrime. To keep your financial information safe:
- Promptly and regularly review all account statements and trade confirmations for any unexpected activity.
- Regularly monitor and review your credit report for changes and consider freezing your credit or utilizing a real-time monitoring service.
Communicating with First Manhattan
Fraudulent emails that pretend to come from well-known companies like First Manhattan are one of the biggest cybersecurity-related threats. Here are some tips for communicating with us:
- Verify that the domain in the "From" address field is exactly firstmanhattan.com and not from a similar name. We only send emails from firstmanhattan.com.
- Pay careful attention to the warnings provided by your email provider or email client. If the email is flagged as suspicious, we encourage you to take extra care.
- If you receive a communication from someone at First Manhattan whom you do not recognize, that is unusual in content, or that requests sensitive information, please contact your First Manhattan portfolio management team using a previously known and trusted phone number or email address.
- If in doubt, you may contact us for assistance via our main telephone number (212.756.3300) or by filling out the relevant form on the "Contact Us" page of our website.
Finally, don't wait. If you think you have been the victim of a cyberattack, it is vital that you act immediately. Notify all involved companies, including relevant service providers, and ask for guidance.
If you have questions or would like to know more about what First Manhattan is doing to keep you and your finances cyber-safe, please don't hesitate to contact your Portfolio Manager.