Protect Your Business from Companies House Fraud
Intercepting Letters
A surprising number of businesses fall victim to fraud because someone has gone through their rubbish and found important data on discarded letters or forms.
Luckily it is easy to help prevent this; simply shred (or tear up into unreadable pieces) all documents with important data on before throwing them away.
Any emails with confidential information should be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed. If you need to keep a record make sure it is secure and protected. Be wary of sending confidential or account information via email as it is not 100% secure.
If you must use standard email for important data, make sure it is unusable on its own. Send two emails each with half the data; so that if one is intercepted the information cannot be abused.
e.g. Sending a name and account number. Email 1: John 384579 Email 2: Smith 735801
Wireless Security
If your business uses a wireless network, then you need to make sure you have it set up securely. If you do not use either security software or a security encoded signal then almost anyone in the area has the potential to access your network without permission. You can enable ‘WEP’ protection on the setup options of many wireless networks, and although this is by no means totally secure, it is free and will prevent basic intrusions. If your computers are carrying private or confidential data, then you are seriously at risk without extra security software (Such as encryption software that makes information unreadable with the decryption code unique to your computers); without it you are putting your business (and your customers) at risk of ID theft. If you do not know how or are unsure of what to do about securing a wireless network, then speak to a professional in the field. The cost of speaking to them is much less than the potential cost of a major security breach.
Companies House Fraud
You can prevent fraudsters from changing your company or directors details by registering for the ‘Proof’ system at Companies House. This means that you can only change these details online using a password and confidential authentication code; and by using a registered email address. These secur ity measures make it significantly more difficult for fraudsters to commit any fraud at Companies House, as long as you keep the password and authentication code secure!
Some companies also offer an external “alert” system, which (for a monthly fee) automatically alerts you to any changes in your company’s details or additions to your directors list; allowing you to act quickly in the event of possible ID theft.
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