November Reminder: Pause Verify Report Every Day to Stay Alert for Increased Fraud Risks
November is a high-risk month for increased cybersecurity fraud, phishing campaigns, and holiday scams. Fraudsters ramp up in November to catch distracted or busy employees off guard. Routine reminders are one of the most effective ways to reduce risk and protect against financial loss. Strong fraud prevention is an important component of your internal controls.
As part of updated requirements, periodic cybersecurity reminders are now necessary in addition to annual training. To help you meet this requirement and highlight November’s increased fraud risks, CTR has prepared ready-to-send tips you can share with your staff, or customize as needed. It only takes a few minutes to send a reminder, but it makes a big difference in reinforcing a culture of awareness and prevention.
Action Steps
- Refer to page 16 of the Pause Verify Report Every Day training packet for November-specific reminders and cybersecurity tips.
- Keep documentation (copies of emails or posts) you send to staff as evidence of due diligence for audits or desk reviews.
- Regularly review the CTR Weekly Update and CTR Compliance Corner for new cybersecurity and fraud prevention tips to include in your ongoing reminders and refreshers.
Your Internal Control Officer (ICO) should review your written system of internal controls to ensure it is current and supports these training compliance goals. Your ICO can also help verify that the department head is accurately certifying compliance in the annual Internal Control Certification.
Bookmark our CTR Compliance Corner as your one-stop shop for alerts and success factors that you can integrate into your daily operations to keep you safe on your mission.