Protecting your personal information is critical to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime. Many internet users overlook basic aspects of their online security, leaving their online accounts vulnerable to criminal syndicates. Werner Lunow shares some of the simple things that all investors can do to secure their Allan Gray Online accounts.
Online interactions touch every aspect of our lives – from keeping track of our health and fitness, to managing our finances, purchasing groceries and attending meetings. While the ability to leverage online tools has made our lives more efficient, it has also created new avenues for criminals to prey on unsuspecting victims.
In light of this, at Allan Gray, we are constantly researching the latest fraud trends and cybersecurity threats to ensure that our clients’ online accounts and transactions are secure. But individuals also have a critical role to play: Compromised personal details are the easiest avenue for cybercriminals to gain access to their victims’ accounts. By taking a few simple precautions, you can enhance the security of your online information.
Access to your device and security upgrades
You should restrict access to any devices that you use to log into your Allan Gray Online account, banking apps and other financial platforms:
- Never leave your device unattended while logged into Allan Gray Online.
- Ensure that you install the latest security upgrades to your device’s operating system, applications and internet browser.
- Keep your internet browser updated to the latest available version. You can view our site requirements to see a list of our recommended browsers.
- Make use of reputable anti-virus software and anti-spyware. This should be updated on a daily or weekly basis, at the very least.
- Install a personal firewall that restricts external devices from accessing your device.
- Always log out when you have finished using Allan Gray Online.
- Educate yourself about fraudulent internet activities and cybercrime trends.
- Avoid accessing Allan Gray Online on public devices such as those in internet cafes.
Verification and passwords
We strongly recommend that you make use of two-step verification to add an extra layer of security to your account. With this enabled, you will receive a one-time password (OTP) to your mobile number or email address that you will need to enter in addition to your normal password when you log in. If you do not currently have this enabled, we may enable it on your online account without prior notice to help ensure that your account is secure. Password security is paramount:
- Do not use the same password on Allan Gray Online that you use on other websites (e.g. the password you use for your internet banking).
- Ensure your password is at least 10 characters long and use uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and symbols. Avoid obvious passwords, e.g. “password1”.
- Avoid using English words and try to incorporate a sentence into your password.
- Change your password regularly.
- Do not write down your password or store it accessibly on your computer, phone or tablet as devices often upload your data to your cloud account. If your cloud account is hacked, fraudsters will have access to any information you have stored there.
- Never save your password when prompted by your browser. Rather enter your username and password manually.
- Never divulge your password to anyone, not even an Allan Gray staff member.
If you suspect that your email or Allan Gray Online account has been compromised, you should change your password immediately.
Allan Gray website and Allan Gray Online notifications and emails
There are simple ways you can keep safe when transacting with us:
- Check that you are accessing the correct website. When logging in to your secure account, ensure you use the correct website address (i.e. URL): https://secure.allangray.co.za.
- Confirm that the website's digital certificate is valid by checking that the lock icon is visible next to the URL.
- Never respond to email requests to provide your username or password.
- Do not enter your Allan Gray Online password on a website that is not https://secure.allangray.co.za.
- When in doubt, do not click on the link provided in an email. Instead, insert the Allan Gray Online address (https://secure.allangray.co.za) directly in your browser to access Allan Gray Online.
- Ensure that your Allan Gray notification and confirmation SMS/email alerts are activated. You can check this by emailing the Client Service Centre on info@allangray.co.za.
Learn how to avoid phishing scams
Sophisticated scammers often try to impersonate financial services providers in an attempt to get hold of your personal information. You should always be alert when interacting with emails that seem unusual or request you to take any kind of action:
- Never click on a link provided by an unknown or unreliable source.
- Check that the emails you receive are sent from a trustworthy source. This can be done by verifying the email address and not just the display name. When you hover over the display name, the email address should match or be very similar. Spoofing scams may use a display name that looks familiar to you, but the email address will often be vastly different.
- Analyse the accuracy of the spelling of the email address. Tricksters may use an email address that looks very similar to a trusted email address, e.g. info@allengray.co.za instead of info@allangray.co.za.