The federal immigration minister is urging Canadians and prospective newcomers to remain vigilant against immigration scams as part of Fraud Prevention Month.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab said fraudsters are increasingly using evolving technologies to exploit people hoping to come to Canada.
In a statement Monday, Diab called on the public to take three steps to combat immigration fraud: spot warning signs, stop before acting, and report suspicious activity.
“Fraudsters are finding new ways to exploit people hoping to come to Canada,” Diab said. “Our message is clear: we will continue to take strong actions to detect, deter, and prevent immigration and citizenship fraud.”
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The minister said warning signs can include pressure to act quickly, requests for large cash payments, or promises of guaranteed visas or faster processing…
IT & DATA SECURITY (MITIGATING THE “INSIDER THREAT”)
As seen in the TD Bank case, an employee with too much “access” can sell your customer data to syndicates.
- Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP): Employees should only have access to the specific folders and databases required for their current task.
- Access Revocation: Have a “Termination Checklist” that ensures all digital access (Email, VPN, Banking) is revoked within 60 minutes of an employee resigning or being dismissed.
- System Logs & Audit Trails: Enable “Read/Write Logging” on your server. If a customer’s data is leaked, you need to know exactly which login accessed that record and at what time.
- Encryption at Rest: Ensure that sensitive files (like your customer ID numbers or payroll spreadsheets) are encrypted so that if a staff member copies them to a USB, they cannot be read.