online – Courrier Laval news

3 online dealbreakers everyone should know

Courrier Laval News — Sat, 22 Apr 2023 10:00:25 +0000

Every time you go online or use an app, you’re making choices about who to do business with. While those choices may not be top-of-mind, not all businesses make your privacy a priority. As more companies ask for personal information, it can be confusing to know when it makes sense to fill something out and when to say no. Before sharing anything personal, get a better idea of how a company might treat you and your personal information, and check for these three things:

Trust. If a company values its relationship with you, their privacy policy should be easy to find and easy to understand. Is it front and centre, or buried at the bottom of several pages? Beyond their privacy policy, have they shared how they will handle your personal information in an ethical manner? To be trustworthy, they should also have a solid track record of social responsibility, demonstrating a commitment to social purpose. These are big clues that tell you whether a business is thinking about you, or itself.
Transparency. Companies should be clear and open about how your information will be used every time it is collected. They should earn your trust and make you feel comfortable that your information will be used responsibly.In fact, a recent survey by Telus revealed that only 30 per cent of Canadians trust organizations to protect their personal data, but more than half agree that organizations can increase their trust by being transparent about data use.
Third-party permissions. Laws require companies to be upfront about if and how they will share your personal information with third parties. So be sure to review the explanations provided. Does the business say it will sell your data to advertisers? Or that it will never share your information with anyone without your permission?

(Source : News Canada)

L’article 3 online dealbreakers everyone should know est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Do you know how much information you share online?

Courrier Laval News — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:21:04 +0000

Whether shopping online, signing up for a newsletter or taking a virtual course, you’ve undoubtedly been asked to share personal information. Be aware of what personal information is and why you might be asked for it.

Personal data includes anything someone could use to identify you – a phone number, date of birth or mailing address, for instance. As the name suggests – it’s personal. Online transactions do require you to provide some information, but it’s important to know how to maintain control over your own personal information.

Here are four key tips:

Avoid fields not marked with an asterisk (*). Only fields marked with an asterisk are “required”. Required fields are usually your name and email address, plus address and payment details if you’re making a purchase. Before entering any information in a non-required field, always ask yourself why the organization is asking for it and if you’ll benefit from disclosing it.

You can withdraw marketing consent at any time. Did you sign up for a mailing list but you’re not interested anymore? No problem. Canada has stringent consumer privacy protection legislation, under which organizations need your express consent to send you marketing material – this is why so many stores ask for your email at the checkout. That consent only lasts for two years, and then it needs to be given again

Additionally, marketing emails must have an “unsubscribe” option. Know your rights as a consumer and always make sure you’re only getting communications you actually want to receive.

Find out how companies are using your data. Look for an organization’s privacy page to find out more about how they’ll use the data they handle. For example, in addition to its privacy commitment (policy), Telus has a Trust Model and a privacy centre that outline how it respects data. Clearly communicated privacy practices can be indications that an organization is working to be transparent and more worthy of your trust.

You can find out more about how to protect your personal data at telus.com/privacy.

(Source : News Canada)

L’article Do you know how much information you share online? est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Update on the Attempted Cyber Attack

Alec Brideau — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 16:26:41 +0000

Laval is continuing its operations to restore its digital services, in connection with the attempted cyber attack on its online services last week.

In a press release, it’s stated that the online services will gradually return to normal this week. It’s therefore recommended to avoid communications with the city by using those services until then, as using a phone or meeting face-to-face with an employee are both safer ways to proceed.

Last week, Laval’s Mayor Stéphane Boyer announced that online services problems were caused by an attempted cyber attack. Several of those online services had therefore been voluntarily closed in order to limit the damages against the city and its citizens.

Boyer said last week that a certain amount of data was taken by the hackers, but that the worst had been avoided, thanks to the city’s quick response.

Activities of the Service de police de Laval (SPL), the Fire Safety Department, the Water Department, and Laval Libraries have not been interrupted.

L’article Update on the Attempted Cyber Attack est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Attempted Cyber Attack Against the City of Laval

Alec Brideau — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:08:19 +0000

Mayor of Laval Stéphane Boyer held a press conference yesterday, along with the General Manager Jacques A. Ulysse, and the Director of Innovation and Technology Services Guy Germain, to give an update on the interruption of Laval’s online services that has been affecting the city since Wednesday.

Boyer announced this is an attempted cyber attack against Laval’s online services. Several online services have therefore been voluntarily shut down in order to limit the damage against the city and its citizens.

Laval’s mayor says it’s around 4 p.m. on Wednesday that suspicious activities were detected online.

“A certain amount of data was taken,” Boyer said. “It’s still unclear which documents were seized by the hackers, but we believe we have prevented the worst.”

At the press conference, Boyer clarified that the source of the attack would come, according to information held for the moment, from an account of a city employee. However, he mentions his team thinks this employee would have been hacked, which would have helped in the hacking of the city’s online services.

Let’s note the activities of the Service de police de Laval (SPL), the Fire Safety Department, the Water Department, and Laval Libraries have not been interrupted.

L’article Attempted Cyber Attack Against the City of Laval est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.