As the media knows, fear sells. These days, it can become a challenge to separate fact from fiction when reading the headlines. For example, a USA TODAY article from earlier this year reports on children succeeding in a “hack-the-election” event, while Slate Magazine tells a different side of the story about the same event.

With 2018 coming to a close, let’s get our facts straight on five of the most important information security stories from this year. Along the way, we’ll pick up some tips to better protect against cyberthreats.

As more and more data breaches and ransomware attacks make headlines around the world, the need for digital asset protection has become top of mind for many financial advisors and business owners. In yesterday’s post, I outlined some cyber liability insurance basics, including what may and may not be covered if your RIA–broker/dealer has its own policy. Today, I’ll dig a bit deeper into the topic, including how you can assess your risks to determine what coverage you may need so you can choose the right cyber liability policy.

You protect your physical assets from an unforeseen event by purchasing health, life, car, property, traveler’s, and even pet insurance. But what about protecting your digital assets? In today’s world, a cybersecurity breach can devastate your business and harm your reputation, so safeguarding your office from this type of attack is essential.

There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to information security. As a financial advisor, you aren’t expected to know everything about security, yet clients rely on you to protect them against the latest threats. How can you confidently reassure them that you’re keeping their information safe?

In 2016, I invested 2 U.S. cents in bitcoin. Two years later, bitcoin had increased in value by more than 34 times, and my investment was worth—get ready for it—68 U.S. cents.

For those who take their investments more seriously, achieving a 3,400-percent return may seem like a wild success story—yet it’s happened! (See Figure 1.)