This Statement provides a general overview of our approach to information security and practices to secure our various systems and services. While the nature of information security measures differs across the different services we make available to our clients (including Web-based, telephone and other), this Statement is intended to address the majority of questions our clients may have. If a specific question is not addressed in this Statement, you may contact either your broker or Vision’s Customer Service Team. Please note that we will address any questions regarding our security practices provided that the answer will not compromise our security measures.
The measures we take to protect our clients include the following:
- Use of specialized technology, including firewalls and encryption, to limit connectivity to our password-protected Internet sites
- Internal and external reviews of our Internet sites and services
- Regular monitoring of our infrastructure and related systems to detect vulnerabilities and potential infiltration attempts
- Testing of the security and operations of applications and services prior to their introduction to our Web sites
- Periodic testing for known vulnerabilities in the technologies which we employ
- Controls to identify, authenticate and authorize individuals to access sites or systems that are not made available to the general public
- Regular updates to our security practices in light of known threats, vulnerabilities and their associated risks
Vision strives to provide the highest level of information system security. However, it is impossible to provide guarantees or legal warranties regarding security. No information security program or technology is failsafe, especially in light of the fact that technology and intrusion methods change rapidly over time. Vision regularly monitors our information security program in an effort to minimize the security risks to our operations and to our valued clients.
Beware of Fraudulent E-mails & Web Sites
"Phishing" is a rampant Internet scam that relies on “spoofed” e-mails, purportedly from well known firms, to lure individuals to fraudulent Web sites that look and feel like the well known firm’s Web site. At such Web sites, victims are asked to provide personal information about themselves, such as their name, address and credit card number. These fraudulent e-mails and Web sites may also try to install malicious software on your computer that monitors your activities and sends your personal information to a remote location. With that information, criminals can commit identity theft, credit card fraud and other crimes.
You can protect yourself by following these best practices when using the Internet:
- Be aware that e-mail is insecure and easy to forge. E-mail that appears to be from a friend or company you do business with may be fraudulent and designed to trick you into providing personal information about yourself or installing dangerous software. Do not respond to e-mails or pop-up messages that solicit your personal information including name, address, social security number, etc.
- Only access Web sites that you trust. You can either bookmark trusted Web sites or type their address into your browser each time you wish to access one of the sites. However, you should not click on hyperlinks embedded in an e-mail message as the message and hence the hyperlink may be fraudulent.
- If you receive an e-mail addressed from Vision that you believe to be fraudulent, do not respond directly to the e-mail. Instead, you should forward it to webmaster@vfmarkets.com. Vision will investigate the e-mail and respond back to you.
Personal Computer Security Tips
You can protect yourself by following these best practices to secure your personal computer:
- Install Anti-Virus software on your computer and make sure it is up to date with the most recent virus signatures.
- Make sure your computer is up to date with the most recent software ‘patches’. Patches are software updates that often address software vulnerabilities that phishing scams and viruses exploit.
- Install a firewall between your computer and the Internet. A firewall is a buffer between your computer and the Internet that limits access to your computer and blocks communications from unauthorized sources.
- Please contact the manufacturer of your computer for additional information and recommendations.