As you scroll through the news and come across a story on cybercrime or some sort of online security breach, you may have wondered whether your Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Program (WDC) account could be a target.
It might seem counterintuitive, but registering your WDC account online can reduce the chance that someone else will be able to gain access to it.
If you haven’t yet registered, visit wdc457.org. Click Register, then choose which of the three tabs you will use to verify your account (“I do not have a PIN,” “I have a PIN,” or “I have a plan enrollment code”) and enter your details. You will then be prompted to create your personal username and password.
Once registered, you can take proactive steps to protect your account and the sensitive information associated with it. Here are a few recommendations:
Add Personal Email Addresses to Your Account
By updating your current information, including adding a personal email address, you can be contacted more quickly if there are unauthorized changes or transactions on your account.
To update your information, log in to your WDC account and click on your initials in the top right corner. This will lead you to the Profile page, where you can edit your personal contact information. This is very important — if the WDC’s only communication option is through an email address that has been hacked or compromised, then they are only communicating with the fraudster and not you.
Sign up for E-Delivery
You can edit your communication preference for receiving statements and other important plan documents in the Account Documents section under the Settings tab.
By selecting e-delivery, you’ll receive all available documents electronically as soon as they become available.
E-delivery provides a secure way to access the information you need, and it lessens the likelihood that a statement or other information will be stolen or misplaced.
Follow Safe Online Practices
Create complex passwords, keep your antivirus and system software up to date, and regularly log in to check your account.
By following current and prudent online and mobile security practices, you’re automatically eligible for the Empower Security Guarantee. This means that Empower, the WDC’s contracted administrator, will restore losses to your account that occur as a result of unauthorized transactions through no fault of your own.
Click here to read more online security tips, and make cybersecurity a regular part of your retirement planning journey.