IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
REINSTATEMENT NOTICENEED TO REINSTATE? CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

NOTICEThe Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) reporting requirement is now in effect. This federal requirement is not related to the Iowa Secretary of State. For more information and to file a report if your business needs to do so, visit: https://www.fincen.gov/boi

Protecting Your Business

Protecting Your Business

How Can I Protect My Business from Identity Theft and Cyber Security Fraud?

Business Identity Theft (or corporate or commercial identity theft) occurs when a business’s identity is used by an unsolicited third party to commit fraud or other crimes. When a business becomes a victim of identity theft, you may have to face the financial and legal burdens of defending your business reputation, trademarks, copyrights, or patents in court.

    The best way to prevent business identity theft and cyber security fraud is to take action to keep your important information secure. Below are a few tips:
  • Regularly check your business’s credit report for unusual activity.
  • Keep up-to-date with the latest online security risks.
  • Protect your network and computers with endpoint protection and a firewall.
  • Sign up for electronic notifications from your bank, creditors, and service providers to stay up-to-date with any changes in your account.
  • Protect your EIN, account numbers, and other personal information as best as possible.
  • Create a policy for carrying, using, and reporting a lost or stolen company credit card.
  • Do not share sensitive information over email or any web-based service.

If you file your documents through Secretary Pate’s Fast Track Filing system, the website will do its part in keeping your information safe by sending email notices to registered agents every time a document is filed for a company (unless there is no email on file, in which case a postcard will be sent). If a document has been filed by a suspicious party through the site, the recipient of the notice can quickly verify the authority of the filer. It is a good idea to periodically make sure your registered agent/office is up to date on Fast Track Filing.

America’s SBDC Iowa can be a useful resource for business security tips and other information. Visit https://iowasbdc.org/cybersecurity/, or access the Cyber Workbook.

What is #BizSchemeSOS?

The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office has partnered with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) to promote a new initiative called #BizSchemeSOS. The initiative highlights Secretaries of State as the authoritative sources for business services information, while also emphasizing their role in alerting the business community and public at large of wide-spread schemes against businesses.

The Iowa Secretary of State’s office provides important #BizSchemeSOS information through their social media pages, specifically Twitter and Facebook. Follow Secretary Paul Pate on Twitter (@IowaSOS) and on Facebook (@IASecretaryofState) for the latest cybersecurity news and updates.

Click here to learn more about the national #BizSchemeSOS initiative.