Smarter tech necessitates smarter fraud examiners

Modern technology advances quickly. What’s innovative and fresh one day can be quickly outdated and short-lived in just a few months.

As smart devices get smarter, business and industry depend more heavily on them and the data they store, which makes fraud examinations more challenging and complex.

In college, I recall enduring one semester of BASIC language before I realized that there was nothing “basic” about it — at least for me. As CFEs, we don’t necessarily need to be computer scientists to operate in today’s tech society, but we do need to be aware of the current methods that fraudsters are using to steal from our companies and disrupt our lives.

Cybercriminals will keep changing tactics to bypass security measures and attack our systems. We must stay vigilant in our protection and detection efforts. Many cyberattacks are preventable through awareness, training and education. Even something as simple as updating software can make all the difference.

Teresa Payton, former White House chief information officer and keynote speaker at the 30th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Austin, delivers just such a message in the cover article.