In April 2025, retailer Marks & Spencer suffered a cyber-attack that downed its online systems. Several months later, the company is still unable to take orders and according to the BBC, the disruption is expected to continue until at least July.
Large businesses like Marks & Spencer dedicate significant budgets to their online security, yet they’re still vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This means that any of us could fall victim to scammers and it’s crucial that you’re vigilant when sending information online.
Read on to learn why secure communication is important and how Ardent protects your data.
It’s estimated that 67% of fraud in the UK is cyber-enabled
Fraud is a significant issue in the UK, and it takes many forms. Figures from the National Crime Agency (NCA) show that fraud accounted for 41% of all crimes recorded in the 2024 Crime Survey for England and Wales.
What’s more, 67% of all fraud is cyber-enabled, meaning criminals use various online communication methods to gain access to your wealth.
There are all kinds of techniques scammers might use. For example, they could send “phishing emails” that look like they come from a legitimate source, such as your bank or financial planner. By gaining your trust with these incredibly convincing emails, scammers could encourage you to share important information.
Alternatively, criminals could create “clone websites”, which mimic real sites and trick users into inputting sensitive details.
The progression of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology also creates more risks. Scammers could use AI tools to clone your voice, for instance, and contact us to ask for information about your wealth.
The advanced techniques scammers use could cause significant problems if you’re communicating with your financial planner. Sometimes, you may need to send personal information about your bank accounts, investments, or pensions and if this information gets into the wrong hands, you could be at risk of fraud.
That’s why secure communication is so important.
We recently shared our brand-new guide with lots of information about scams and some ways you can protect yourself from fraudsters.
Further to this, we’re implementing some important internal changes to give you an added layer of protection.
We will be increasing security checks on phone calls from clients
Picking up the phone is one of the easiest ways to get in touch with us if you have questions about your financial plan. However, it’s important that we ensure we are speaking with a genuine client, so we don’t share sensitive data with a scammer.
That’s why we will be increasing the security checks that we do when clients call us. As a result, you might notice that we ask lots of security questions and verify more details with you when you call.
Please be patient with us during this process as it’s an important step to make sure your data is protected.
The Personal Finance Portal remains the most secure way to communicate with us
We created our Personal Finance Portal (PFP) so you would have an online dashboard where you can manage your financial plan.
Using the PFP, you’re able to see important information about your finances and communicate with us directly. This platform is incredibly secure, and we’re always monitoring the system to ensure that you are protected from cyber-attacks.
If you need to ask questions about your financial plan or share documents relating to your bank accounts, pensions, or investments, an email may not be secure enough. Scammers could intercept emails, or you might unknowingly send it to a false address.
That’s why we recommend that you use the PFP where possible. This allows you to securely transfer any information and drastically reduce the chances of scams.
Get in touch
If you are yet to use the PFP or need some more guidance about the features, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
Contact us at hello@ardentuk.com or call or WhatsApp us on 01904 655 330. As an award-winning financial advice company with advisers included in the 2025 VouchedFor Top Rated guide, you can be sure that we’re a bona fide company providing excellent advice and high-quality service.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.