Financial Planning Cyber Security Health Check
Financial advisers hold the keys to their clients' life savings. Criminals know this—and they're coming for your credentials.
Your platform access makes you an extremely high-value target.
Think about what you can access: client investment portfolios, superannuation accounts, insurance policies, banking details. A compromised financial planner credential doesn't just expose information—it provides direct access to move money, change beneficiaries, and liquidate investments. The damage can be catastrophic and immediate.
Impersonation scams are increasingly sophisticated. Criminals create fake adviser profiles, clone websites, and intercept client communications. They pose as you to convince clients to transfer money to "secure accounts." When the fraud is discovered, it's your name attached to it—and your reputation destroyed, regardless of your innocence.
ASIC and the Privacy Act have real consequences.
Your AFSL obligations include maintaining adequate risk management systems—and ASIC has made clear that cyber security is now part of that expectation. Enforcement actions can result in license conditions, suspension, or banning orders. The Privacy Act adds penalties up to $50 million for failing to protect client information. A preventable breach could cost you your licence and trigger significant financial penalties.
Your licensee is asking harder questions about your security.
Dealer groups and licensees are tightening their authorised representative requirements. Cyber security questionnaires are becoming standard at review time. If you can't demonstrate you have appropriate controls, your authorisation could be at risk. A health check gives you documented evidence of your security posture—and a roadmap for improvement.
Client trust takes decades to build and seconds to destroy.
Financial planning is a relationship business. Your clients trust you with their retirement, their children's education, their financial futures. A data breach—especially one that could have been prevented—destroys that trust instantly. In an industry already dealing with trust issues post-Royal Commission, you can't afford a cyber incident.
Xplan, Midwinter, AdviserLogic—your planning software is a goldmine.
One compromised password to your planning software exposes every client's complete financial picture: assets, liabilities, income, goals, risk profile. Everything needed for identity theft, targeted scams, or direct financial fraud. When did you last review who has access and how it's protected?
This health check is built specifically for financial planning practices.
Plain-English questions covering licensee portal security, planning software protection, platform access controls, client communication security, impersonation prevention, and ASIC/AFSL compliance considerations. No technical jargon—designed so any adviser or practice manager can complete it and understand the results.
What you get:
What You Receive
Every assessment generates a comprehensive report. Download a sample below.
Summary Report
Plain-English findings with scores, prioritised improvement plan, risk associations, and resources
Download SampleComplete it in about 60 minutes. No technical knowledge required. Your data never leaves your device.
Who is this for?
Financial advisers, practice principals, and authorised representatives. Whether you operate under your own AFSL or through a licensee—if you handle client financial information and platform access, this health check is designed for you.
Your Assessment Includes a Personal AI Security Advisor
Two AI assistants are built into the tool — one to help you during the assessment, one to help you make sense of your results. Like having a security professional on call.
Not sure what a question is asking? Just ask.
Every question in the assessment has an AI helper built in. Tap it and ask anything — "What does this question actually mean?", "Can you give me an example?", "Why does this matter for my business?" — and you'll get a plain-English explanation instantly.
- ✓ Explains technical concepts in everyday language
- ✓ Gives real-world examples relevant to your industry
- ✓ Never suggests how to answer — just helps you understand
- ✓ No technical background required to complete the assessment
Your Personal Security Advisor — available the moment you see your results.
Once your results are in, an AI security advisor has your full assessment in front of it and is ready to answer any question about what it means — in plain English, as if you're talking to a security professional.
- ✓ "Explain my highest risk gap in simple terms"
- ✓ "Walk me through how to fix action #3"
- ✓ "Which gaps are easiest to fix myself?"
- ✓ Ask anything — your advisor knows your specific results
No consultants. No jargon. No guesswork.
For the first time, small businesses get the same quality of guidance that used to cost hundreds of dollars an hour — built directly into the assessment.
Common Questions
Why are financial planning practices targeted by cyber criminals?
Financial planners hold some of the most complete financial profiles of any professional — superannuation details, investment portfolios, insurance policies, bank accounts, and long-term financial plans. A compromised financial planner can give criminals access to client super funds and investment accounts. The combination of high-value assets and trusted client relationships makes financial planning practices a priority target.
What cyber security obligations apply to financial planners?
ASIC's regulatory guidance and AFSL obligations require licensees and ARs to maintain adequate systems and controls to protect client data. Your AFSL holder may impose specific cyber security requirements. The Privacy Act 1988 applies to all practices collecting personal information. PI insurers and professional indemnity renewals increasingly scrutinise cyber controls.
What does the Financial Planning Health Check cover?
The health check covers client portal and CRM security, document management and storage, email security against phishing and business email compromise, AFSL-mandated data protection obligations, remote access security for advisers, super fund and investment platform credential security, and incident response planning.
What do I receive after completing the health check?
You receive a professional Word report with prioritised recommendations tailored to financial planning practice risks. The report is suitable for sharing with your AFSL holder, compliance officer, PI insurer, or keeping on file as evidence of reasonable steps to protect client financial information.
Further Reading
Resource
Cyber Security for Financial Planners
Why financial planning practices are high-value targets, what ASIC and AFSL obligations require, and the controls that protect client assets and data.
Read the guide