As someone authorized to represent a business (owner, ex officio representative, authorized representative, etc.) with Revenu Québec, you can help prevent cyberattacks and fraud by taking certain precautions.

Here's a list of 10 good habits to adopt to protect the confidential information of a business and its staff, clients and suppliers.

1. Regularly check the information in the business's files

Regularly log in to My Account for businesses or My Account for professional representatives so you can check that the following information is still correct: 

• the email address and phone number shown in each file
• the banking and direct deposit information
• the returns and refund/rebate claims made by the business
• the requests/applications made and the completed forms in each file
• the authorized representatives and the users shown in each file

Also access My Office at the Registraire des Entreprises to check the information listed in the business's file, if any.

If you notice that a change was made in the business's files without your consent, see Report a Phishing or Fraud Attempt.

2. Protect your user code and passwords

To protect the business from cyberattacks, it's essential to protect your user code and passwords.

Here are some security tips for people authorized to represent a business with Revenu Québec:

• Don't share your user code or passwords for our online services with anyone.
• Use strong, distinct passwords for all our online services.
• Make sure to enter an email address that only you can use.
• Don't activate automatic password saving on your computer equipment.
• Change your passwords regularly.

3. Authorize access to our online services carefully

If you want to give online access to other people, follow these recommendations:

• Create a unique identifier for each online service user, except for clicSÉQUR express.
• Give sufficient rights and accesses to each person based on the desired level of responsibility (person in charge of online services, user, respondent, etc.).
• Create a distinct profile for each user, which contains their first and last name, instead of a single profile in the business's name.This will prevent your accesses from being revoked in case of improper use.

4. Keep authorizations, powers of attorney and file access rights up to date

Only authorized persons can represent the business with Revenu Québec. Do the following to prevent risks of fraud: 

• Periodically review and update the business's authorizations, powers of attorney and file access rights.
• Revoke the authorizations, powers of attorney and file access rights of anyone no longer connected to the business, such as an accountant or an ex-employee. 

5. Raise staff awareness of good cybersecurity practices

Employees are the business's main allies when it comes to preventing fraud. To make them aware of the importance of adopting good habits, regularly remind them about the following:

• good cybersecurity practices
• the most common frauds and scams
• the importance of rereading and applying the terms of use for our online services
• the need to create strong, unique passwords for all of the business's files

6. Learn about our communication practices

Unscrupulous individuals can send seemingly legitimate messages to a business in order to get confidential information about it and its clients.

For this reason, it's essential to learn about our communications practices with businesses.

7. Carefully read communications from us

When there's a change in the business's file, we send a message to inform them. To be able to act quickly in case of fraud, read all communications we send you promptly.

8. Send us your documents securely

To send us confidential documents easily and securely, use one of these ways: 

• Send them from the communications centre or inbox in My Account.
• Contact us so we can tell you the best way to send them, based on the situation.  

9. Use online payments

To prevent fraud, always prioritize electronic payments. If the business still makes payments by cheque, we advise following these recommendations:

• Verfiy the operations made in the business's bank account.
• Keep cheques in a safe place. Only the authorized person should have access to cheques and be able to complete and mail them.
• Never sign a cheque before completing all the required fields.
• If you close a bank account, shred the unused cheques.

10. Report any phishing and fraud attempts

You should promptly inform us if: 

• You think that scammers contacted you posing as our employee.
• You notice suspicious or abnormal activity when using our online services.
• The business is the victim of a cyberattack. 

Based on the situation, we can put in place additional measures to protect confidential information.

To learn how to report an incident, see Report a Phishing or Fraud Attempt.