Playing it safe: Cybersecurity risks to retirement plans

Companies are increasingly moving from paper records to electronic records, and retirement plan records are no exception. Employers transmit data to third-party recordkeepers electronically, and 401(k) plan participants typically rely on online platforms to access, monitor, and direct their plan accounts. Recent estimates place the dollar value of 401(k) and similar accounts at more than five trillion dollars, and these balances continue to grow as fewer and fewer companies offer traditional defined benefit pension plans.