Mortgage brokers are being urged to tighten up their data security practices with warnings against emailing sensitive documents, reusing passwords and pasting client information into consumer AI tools.

The call comes as Mortgage Brain announces it has achieved ISO 27001 accreditation, the internationally recognised standard for information security management.

ISO 27001 is regarded as the global benchmark for managing information security and cyber risk. It requires organisations to embed robust security controls across people, processes and technology, with independent audits to ensure data remains confidential, accurate and accessible when required.

The accreditation follows a company-wide programme running alongside the development of Mortgage Brain’s evolving product suite. The process involved formalising controls, documenting procedures and embedding security into day-to-day decision-making across the business.

PROTECTED DATA

For brokers, ISO 27001 status provides independent reassurance that client data is protected by design, that security is embedded into daily operations and that the firm operates to globally recognised best-practice standards.

The move comes against a backdrop of rising cyber threats, with brokers handling growing volumes of sensitive personal and financial data.

Phishing attacks, ransomware, human error and third-party vulnerabilities remain key risks for firms across the intermediary and lending sectors.

Mortgage Brain has also set out practical steps for brokers to strengthen their own defences.

These include enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible, never reusing passwords across systems, avoiding the use of email for sensitive documents and steering clear of entering client data into consumer AI tools.

SECURITY NON-NEGOTIABLE

Cloë Atkinson (main picture, inset), chief operating officer of Mortgage Brain, said: “ISO 27001 accreditation shows that we are serious about data. With cases of cyber security on the rise, protecting data is business critical.

“Brokers can trust that Mortgage Brain is doing everything possible to handle their data, and that of their clients, as safely as possible, and we have been independently audited against best-in-class security standards to prove it.

“But this isn’t enough. Brokers also need to make data security non-negotiable. Just a few simple steps, such as using AI tools with common sense and not reusing passwords, can make a big difference.”